Ask Esther

Yesterday at Saltwater Farm, JC & I met a bunch of great, newly engaged couples who have either booked or are considering booking (DO IT!) their weddings at the vineyard. I had some really nice conversations with the couples and even some parents about our experience and their visions for their own dream weddings. It made me remember just how overwhelming the whole planning process can be. JC & I planned every last detail by ourselves...searching online through hundreds of potential venues and then visiting over a dozen, many of which we realized in seconds were not right for us (but still drove 2 hours to see); spending hours on the phone with potential vendors, before scheduling face-to-face meetings with each of them...photographers, caterers, florists, justices-of-the-peace, and on and on........

We would have given our right arms (the left needs to sparkle with the ring J) for some advice or recommendations as to where we could start. Once we had agreed to work with some of our vendors, we were able to ask them for advice and it made the process so much easier. If you've followed our blog, you know that we hired DJ Doug from Power Posse Productions without even talking to him, let alone hearing/seeing his work!

I gave my email address and phone number to a bunch of couples because I am honestly more than happy to share our experience, offer inside info, and give recommendations for our awesome vendors. I mean, I spent a year researching and learning all about wedding planning and getting to know vendors in New England so it would be a shame to have all that new knowledge go to waste now! I understand why so many wedding planners get their start after their own weddings ;)

So if you've come across our blog in your search for some of the vendors we used, please feel free to contact me about our experience or ask any questions you like...the more random the better! For now, I'll tell you that we chose to work with each of our vendors because they were the most fun, the most flexible, the most creative, the easiest to work with, and the most excited about our vision. Tall order, if you ask me!

Venue: Saltwater Farm Vineyard - owners, Merrily & Michael Connery

Caterer: Gourmet Galley - owner & event planner, Anna Lathrop

Photographers: Justin Marantz Photography - owners & photographers, Justin & Mary Marantz

Videographer: Stillmotion - cinematographer, Patrick Moreau

Florist: It's So Ranunculus - owner & florist, Leah Miner

DJ: Power Posse Productions - owner & DJ, Doug Jastremski

Hair: Platinum of Norwich - stylist, Bobbie Camp

Makeup: Jennie Fresa Beauty Libray - owner & makeup artist, Jennie Fresa

Justice of the Peace: Chaz Zezulka

Best of luck and have fun!

Bride: Esther Tetreault

esthermary11@comcast.net

Wedding Weekend Pics: Dogwatch Cafe sunset

The Dogwatch Cafe was a fantastic recommendation care of Michael, our new friend/owner of Saltwater Farm.

Very simply, the Saturday night before the wedding was a great chance to slow down the pace, enjoy a great locally made beer, and watch the photogenic Stonington harbor sunset with our closest friends.

Of course I used the ephemeral prime light to grab pictures of Esther, get her looking all glowy and extra pretty.

Ahhhhh...yeah.

(so, brendan doesn't like to take pictures, apparently...this was actually the best of bunch)

Honeymoon Pictures: 2nd Sneak Peek

It's going to be quite the task to sort through and choose which pictures to post from the wedding weekend, never mind the honeymoon.

But, to keep the momentum going

...here's one from a post-dinner moment in Maui

Wedding Weekend Pics: Rehearsal Lunch at Olio

Our post ceremony rehearsal meal was hosted by the parents Tetreault at Olio in nearby Groton...E and I were fashionably late, and were greeted by my pop, smiling widely at the entrance to the restaurant. I know my parents were very happy with their find, and they were 100% right to be...it was perfect in every way for the occasion. It was within a 10 minute drive of Saltwater Farm, they had some really tasty options during the cocktail hour (mmmm, spicy bloody mary), and the space had the feel that was reminiscent of our style: clean and long lines, but still comfortable and gave you the feeling that you were in for a good meal. The service was very attentive and focused on making sure everyone had what they could possibly want.

I could certainly go on about the decadent 'deconstructed seafood ravioli' (the local Stonington Scallops were perfectly seared and tender) or the panko chicken breast (crunchy, moist, and a monster portion... especially for lunch), but the meal took backseat to what was to happen that day.

The main feature was the flood of heartfelt sentiments that seemed to be endlessly showered over E and me. Really...so many heartfelt words, some hilarious 'remember when' stories, perfectly timed zingers. I pulled out my camera after tinkering with the settings to better shoot in the dim mood lighting, but taking photos was the last thing I wanted to do in those moments. Instead, we just absorbed and felt awash in support by our closest family and friends, which was what all we could ever want from the experience.

I was feeling emotionally drained after the experience, but knowing we were really just starting the weekend...E went off with her ladies for pre-wedding finger and toenail re-energizing stuff, and the guys went to the driving range.

So, the images from my camera were pretty limited of the lunch, so I grabbed a few off Facebook that Meg took...thanks Meg!

Wedding Weekend Pics: Driving range

Went to the nearby Birch Plain driving range w/the guys on the saturday before the wedding, gave me the chance to work out some nervous energy, launching some (definitely not all) little white balls off the fake little grass rugs. Jeff, Jason, Kev, B and I went through three large baskets pretty quickly, and my too-tight grip yielded a nice dime sized blister on my left hand thumb.

My default swing is steeped in my years as a little leaguer, so its tough for me to relax and lock out my left elbow, stand up straight...basically do all the things that differentiates a golf swing a baseball swing. Still, even I was able to hit a few straight.

Check out the pics from the range:

overwhelmed...

E and I are enjoying every minute of our maui + kuaui honeymoon.

Now on the 2nd leg, we are armed with an internet connection and have been able to see some sneak preview pictures from the wedding weekend from our family and friends. I'm quite simply overwhelmed, the lifelong memories are flooding back on my laptop screen.

We've got a bunch of pics ourselves, and will be sure to post 'em to the image sharing site soon after our return home.

We are biting our nails, waiting to see what the phenomenal talent of the trio Justin and Mary Marantz + Julia were able to capture...we do hope that these pictures will help us to savor these memories that much better in the years to follow.

We plan to post much more of the experiences we've had, but for now, we'll just put up a quick teaser from our honeymoon!

...oh, and what the heck...here are two from the aforementioned marantz squad:

A Crapload of Cookies

Let me just say that I truly do enjoy baking.

Now, that being said, I never want to spend a morning baking 150 cookies ever again. My kitchen gets too hot, I will inevitably burn at least one finger, and I end up covering every visible surface in a light dusting of flour because I'm too impatient to add the flour to the wet mixture sloooooowlyyyyyy.

What IS fun, though, is spending a few hours with your girlfriends EATING cookies, drinking wine, and laughing about how ridiculous it is to create 120 cute little bags of homemade cookies.

Last night a bunch of my girlfriends came together to help me finish putting together the wedding favors. I stole the brilliant idea from my bridesmaid Gina, whose mother and mother's friends did the same thing for Gina's wedding last year. What I didn't realize was the difference just one generation makes in executing said idea.

Who knew how long it would take me (and my friend Renee) to measure, cut, and tape the cute little recipe cards I wanted to attach to each bag? I didn't. Who would have thought baking 13 dozen cookies 2 days before I leave for Wedding Weekend might be cutting it a little close? Not me. And who thinks about cold storage for 120 bags full of fresh baked cookies? JC, that's who. Needless to say (although I will), I came home last night super excited that my friends and I pulled off this extravaganza and finished all our personalized wedding favors. We packed up all the bags and left them in Renee's (kinda) cool basement to store for a couple days. Well, JC was more concerned about poisoning all of you than I was because he convinced me to go BACK to Renee's at 10:30p last night to unpack all the boxes, clean out Renee's refridgerator, and jam 120 cute little bags into every available space. Thank goodness she doesn't eat much.

So when you're enjoying your late night bag of delicious, non-toxic cookies...please give thanks to Renee, Gina, Katie W, Katie T, Annmarie, Meg, Rachel, Jen, Aunt Sylvia, and Marsha. Enjoy!

It runs in the family...

Spent a few hours in Acushnet today...Esther had another wedding dress fitting with Aunt Norma. She graciously offered her time and sewing expertise to crank out more tablecloths for the wedding. Mom has already put in some serious time on her retro cool 1970s era Orange and Yellow adorned Singer, but as both the wedding and school year draw near, she understandably felt the need to go to the bullpen.


The tablecloths are done, save a bit of pressing, but they really look beautiful...an unbleached natural fabric, full of character.

When we arrived, my mom was busy working on her lesson plan, Norma busily buzzing away on the tablecloths, and my Pop cutting, processing and making more of his soon-to-be famous hot sauce (this batch had his homegrown Serrano and cayenne). Norma took a break from the tablecloths, and whisked Esther away for some covert wedding gown tinkering at the other end of the house.

So, I took my usual stroll around the garden, checking the status of various trees, shrubs and perennials I had planted years ago. The Asian pears I transplanted from my city garden plot are heavy with fruit, and the pee gee hydrangea that we'll be cutting for the wedding are looking beautiful, a pure ivory color, somehow unfazed by the tropical heat and haze over the last week. They are heavy, soaked with last nights rain...almost fully opened now, just two weeks away from being taken to our florist who will add them as a personal addition to the arrangements.

Sitting around chatting about the wedding to-do list, Pop disappeared to the storage closet upstairs. He soon returned with a not-new looking gift box, and a plastic comforter bag, with something carefully packed with tissue paper inside. As he wiped the dust away from the box, he explained that Grandmaman, shortly before her death, had made me and my as yet unknown bride embroidered table cloths with matching napkins and quilt with matching pillow shams.


I felt humbled, solemn and very close to her all at once...I was pretty quiet, snapping pictures, wanting to be sure that I could remember those feelings, hoping that these pictures could help.

Then I looked around at my family, smiling back at me, and had a sense of ...just, well, just like I was at Home, surrounded by true family, people who, without a second thought, see it as a family right, a privilege to make these truly meaningful contributions to our wedding with their own skills, talents and efforts.

We got fake married last week!

Esther and I were fake married last week, to help out with our photographers Justin and Mary Marantz. They do photography workshops with budding wedding photographers, and last week, they held their most recent workshop at the classicly beautiful Chamard Vineyards in Clinton, CT.

We arrived at the very hospitable White Dress by the Shore, so E could don a 'cupcake' dress, then shot across the street to Jennie Fresa for some makeup artistry. The White Dress folks also chose some hair adornments for E to sport, and after we arrived at the vineyard, and a quick consultation with Mary and me, she settled on...a tiara?

yep, it looked good, with E all princess'd out, but it doesn't really take a huge effort to make Esther look good.

But, like Aunt Norma says, 'Eh...you could put her in a potato sack, and she'd look stunning.'

I think we were initially a touch intimidated by the huge throng of photographers and the paparazzi like flash bulb popping, but we settled in to the process, almost as a continuation of our first experience with J&M.

After the shoot, the always generous Marantz's invited us to Miso in New Haven for a rejuvenating sushi dinner, and we were on our way back to Boston.

So, be sure to check out the sneak peek post HERE ...

...and the full version HERE at Justin and Mary's incredibly life+work-fully integrated blog.

Also noticed that one of the photographers (Jake from Nodo Photograph) that attended the workshop has also posted some photos on his blog. He has an expensive camera, and he uses it for good, not evil.