I'll vow to love you
as long as rivers run to the sea...
//From the Bride and Groom's Invitations
Two weekends ago was the much anticipated wedding of Nick's sister Kat and her Fiancé Marcel. They had planned a big wedding weekend in Cape Cod with all of their family and friends and everyone was so excited for it. The weather for the weekend looked beautiful, and there aren't too many prettier places in New England than Cape Cod in late summer. Nick and I left Friday afternoon after work and headed for the Cape. Traffic wasn't too bad so we made pretty good time. I love crossing the bridge over the canal and officially being on the Cape, it's one of my favorite places on Earth.
WELCOME TO CAPE COD!
We got to Yarmouth just before dinner and had just enough time to check into our hotel, The Cove, and make a quick change before meeting everyone out for dinner. Our hotel room room was really nice and absolutely HUGE. It was a literal town house complete with two full bathrooms, a living room, a kitchenette, and two levels. We had so much space and the decor was nautical and cozy.
The original plan was for everyone who got there on Friday to meet at Captain Parkers for dinner. They had originally said they could accommodate our crowd but I think they had more people dining there that night than expected and wouldn't be able to accommodate us unless we wanted to wait 2 hours. Kat stayed calm and collected and quickly called some nearby places at the rare chance someone would be able to fit 30+ hungry people on five minutes notice. By the grace of the Gods the restaurant across the street, The Lobster Boat, told us to head on over! It was a similar style restaurant and menu so we figured why not give it a chance. We were so lucky and grateful that they were able to get us all in on such short notice, and it ended up being a great time!
All 30+ of us got to sit in the same designated area at 6 or so tables, so it was really nice for everyone to be able to be with each other. All the cousins got to sit together and it was really nice to catch up with everyone and see some of Nick's family that lives out of State.
Yummy Lobster bisque! Our waiter worked SO hard that night handling our whole group by himself, but the service was great.
Sam looks like he's doing 'The Claw' from Liar Liar.
We all dined on seafood from lobsters to steamers and like. It was really yummy and probably would be one of the last summer seafood meals of the year, so I definitely want to savor every bite! We had such a good time hanging out eating and drinking with everyone and I don't think Kat and Marcel could have asked for a better evening with their families and friends.
Nick's Mommy!
After dinner we figured it would take everyone a little while to get back to the Hotel and get situated so Nick and I and his cousins Dan and Chelsea decided to stop in quick at the original place we were going to go, Captain Parkers, for a drink and to check it out. Nick had been there before on one of his trips to Cape Cod, and he had known that they put up patches from police, fire, EMT and the like from all over the country. He swore to me that there wasn't a badge from Northampton but I refused to believe them as there were literally HUNDREDS from all over Mass and it is a pretty popular City. But to my surprise after looking and looking I couldn't find a single one... although I still am not entirely convinced!
The gang! Nick has a great set of cousins who are all close in age so it's really fun to get to hang out with them as a family. Lots of stories and laughs are always a common theme! (Side Note I think Nick's eye closing epidemic might be cured, he didn't blink once all weekend!)
Someone please help me find Northampton so that I can prove Nick wrong! Once he gave the bartender his patch he was given a token for a free drink, which I though was a nice nod to public service workers. They had lots of nautical flare and decor and it was a nice and cozy retsurant. It was unfortunate that they couldn't accommodate everyone for dinner but it was still nice to get to stop in and check it out quickly.
A golf ball ceiling!
MARSH-VEGAS! And on the right is the patch Nick now gets to don as a newly licensed Paramedic! Woo woo :-)
It's like Where's Waldo but instead it's WHERES NORTHAMPTON!? 
After the pub we headed back to the hotel to meet up with everyone again. The plan was for Kat and Marcel to light off a couple of paper lanterns to send into the sky down by the water with notes written on them for their Grandfathers who have passed and couldn't be with them on their wedding day.
This is not a good angle!! But I still love this picture because we were just being silly and Kat looks so happy.
Much better! The beautiful Bride-to-be looked gorgeous and was glowing and oh so happy! So ready to wake up the next morning and marry Marcel.
Cousin Dan!
Once everyone was ready we all headed down to the water out in back of the Cove to set off the lanterns with Kat and Marcel. If you start to notice in these photos, there were no orbs or anything in any of my previous photos up until this point. As soon as Kat and Marcel started to light the lanterns, orbs started appearing in the photos, so keep and eye out for them.
Trying to get everyone down to the water to watch them set them off!
I absolutely LOVE this little moment I caught between Nick and Kat. He was being so sweet and hugging her and making her laugh. They had such a moment together and it was really nice to see how strong of a bond and love they have for each other.
Notice the orbs start to get more and more as they light the lanterns.
Right as they start lighting there were tons of orbs in the photo.
You have to be patient with the paper lanterns and really let them inflate with hot air before letting them go so that you ensure they'll fly .
Almost ready to let them go!
Kat wrote a really sweet message to her Grandpa on the lantern. It is definitely clear from these photos that he was there with them that night!
Just about ready to set them off into the sky.
Off they go! This is when the orb thing gets really crazy.
As soon as they let both of the lanterns go I turned my camera into the black sky and took ONE photo pointed straight up, and this is how it came out. You can clearly see both lanterns in the frame and then HUNDREDS of twinkling orbs. Its not dust, its not stars.... It is most definitely a sign from above. I have never seen anything like it. Occasionally I will get an orb or two in a photo, but I have honestly never seen anything even remotely close to this. It was a really special moment and I didn't even end up seeing this picture until looking through all of the photos after the wedding. The Grandpas were most certainly with them that night, and always, and I am sure that these lanterns made their way to heaven.
The happy couple on their last night as single people! Still a few orbs in this photo as well. It was a really special and beautiful moment that they will remember forever.
After the lantern lighting we headed back to their hotel room for a little after party. Cousin Dan ended up making a really nice speech about Marcel and Kat and it was fun to be with everyone getting excited for the big day.
TOMORROW IS THE DAY! I took the quote for this blog post from Kat and Marcel's invitation. It really spoke true to their love and to the wedding itself as it was taking place right on a river with a view leading out into the ocean. I loved their nautical theme and the colors and decorations they chose.
Nick and I woke up and decided to head to breakfast and explore a bit before we had to get ready for the wedding. We hit up the Route 28 Diner for some food and it was a cute spot with classic diner decor.
I take this same picture of Nick every time we go to a breakfast spot/diner holding his mug. I'll have to compile a little collage someday!
My boy and his dry-rye glory!
A nifty little photo of our feet in the refection.
After breakfast we drove through some cute Cape Cod neighborhoods and Nick showed me one of the cottages he stayed in with his friends a couple years ago. We then headed to the beach down the road for a little walk in the sand. It was such a beautiful and warm late-summer day. Kat and marcel couldn't have asked for better beach wedding weather.
These old lady BFFS were too cute not to sneak a picture of! If I make it that long I hope to be doing to same some day.
A couple of die-hard September beach goers were out bright and early.
Nick and I started noticing dead horse shoe crabs everywhere along the beach, probably over a hundred easily. I actually looked it up afterwards and it said that most of the "dead" crabs were actually molts of crabs that had outgrown there shells. The article even mentions the exact beach we were on!
We took a minute to write Kat and Marcel's names in the sand for the big day. Happy wedding day guys!!
The "Cat and Marsel" is a little inside joke we have with them as well, so we made sure to write that too.
On the beach with my sweet!
You can kind of see the amount of horse shoe crabs shells there were from these photos. All the way down beach as far as you could see.
After the beach and a few other errands it was time to start getting ready for the wedding. I decided to head down to Kat's Mom's room to watch her get her hair done for a bit. I Love these first few photos because Kat was so smiley and happy and in the background someone on TV was literally being ax-murdered. It was pretty funny once we realized!
Kat's Step Brother Adam and his wife Casey called on FaceTime from California as they were not able to make it out for the wedding. You could tell it meant a lot to Kat they they called and she was really happy to get to talk to them before the wedding.
Adam saying Hi to grandma over FaceTime!
Kat decided on a really pretty side-swept curly hairstyle. Her Mom is a professional hair stylist and was able to do it for her that day which was nice!
So happy! It's wedding day!
Once she was finished with hair it was time for her to go to the mall in Hyannis to have her makeup done. I said my goodbyes and headed back to my room to start to get ready. The next time we would see her she would be all dolled up and ready to walk down the aisle.
Nick and I take our wedding garb very seriously, and always try to coordinate our outfits in terms of color and style. I had scored this really cute Scallop Dress at the Lily Pulitzer End of Summer Sale and I knew the wedding would be the perfect time to wear it! It fit well with the theme of the wedding and the Cape Cod Location. Nick had ordered a really nice three piece navy suit and I was able to find a tie that coordinated pretty well to "tie" it all together. I had also gotten Nick an anchor tie-clip for Easter that he wore as well. I think it came out pretty good if I do say so myself! Nicky looked super schnazzy and handsome.
Dan and Chels came to our room once they were ready as we had planned on heading over to the wedding all together. They looked great as well and were also both going along with the navy and nautical theme.
Kat and Marcel had gotten a special permit from the town to have their ceremony right on West Dennis Beach. It was the perfect location and a nice big stretch of uncrowded beach. They had chairs and an arbor set up and everyone took their seats to await the bride.
Marcel was looking very dapper and ready to see his bride come down the aisle!
Here comes the bride! Kat looked so happy and her hair and makeup came out perfect. She wore a STUNNING and glamourous dress and it fit her like a glove.
Her Mom and Art looking on!
Exchanging vows.
The ring bearer- Auntie Linda! Made everyone chuckle since usually you expect a little boy to hand off the rings, but Auntie Linda got the special honor.
Exchanging rings! Kat has a beautiful garnet and diamond engagement ring and the bands they chose really complemented it well.
It's official! getting announced as Husband and Wife!
The kiss!
It was a beautiful ceremony- short, sweet and simple- the best kind! The location was stunning and the weather was perfect.
CONGRATS MR. AND MRS. CARON!! Woohoo!!
The look so happy here, love this picture!
Let the celebrating begin!
This will forever be their spot!
After everyone recessed it was time for them to take family photos and pictures of the bride and groom so we all hung out for a bit to watch and take some photos as well.
Boys cousins! And CV looking epic.
All of the boy cousins together. So great that they are all so close.
More group photos! Can't wait to see the photos from the photographer.
Here he is in action getting some nice shots of Kat and Marcel on the beach.
Just as the sun was starting to set we headed off to the reception.
Kat and Marcel held their reception at the Swan River Restaurant in Yarmouth and the view was gorgeous! The only thing Kat was bummed about was the unexpected crane in the background but you could barely even notice it and her cousin came up with the hash-tag #craneoverrain and he was right- the crane was WAY better than rain! It was a beautiful view of the river and seagrass leading out to the ocean in the distance.
We all gathered out back for more family photos and the light was nice and golden sunset light.
Family! Love them
Sweet Christina and Auntie Anne!
Great photo of Kat's Aunt, Uncle and cousin.
Nick and I with his cousin Christina. She looked beautiful in her floor length ombre dress!
Brother and sister love!
The sunset was really pretty right over the river and lighting up the sky in pretty pinks and purples.
My sweet boy! He was a trooper that day and I love him so.
After photos we headed inside the Swan River for the reception! They had a nice long cocktail hour where everyone got to mingle and drink and snack.
I love the high ceiling and beams! She had such nice details and place settings, all fitting her Cape Cod theme.
Auntie Susan and Mom!
Kat and Marcel's grand entrance into their first dance. Everyone was gathered around the dance floor and it was a really nice moment to watch them dance together for the first time as husband and wife.
They looked great together with lots of twirls and swirls, you could just tell how unbelievably happy they both were!
Always making her laugh!
Kat's Mom and Art had a sweet moment looking on as they danced.
The dip!
After the first dance we all sat down for dinner. Kat and Marcel had really sweet and personal wedding favors. They had hand made and painted sand dollar ornaments with hydrangeas. It was a really nice token to take home and remember the day. I love when couple gives something sentimental that you will actually use, it makes it much more meaningful!
Table 6!!
I think Kat looks so glamourous and beautiful in this photo! She was radiant all day.
The bartenders were great and really fun! Definitely gave strong pours.
Shout! Put your hands up and SHOUT! After dinner it was on to the dance floor for pretty much the rest of the night. I don't think Kat got off the dance floor at all and it was really fun dancing with all the girls all night long.
Once it started winding down we sat outside for a bit and took and silly pictures. Everyone had a blast!
Sam and Charlotte!
Noseflare.
The wedding was so much fun, everyone had a great time and it is a night I will always remember! Kat and Marcel were so happy and in love and it was a great celebration of their day. They had all their closest family and friends surrounding them and I don't think they could have asked for a better day! Congrats to the newlyweds!
The next morning we were up surprisingly early and decided to go get breakfast at Jack's Outback, a hidden gem that you would never find unless you knew about it! It was the cutest old house-turned-restaurant complete with two golden retrievers lying in the front yard and pumpkins lining the walkway. They were adorable! It was such a charming place.
The menu looked delicious and it was the first time in a while I couldn't decide what I wanted for breakfast because everything sounded so good.
I ended up getting the Home Hash Benny and nick got the #2 Omelet with bacon and avocado. SO good!
Goodbye sweet pups! Until next time...
After breakfast we decided to take a little ride through Hyannis as Nick had never seen the Kennedy compound and I wanted to show him. We rode past the compound and around the little neighborhoods lined with gorgeous homes, and then stopped off for a walk at a nearby beach. It was a little overcast but still warm!
Again there were tons of horse shoe crabs shells washed up on the beach.
Dipping his toes in the chilly water!
We love the beach! It's definitely where we belong.
Next Nick drove me around Hyannis to the cottage he stayed in earlier this summer with his friends. He led me down this hidden little path that let out to a cute little beach. It was really sweet and romantic. I had Bruce Springsteen's 'Secret Garden' playing in my mind.
I also posted this photo with one of my favorite Frost Quotes..."Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." It is one of my life mottos and a definite favorite of mine. The road less traveled has taken me to some amazing places so far, and I can't wait to see where it leads in the future.
Hyannis!
Leading me back down the pathway.
Next we parked in downtown Hyannis and walked the streets passing by all of the little shops and restaurants. Nick wanted to take me to a bar he went to earlier this summer that he loved.
It was called the Beech Tree Cantina, and was literally a bar under a giant Beech Tree! It was so old and beautiful and created the perfect canopy over the bar and lounge area. I swear if it was raining you wouldn't even get wet!
Follow the brick road down the alley, you can already see the tree! It's cool how they put it to good use and didn't cut it down to make room for a store or something.
It's HUGE!! And so cool. I am really glad he took me there, I loved it!
We each ordered a drink, I got a mimosa and he got a coconut martini with a yummy toasted coconut rim. We just sat under the tree and talked and laughed about the wedding and how we were dreading having to go back to work and real life.
The tree canopy!
Lots of names and initials carved into the old bark.
All in all it was a fabulous weekend with all of Nicks family. Kat and Marcel did a great job putting together a wedding weekend getaway at the Cape! I wish them all the love and happiness in the world and a long and fun marriage together! Love you both! (PS- I also wanted to mention, if anyone is getting married to download and use the Wedpics app! Kat had us all use it and it was so fun, it's like a personal Instagram for your wedding where all your guests' photos compile into one place. They got over 450 extra photos of great candid moments!)
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