Wedding Week: Choosing the Vendors

Wedding week continues with some highlights on the amazing vendors we chose to work with for the big day. One of the first things we knew we had to do was pick the venue. We knew we would be married at Ed's family's church, St. Barnabas the Apostle and that family friend, Father Don Greenhaulgh, would perform the ceremony.



The reception hall was the wild card. We wanted to find a venue that felt like Manhattan but was located on Long Island. We didn't want a place that was overdone and tired, but instead looked fresh, contemporary and classy. We found all that and more at The North Ritz Club. Thanks to a tip from Adriana who had attended a wedding there, we went to check it out and fell in love immediately. It was a newer property that only hosted 1 wedding at a time which was something that was important to us. The value was amazing and the price was spot on - SOLD!


Next up was music. We knew from the beginning that we wanted a live band. It was a bit pricier, but we had been to one too weddings that had DJs that just did not create the atmosphere we were looking for. Our search began at a wedding showcase at the Milleridge Inn where we met Phil - an enthusiastic guy who happened to own the After Hours Orchestra. We agreed to attend a preview to check the band out and I have to say, we were blown away. They sounded great and could play anything from Sinatra to hip hop to jazz to rock. After seeing a few other bands, we knew that the After Hours Orchestra was our band. Done. Check!


Once the band and the venue were in place, we took some time off to just enjoy our engagement. Plus, we had another wedding to look forward to ~ Adriana and John, married on December 11, 2009.


It was very beneficial to have a family member planning a wedding at the same time we were. It was because of them that we found both our photographer, Millimeter Photography, and our florist, Signature Floral Design. Michael at Millimeter was so easy to work with and had a great team that turned out amazing photos (what you see in today's blog). Yelena of Signature Floral Design was also a gem who truly captured the look we were going for with the flowers. You may have heard me say that wedding flowers make me mad. As soon as the word "wedding" is attached, the price is jacked up 300% and that pisses me off! Well, not with Yelena. She was absolutely affordable and did absolutely AMAZING work on our bouquets and centerpieces.



Next up, cupcakes. We decided that in lieu of a traditional wedding cake, we would go with cupcakes. Convincing my parents of the choice was not easy (Bob Q. envisioned a bunch of Betty Crockers on a sheet pan which did not excite him), but we made them see the light when we hired Amy from the Cupcake Gourmet to do cupcakes for our engagement party. I honestly don't remember how I found Amy ~ I think my good friend Michele recommended her. She was a sweetheart from the start and invited us to her shop in Huntington for a tasting which was AWESOME! We decided to host a taste test with the cupcake mini's at our Engagement Party and chose our wedding day flavors from the results. With the help of Yelena's gorgeous anemone flowers, the cupcakes at the wedding not only tasted delicious, but looked amazing!




Finally the vehicles. If you know Ed, you know that he is a BIG fan of Mustangs (the cars...not the horses). Both vintage and new, there is not a Mustang on the road that he won't oogle over. So we made it our mission to have a vintage, cherry red 1967 Mustang convertible as our getaway car on the wedding day. Problem was, we didn't own one nor did we know anyone that did! First we called all the local car rental places...no dice. Then we had a thought to troll the vintage car shows that take place on Long Island. Again, easier said than done. Then an miracle occurred. Our good friend Allison Hunt mentioned to us that a good family friend owned one and would be happy to let us borrow it for the big day. SCORE!! Mustang Scott (as he familiarly became) was the sweetest guy who not only allowed us to borrow the car, but he also played chauffeur complete with a tux and a bottle of champagne. While our bridal party sat comfortably in a black Lincoln Navigator limo (provided by Camelot Limousine), we rode in style with our custom "Just Married" sign.


So there you have it. We are proud to say that all of the vendors we worked with were local business owners so we feel that not only did we receive personalized service, we supported the local economy. There truly was not one single hiccup along the way which tells us that we picked the right people for the job. Even when the stupid Icelandic volcano threw a wrench into our honeymoon plans, Joe at Camelot Limos was awesome and changed our airport pick-up and drop-off with no fuss. I would highly recommend using any of the above - they helped made our wedding day completely flawless. :)

Some other wedding day vendors that are not listed above include Priscilla of Boston (my wedding dress), Tuxedo Park (Ed and the groomsmen's attire), Bridal Reflections (bridesmaid dresses), My Glass Slipper (bride's shoes), Nordstrom (groom's shoes), Willow Pet Hotel (Lucy's home away from home during the wedding), Antonette's (site of rehearsal dinner), MetroModes (hair and makeup for the ladies).

Wedding Week: The Proposal

Since Ed and I will be celebrating our First Anniversary this coming Saturday, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane. Over the next few days, we would like to share some of the highlights of our amazing wedding day and the ridiculous amount of planning that went into making it happen.

Ed proposed to me in July of 2008 and we got married in April of 2010 so there was LOTS of time to plan the big day. The proposal was amazing - it still gives me chills and smiles when I think about it. We were at Bethany Beach for our annual summer family vacation with Mom, Dad, Sue, Aunt Ruth, Uncle Mike and Uncle James.


During the course of our relationship, we became big fans of picnics and BBQ's in the park. So it didn't seem odd that Ed wanted to go on a picnic while at the beach. We took a ride over to Holts Landing State Park and scouted out our picnic spot. I had no idea what was going on because Ed was cool as a cucumber. We had lunch, checked out the view from the dock and even attempted to take a walk on a trail that we later learned was riddled with ticks (thank you to the friendly family that warned us!).
On our way back to our blanket Ed started acting a little different. He was all huggy and kissy and schmoopy which is a little out of the ordinary for him. That's when I had my first clue that something was going on. Before I knew it, he was in front of me, down on one knee, presenting me with a gorgeous ring and asking me to be his wife. It was amazing....Of course I said yes!


Once I pulled myself together (lots of kissing and shaking and crying all at the same time), we packed it up and started making phone calls as we headed back to the house. Ed's family was first and they were all waiting by the phone to congratulate us. We each then went down our contacts list in our cell phones to share the big news. I ended up leaving lots of messages since it was July 4th, but that's okay. I got lots of call backs! :)

When we got back to the house, we found my family anxiously lounging (oxymoron?) by the pool anticipating our arrival. Of course they all knew and were thrilled for us. I think the first thing I said when I saw them was "Sue will you be my Maid of Honor?" At the house they had champagne and gifts for us which was amazing.


The planning literally started the next day. No joke. And it continued for the next 20 months. :)

We are 3 days away from our Anniversary and will head out to the beach house in Bethany tomorrow for a much-needed vacation. Many thanks to the Doyle family for graciously allowing us to stay in their beautiful house while we celebrate our 1st Anniversary!

Dinner Done Up Right

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today so please excuse the short post. I started feeling the twinge of a sore throat yesterday afternoon so I reached for my handy dandy Zicam swabs and thought to myself...this time I got it. It's early enough ~ no WAY I'm getting sick. Well, not so much. I woke up this morning with a full blown sore throat, nasal congestion and an ear ache. That Zicam stuff doesn't work!! (sorry if any readers work for them!) Thank God for Sudafed.

But I digress...yesterday was one of the warmest days of the season thus far so Ed and I took full advantage of it by dining on the newly power-washed deck. It was a simple meal of tacos, but we decided to do it up. We whipped out the trusty folding table and chairs (since we have yet to purchase patio furniture), threw a tablecloth on top and voila ~ dinner in great outdoors!




Lucy is a big fan of tacos...well really anything that Mommy and Daddy are eating. She joined us on the deck and was a good girl. We are always nervous that she will slip through the railing on the deck since she is such a small nugget, but her interest was solely focused on taco meat...yum!


It was a lovely meal that we thoroughly enjoy...even if it was only tacos. Our goal is to buy some patio furniture soon so that we can have a proper deck dinner. We have a lot of work happening on the exterior of the house including the deck (power wash, sealing, staining, board replacing), burying of the drain hoses in the front and back of the house, a new fence so Lucy girl can run around in the back yard with ease and new sod to replace the gross old slate.


We will also be tackling our biggest landscaping project to date since we've known each other - The Front of the House!!! I'm really bad at plants...I have a black thumb if that gives you an indication of my track record with living plants. So our taking on this project without any guidance is very risky...but we are up to the challenge. Stay tuned for before and after pics coming soon!

Wow...not so short a post after all!!! :)

NYC or Bust Part 2

That's right...you read it correctly. I made my SECOND trip to NY this week. This time there was no train involved (which means no cheese plate. Sad.). Instead, Ed and I made the trip in our trusty Ford and munched on chips and apples instead. :) Why didn't I just stay up in the city and have Ed meet me up there, you ask? Well, I'm a good wife and wanted to keep my hubby company during the long drive on Friday night. And I needed to up my "good wife points" bounty for future cash in. :)

We were heading up to attend the first birthday of one of the cutest little boys I know ~ Mr. Dominick Green.


It was a quick trip ~ up and back in a mere 30 hours, but it was a good time. We managed to fit in a trip to "the Eggery", our favorite breakfast spot and the Cupcake Gourmet to pick up some of their delicious treats for our First Anniversary which is a mere 5 days away. (Amy did the cupcakes for our wedding and since our cake topper did not survive the 2 freezer breakdowns at Casa de Quartuccio, we decided to buy some fresh ones to celebrate with).

The big event was at White Post Farms and was the cutest Barnyard Birthday I've ever attended. We got to see all kinds of animals including bunnies, goats, horses, zebras, camels and even monkeys!! I'm not sure who had the better time...the kids or Ed and I! :)



After the festivities ended, we spent some time with Mama Mangiaracina and Brother Joe at Antonette's for dinner (location of our Rehearsal Dinner!!).

In an effort to be more technically savvy, we decided to not only document our trip with our camera phone, but instead dusted off the old Flip Mino HD and took some "live" footage of our journey. Now, because I have the problem of wanting to paint the whole picture and not leave anything out, the movie is about 10 mins long. I apologize for that. But if you have some time, I invite you to take a peek at our first embedded YouTube video on Being Mangiaracina ~ enjoy!!

Mushy Gushy

TGIF everyone! Our 1 year anniversary is approaching and it is causing us to get all mushy gushy with each other. It's hard to believe that almost an entire year has gone by ~ where did the time go?! At this time last year Ed and Lucy were living in Fairfax at Casa de Quartuccio while I was living in Westbury with the cats. We were putting the final touches on our big day AND packing up for our big move at the same time. CrAzy!!

But alas, here we are and what a year it has been. I decided to highlight our wedding day by showcasing some of the "things" that made up the big day. I literally have a box filled with things that I saved from the day we got engaged to the end of the wedding night. Seriously. The rose petals that were on the bed in the wedding night hotel room are currently in a little baggie in this box. :) Ed and I had fun going through it all and choosing what to showcase on our wall. So, I present to you our Wedding Day In A Box. :)



This little box does a pretty good job capturing the wonderful feeling of the day. Included is our DIY wedding invitation (made by yours truly), church bubbles, a few flowers from my beautiful bouquet, a photo of us just moments after we were married, a special "wish card", our guest favor (donation to the American Diabetes Association) and a pic of the reception venue.

This cute little box is living on the wall in our entrance hallway and I think it is a great memory to pass by each time we walk in the door.

Spring has Sprung

I have been inspired by my new favorite blog to be better at this blogging thing and increase the frequency of posts. So, here goes...

Spring in DC is officially here. I don't have an official thermometer reading for today's high, but I do know that it was gorgeous and that all I wanted to do was lay in the grass with Lucy. The flowers are blooming, the grass is growing and the trees are budding. Including our little gal in the front of the house.


This poor little tree has been through a lot in her short life. When we first moved in, one of her branches had cracked and was hanging by a thread so we had to bid it ado. Then mean old winter came along and dumped more snow than she could handle causing her to crack. Thanks to Merrifield Garden Center's "how to" video, we did some repairs.


We are hoping that this little band-aid is enough to keep her going. So far, so good...she is starting to bud!!


This is our first Spring in the new house so we have no idea what blooms these little buds will turn into. We are just happy to see that our patch job is working out.


Lucy enjoyed it too with her new, 15' leash. Happy Spring!!!! :)

NYC or Bust

As some of you know, I work for the Toy Industry Association which is a pretty cool place to work. Aside from being surrounded by the newest, most exciting toys out there, I am lucky enough to work with an amazing group of people. The TIA office is located in New York City. I am not. So I have the extreme advantage of being able to work remotely from my home office ….

…and travel to New York City for 3-4 days every month. So far, the system is great, but working from home can get pretty lonely ~ even with Lucy by my side. :) Just about the time I’m hitting my solitude limit, it’s time to head on up to the big city. I’m writing this as I head home after a great 3 days and wanted to share with you my journey. Typically, I leave in the early evening on Sunday and head back on Wednesday evening which is pretty much what happened on this April trip.

My trip begins with a ride to DC’s Union Station with my wonderful husband and my puppy dog. They bid me farewell at passenger drop-off and I head inside to grab my ticket and board my home away from home ~ Amtrak’s Acela Express. For the next 3 hours of my life I am treated to comfortable seats, free WiFi and a cheese and cracker plate that is worth every bit of its $6 cost. This time around, I armed myself with the latest issue of New York Magazine, my Kindle loaded with a new book and some much needed lunch from Potbelly (a Wreck with provolone and the works, thank you very much).

As we head out of the station we make out way over the river and through the woods to our first stop which is BWI Airport.

(I was lucky enough that the train stopped in close proximity of this station sign so I could share – that luck did not continue throughout the trip!) We continued onto Baltimore where unfortunately, we only get to see the things on the "other side of the tracks".

Thanks to our slightly over enthusiastic conductor I learned the names of the two massive bodies of water the train glides over after Baltimore: the Gunpowder River, a tidal inlet of the Chesapeake Bay (thank you Wikipedia!) and the Susquehanna River, apparently the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean (again, thank you Wikipedia!).

It’s not long before we roll into Wilmington, Delaware, land of ING Direct and many other banking institutions…

…followed by the city of brotherly love.

Before making into New York’s Penn Station, I saw pretty cool graffiti art…

…run down station buildings…

…even the Red Bull Arena, home to the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. I had no idea. :)

At last it was time for some New York City! I arrived a few hours early than normal as I had plans to meet up with my good friend Jim. After hitting the subway and making my way to my flea-bag of a hotel (seriously…don’t stay at the Holiday Inn on 57th street), I had some time to kill, so I headed over to The Shops at Columbus Circle. In addition to the great window shopping, they had a really cool Salvadore Dali exhibit on display at for FREE. I was pretty psyched…nothing is free in NYC!

Jim and I had a blast at Arriba Arriba in Hells Kitchen. Sorry no pics…enjoyed our margaritas a bit too much! J I was off to work the next day where I got to reunite with my co-workers ~ always a pleasurable thing to do. After work, a few of us headed to The Breslin for some much needed cocktails and girl gab time.

The Breslin is located in The Ace Hotel, a very new…very hip…locale where people go to see and be seen. I’ve read many a write up on it so I was pretty excited to check it out. We managed to squeeze ourselves into a corner and had a splendid time. The night ended with a trip to Sushi Damo for dinner. :)

Day 2 in New York was one of the main reasons I was there – the Toy Fair Sacred Cow meeting. Now this is a highly confidential meeting where new and brilliant ideas are hatched for next year’s show. The only way to know what went on is to be at the Javits Center in February of 2012 for next year’s show!!! :)

I can speak about my Day 2 evening though because it was spent with good friend Dina.

A little background on Dina…she and I first met when we worked in the Membership Department of TIA. We worked together on various projects, but more importantly we forged a special friendship that now allows me to call her my NY Mom. When I’m in town, we try to make time to go to dinner somewhere in the city. Dina, although a native of Russia, is, to me, a native New Yorker because she knows all the ins and outs of the BEST foodie spots in the entire city. I know that I will have an amazing meal when I go out with Dina and last night did not disappoint. We headed downtown a bit to 12^th and University Place to an adorable little place called Mexicana Mama Centro and enjoyed Ginger Pear Margaritas, the best guacamole I’ve had in a super long time and a piece of fish smothered in pumpkin spices. Delicioso!! The meal ended with a fabulous baked apple caramel brown sugar dessert thingy that tasted like heaven.

My final day in the office was a busy one with meetings and conference calls and a do-good Team We event where we packed up tins of Easter Cookies to give to those that are less fortunate than us for the holiday. The other very eventful moment of the day was dining on my favorite local lunch truck meal ~ chicken and rice with lots of white sauce and a touch of hot sauce. Figures my happy moment of the day involved food. :)

So here I sit, on the train headed back to DC where my beloved and my baby will pick me up. My next trip to NY is a long way off so I’m glad I made the most of this one. I have to say, I absolutely love the life that Ed and I have set up for ourselves down in Centreville and wouldn’t give it up for anything. But I do still have a secret love for New York City and am a lucky girl that I can indulge in it as often as I do. I heart NY!