Love and Lobster in Newport

What an amazing Memorial Day wedding weekend!

Though the weather didn’t cooperate exactly as we might have planned, it didn’t affect the spirit of the party or of the bride and groom.

Summer 2009...the night they met. Summer 2013...the night they got married!

Summer 2009…the night they met (the two on the left). Summer 2013…the night they got married!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was lucky enough to be there the night these newlyweds met. I remember hearing the loud sound of Irish accents behind us in the never-ending line at a “hip” Hamptons bar. All we wanted to do was get inside to celebrate my birthday…But, these boys were persistent, and they won us over with their Irish charm!

Four years later, we are so glad that they did!

(They were so charming that a “socialite” website decided to follow them around to capture their evening…thus unknowingly, capturing the evening that Michelle met her Irish prince!)

Let’s recap the food, fun and romance of the memorable wedding weekend in Newport, RI!

A Whirlwind Wedding Weekend

I have no idea how brides remember anything after their wedding, because I felt like the wedding was a bit of a whirlwind just being in the wedding! I can’t imagine being the bride. However, Michelle has 6 brothers and sisters (plus friends) whom I truly adore, so while it was a busy weekend, I couldn’t pick a better group to spend my time with.

We arrived in Newport at around 3:00, which gave us just enough time to walk around. Our hotel was located directly on a wharf, so there was plenty to do within blocks of our hotel.

Of course, I had to get a coffee.

Coffee at the port!

I added way more cream than usual – cream is for vacation 😉

We then made our way to Castle Hill, the site of the wedding for a quick rehearsal on the waterfront. The weather was looking somewhat “Irish” (rainy, cold and windy) for the weekend, but we were still hoping for a wedding miracle!

As our bride “practice walked” down the aisle, we made sure to clap like crazy.

Rehearsing and praying for sunny weather…

After we shivered through the rehearsal, we took a few pictures and then made our way to the rehearsal dinner, which took place at one of the beautiful Newport mansions on Bellevue Avenue. Rory’s family from Ireland had rented the mansion for the weekend! It was stunning, and the staircase seemed to go on forever.

The never-ending staircase

During dinner, and throughout the weekend, I didn’t get that many food pictures. Amidst trying to capture all of the memorable moments, the food seemed to be a little less important ;-).

More important to take pictures of us!

After the rehearsal dinner, we headed to the welcome reception at (what else?) an Irish pub! We stayed for a couple of hours but made it an early night, as I had a full day of bridesmaid action on Friday.

Only one glass for me thanks 🙂

Running through the Clouds

We had tentatively planned a bridesmaid run Friday morning, but Michelle called it off on Thursday night once we heard the rainy weather report.

However, on Friday morning, there was no rain, and I had a text from Michelle bright and early asking if I was up for a bridesmaid run at 9:00. I quickly packed my bags, and the BF drove me to Castle Hill.

Once I arrived me, the bride and the maid of honor went for a two mile loop around the gorgeous property. We stopped to take a few pictures along the way, knowing Michelle would be grateful for these photos in the future.

She’s getting married today, rain or shine!

As we ran, it was hard for Michelle to hold back feelings of disappointment, because the sky looked like it was going to break and downpour at any moment. However, that’s one of the many things I love about my best friend: she’s emotional like every other woman (after all, this was her wedding day!), but she deals with those emotions and moves on very quickly.

By the time we left for our bridesmaids, hair/makeup appointments, Michelle had a big smile on her face and was headed for a relaxing bubble bath. On the way, we stopped at one of the many delicious-looking cafes in Newport.

I couldn’t make a decision, so I purchased both the lemon-ricotta muffin and the dark chocolate-cherry scone. It’s important to carb up before a wedding – nobody likes a fainting bridesmaid!

Why pick just one if you can have them both?

I nibbled on my treats at the hair salon, while chatting with the other bridesmaids and gettin’ pretty!. We arrived a Castle Hill to find the fog had remained, but our bride was in good spirits.

Cloudy weather – sunny bride.

She asked us to open our bridesmaids gifts, which were pink monogrammed robes. They were SO cute and represented our little bride so perfectly.

Pretty in pink!

From there, the day consisted of watching our best friend become a gorgeous model bride and anxiously awaiting the weather report. Michelle’s room was above the venue, so we were able to take a behind-the-scenes tour as we waited.

A stunning set-up

It was clear this wedding would be perfect, rain or shine. As wedding time drew closer, it was time for the bride to put on her gown. Love the pictures with all the cameras!

Getting ready for the big moment..she’s a star!

Time to Make the Call

Around 3:00, it appeared that the miracle had happened: the fog was clearing and the sun even peaked through! So, at 4:30, when Michelle had to decide whether to have the wedding indoors or outdoors, it seemed like outdoors, and fulfilling her vision was the way to go.

One of the other bridesmaids and I frantically ran to the Inn bar to try to gather the crow and get the wedding started…And then, the rain started falling…again. Just like that, we were back to indoors. And Michelle didn’t care, because she was about to marry the man of her dreams.

We almost got away with it 🙁

Highlights of the ceremony included the adorable flower girl and ring bearer (Michelle’s nephew), and, of course, the bride and groom. Standing at the altar, I had the pleasure of watching Rory’s face (since Michelle’s back was towards me), as he said “I do.” He couldn’t have looked happier!

So happy to say I do!

Short and Sweet

The ceremony was short and sweet, but what stuck out to me was what the priest said about my best friend and her now husband. He talked about how they are both each other’s “heroes,” and I realized that is completely true and one of the many special things about their love.

Michelle knows whenever there is a problem, Rory, her hero, will be there to bring calm, logic and a sense of order to any situation. When Rory is around, anyone will feel safe and secure. And, Rory knows that his bride is a force to be reckoned with – she’s strong, independent and will achieve everything she sets out to do. Their love is built from a strong foundation of mutual admiration that has grown over the years.

As they walked down the aisle, I couldn’t have been happier for them!

One of my fave pictures…thanks BF!

Party Time

After the ceremony, it was picture time! We were able to go outside for this portion and captured some adorable pictures with umbrellas. Unfortunately, only the wedding photographer has these photos.

Before dinner, I dug into the appetizers I had been waiting for: slider bar! Pork, beef and lobster sliders. Oh, my!

Don’t worry..of course I took a pic of the slider bar.

The first dance was to Frank Sinatra’s classic “The Way you Look Tonight,” and I was so proud of how well Rory danced. I know he practiced 😉 The whole dance, Michelle and Rory had the biggest smile on their faces.

And the way you look tonight…

The remainder of the night included dinner, drinking and dancing. My meal included clam chowder, stuffed chicken and a Dirty Shirley (Shirley temple with vodka..mmmm).

Wedding food!

To be honest, I didn’t drink much more than the Dirty Shirley. After such a long day, I just wanted to relax and enjoy the night, sans alcohol.

Enjoying the night with the BF

After the wedding, the bride (in her party dress) and much of the wedding made our way to the after-party.

Ending the night with my beautiful newly married best friend!

After all of the dancing, I was exhausted and hungry. Good thing my BF and parents ( who attended the wedding) had gotten me cupcakes during the day!

Chocolate mint, orange creamsicle, oreo, peanut butter, oh my!

Smushed, but delicious.

Good Food and Exploration

The remainder of our trip was spent eating good food and wandering around Newport in-between the bouts of rain showers.

Food-wise, a highlight of the weekend was the Black Pearl, a small restaurant located on Banister’s Wharf that offered many local seafood options. We enjoyed smoked salmon, crab eggs benedict and thai lobster cakes. All delicious.

Yum.yum.yum

Cupcake Charlies was another highlight. We returned the next day after eating the smushed cupcakes, because I just had to see it in person. For a girl that loves cupcakes, this place hit the spot. With flavors ranging from root beer to pina colada and unique offerings like frosting shots and cupcake push pops, this places was a cupcake lover’s heaven. The frosting was my favorite: sweet, buttery and creamy.

Cupcakes everywhere- oh my!

Interestingly, they are looking to franchise in other areas…

My biggest food regret of the weekend was passing up the lobster quesadilla at the Red Parrot, another restaurant I’d return to when I go back to Newport. Another person in our party ordered it, and once I tasted it. I knew I had made a mistake.

I’m coming back for you….

Instead of being cheesy with small bits of lobster, it was packed with big chunks of fresh lobster and a light amount of cheese. Delicious, and if I ever go back to Newport, it’s a must-eat.

Another regret of the weekend was not being able to spend a ton of time with my parents, who attended the wedding to see my best friend get married. Between all of my bridesmaids duties, it was a bit difficult to fit in quality time with the rents. 🙁 Luckily, I’ll see them in a couple months for the big 30!

The Perfect Ending to our Trip

On Sunday, after my parents left for Omaha, the weather finally cleared up! We took the opportunity to do the famous Newport Cliff Walk along the rocky cliffs and mansions of the town.

Simply gorgeous. A must-see.

Our friends in Boston watched Cole for the weekend, and they met up with us in Newport, so he got to come too! King Cole was so happy.

King of the castle!

The walk was indescribably magnificent. The clouds, mansions, cliffs and ocean combined for breathtaking views. Our cameras were clicking like crazy!

Gotta love the selfies…can you see how tired I am?

Of course, amidst the beautiful walk, it rained about 5 times. I think we had the weirdest Memorial Day weather I’ve ever experienced!

Before leaving the New England area, my BF made good on his promise to get me some Marylous Coffee (I read about it on Carrots N’ Cake and made sure to get some when I went to Boston for Michelle’s shower). I swear, after having the Almond Joy coffee, no coffee will ever taste the same again.

There is definitely more than just coffee in here. And I.don’t.care.

It was the perfect ending to our Newport trip!

Congrats to my best friend Michelle and her husband – I have no doubt you’re headed for the fairytale ending!

The BF took this pic and sent to the bride and groom – I think it sums up the weekend perfectly 😉 A big Irish cheers to Rory and Michelle who always know how to dance in the rain!

We were able to relax a bit on Memorial Day, and I even made this delicious dessert for the blog…stay tuned!

As tasty as it looks…promise!

Question:

Did you attend a wedding this weekend? Sum it up in one word.

Any new recipes from Memorial Day?

Love and Lobster in Newport

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