foodie wednesday: feast for the eyes (i.e. wedding pics!)

m2 photography

hello, mavens!  i’m back : )  after 2 weeks of wedding and honeymoon bliss, we’re finally (slowly) re-engaging in the real world.  craig and i were married on saturday, november 5th in philadelphia, pennsylvania at the bellevue hyatt.  the weather in philly that entire weekened could not have been more glorious – high 50s and sunny.  november perfection.

view from my sister's suite at the hyatt of city hall

i began my weekend with mani/pedis with my mom, sister and a good friend on friday morning and then continued the festivities with lunch at max brenner, where we met up with the guys and a few more friends.  the food was delicious, and next time i plan to save room for some of their chocolaty treats.

after lunch, we had a bridal party dance rehearsal – yes, we did a bridal party dance to rihanna’s “pon de replay” following our first dance.  (it was a huge hit with the guests and so much fun!)

friday evening found us at our ceremony rehearsal, and then later at our rehearsal dinner at valanni – a fabulous little tapas restaurant on spruce street in philly.  the food was outrageous, and everyone enjoyed the father-of-the-groom’s and best man’s speeches…or should i say roasts.

wedding day morning, i went to le pain quotidien, a french café/bakery, near the bellevue with my girls (mushroom and gruyere omelette anyone?), while the guys enjoyed a traditional irish breakfast at a nearby pub and then went for hot shaves.  after our breakfast, we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the hair stylist and makeup artist in my sister’s suite.  and thus, the hair & makeup marathon began…

we rocked out to my friend’s dance party playlist and just enjoyed lounging around as we all awaited our turns.  around lunch, we ordered up some champagne and cheese platters and enjoyed some sandwiches.  as is the usual, i found that i didn’t have much of an appetite at this point though i didn’t feel nervous at all.

before i knew it, it was dress-time.  everyone left the bedroom but my mom, sister and our photographer to get some getting ready pics.  we had kept my dress a complete surprise – my mom, my sis and me – and for a very good reason (as you can see in the pics).  it was blush colored.  once in my gown, my dad came in to see me, and then we did a “big reveal” for my bridesmaids.  their reactions were priceless – a mix of happy tears and smiles.

m2 photography

me and my girls squeezed in a few pictures, and then it was time for our 4pm ceremony to begin.  when people tell you that your wedding day flies by, they are not kidding.  i waited around the corner by the elevators while my girls lined up and processed into the ceremony – the coordinators wanted to make sure no one saw me before it was time.  i was shaking like a leaf.  literally shaking, which was funny because i wasn’t all that nervous.  i supposed the gravity and immediacy of everything was just more than i could handle at that moment.  and then it was time for my entrance.  my dad and i walked around and waited outside the grand double doors behind which you could hear the music playing.  calm swept over me, and they opened the doors.

m2 photography

my dad said that there was a soft but audible gasp from the guests as they saw my blush vera wang, but i guess i’ll have to wait for the wedding video to see if that was really true.  all i knew was that i could see craig, and i was happy.  the ceremony was a roller coaster of tears and laughter and more tears, but when all was said and done, we recessed down the aisle with huge smiles on our faces.  i was so enraptured by the moment that i even forgot to take my bouquet back from my sister before heading down the aisle.

as the guests went up to cocktail hour on the 19th floor in the café at xix, we got in some picture time.  our photographers - m2 photography, a husband and wife team – were totally awesome.  our bridal party fell in love with their senses of humor and undeniable likability, as did we.

m2 photography

craig and i were able to attend the tail end of cocktail hour (and grab a glass of our signature cocktail – bellevue bubbly) before lining up with our bridal party and parents to get announced into our reception in xix restaurant.  as we crept closer to the door, awaiting our turn, we got our first peak into our reception room now filled with our guests.  the room was glowing.
 

reception in xix - m2 photography

our first dance was to “make you feel my love”, recorded by yours truly.  we love that song (especially adele’s version), but it’s a bit melancholy.  with a few lyric tweaks and a couple visits to a recording studio, we had a lovely and memorable version that was all our own.  our dance was followed by a surprise bridal party dance – a smash hit.  then we settled in for an unforgettable evening of dinner and dancing.  and dance, we did indeed.  our modest-sized dance floor was definitely too small to contain all the guests who were dancing.  it was totally wonderful.

to be truthful, we kept waiting for a small hiccup.  a little thing that probably one else would notice, but we would catch.  but it never happened.  the entire day was flawless.  the staff at the hyatt and our wedding weekend coordinator went completely above-and-beyond.  i’m not usually one who can easily hand over the reins, but with the team we had, it felt easy to pass on the control.  and they executed it with the utmost elegance and care.  it was truly a dream come true.

m2 photography

later in the evening, for a momentary reprieve craig and i stepped out onto the xix’s balcony for some refreshing november air.  the view of the city from 19 floors up was breathtaking.  the sparkling lights of the buildings resembled twinkling starlight, and the sky was completely clear.  looking back in through the large french doors into our reception, we watched our guests – laughing, dancing, talking.  with the city on one side and our wedding reception on the other, we took a moment to let this extraordinary evening sink in.  for one night, this view, this place, this splendor was all ours.  and we were married!!!

our wedding pics on m2's blog {here}

our wedding slideshow by m2, set to our first dance song {here}

fall-ish weekend recap

this past fall-like weekend found us enjoying the company of friends, yummy food and traveling to some of our favorite (nearby) places.  it was a lovely weekend, indeed.

craig and i kicked off the weekend a day early on thursday night and enjoyed happy hour drinks at our favorite little bar.  on the way home, we saw a rainbow!  we were excited and tried to get some pictures, but don't worry, we didn’t break out into tears like “double-rainbow” guy on youtube… haha

when friday evening rolled around, we headed to our alma mater, muhlenberg, for alumni/homecoming weekend.  craig and i wandered the campus while sipping some tea and soaking up the gorgeous, fall-like weather.  later, we met up my sis, hannah, and friends for sushi before venturing back to campus for a night of college-esque fun {wink::wink}

after breakfast at our hotel saturday morning, craig and i drove into philadelphia to meet with my mom and dad to look at some potential properties.  we have been dreaming about moving into philly for a few years, so we thought it would be a good idea (and a lot of fun) to start doing some “research”.

for lunch, my parents treated us to a delicious meal at tria on 12th & spruce.  we ordered some wine (it is a wine bar, after all…) and shared some small plates (homemade rosemary olive oil potato chips with truffle aioli and also caramelized onion bruschetta with feta) before indulging in the main course.  everything read so well on the menu, craig and i decided to share: 1 smoked salmon sandwich with herbed goat cheese on grilled brioche and 1 truffle mushroom & brie panini.  yum!

after lunch, we wandered around society hill before heading to old city for cappuccinos and a bit more real estate scouting. 

saturday evening found us back home in our little bucks county cottage enjoying chinese on the couch : )

sunday morning kicked-off with 8:30am yoga class.  nothing like 90 minutes of sweaty vinyasa to set you right again.  mid-day was a women-only affair, celebrating the impending arrival of my cousins’ first baby.  we don’t know the name yet, but we do know it’s going to be a november boy.  (fingers-crossed he’s born on my birthday, november 19th!)

olive, our dog-baby, all curled up on the couch.  she is seriously too cute!

 before leaving for the baby shower, i had thrown together a crockpot chili, so a lovely, hearty aroma greeted me when i walked back in the door afterwards.  craig and i got into pjs nice and early and chowed down on chili, fireside.  yes, it was cold enough for a fire in the fireplace!  i loved it!

bachelorette fabulousity

ok, mavens, here it is.  the bachelorette party recap. 

me with cocktail #1

as you might know, this past weekend was my bachelorette party.  my sister, hannah, my bridesmaids, cate & erin, had been planning for months.  so, needless to say, hurricane irene through them a bit of a curve ball.  true to form, the ladies pulled off an abbreviated weekend without a hitch, moving saturday night’s plans to friday night, while still trying to incorporate some of friday’s planned festivities.  i was kept in the dark from the beginning, so i was completely unaware of  what was changing – i was just along for the ride.  and i have to say, well done, ladies.  you’re the best!

erin, me, cate, han

we gathered at my parents’ house friday to pack the car for the whirlwind weekend.  i could not believe how many bags they were bringing!  han found these awesome reusable bags at marshall’s in fun, girly prints to pack all the food, refreshments, party supplies and presents(!) in.

as we rocked out to a fun mix in the car, we wracked our brains for bachelorette-party-themed adjectives, verbs and nouns to complete the adult madlibs that cate had brought.  (erin, quick, give me a an adjective!)

one of our rooms at the doubletree

when we got into philly, the bell hop filled two carts with all our stuff (there were 4 of us, staying for one night).  we met up with my 4^th bridesmaid, val (craig’s sister), who flew down from boston just for the night!  when we got to the rooms – adjoining rooms with a door – we set up camp.  one room got a food buffet on the vanity, the other got the bar.

cate in the window

bar in the room

we were assigned funny party names – mine was sexy cougar, due to the fact that i’m a year older than craig – to indicate whose drink was whose.  with pink solo cups adorned with pink straws in hand, we sipped our first cocktail (recipe below) of the night as we waited for the remaining guests to arrive. 

food & decorations

i opened a round of gifts (i didn’t know you got so many presents – but it was very exciting!)  han got me a white fitted track suit with “mrs.  marone, established 2011” on the back, which was totally awesome.  i’m going o wear it to my after-party.  and she also made these gorgeous necklaces for me and all the bridesmaids – she’s the  best!  i also received a lot of off-the-charts hot lingerie, and being a girl who generally sleeps in sweat pants and a t-shirt, i’m not sure if these items were for me or craig.

view of the bellevue from our hotel (we're getting married there!)

after  a champagne toast and a lot of spicy white bean dip, surprise guest #1 arrived.  ashley, one of my college roommates and fellow a cappella girl.  she came down from nyc to celebrate with me.  the next to arrive was ashlee #2, a dear friend from college who’s become like family to me and han.  next came sara, a now philly girl who went to college with us and can drink any guy under the table.  watch out!  and last, but certainly not least, was my other college roommate, marissa, who braved the weather for a girls’ night on the town.  (thanks, ladies!)

truffle popcorn basket

we changed into our party clothes and headed out to dinner.  we had reservations at square 1682, which is the restaurant at the new palomar hotel in philadelphia.  we sat at a long table, back-to-back with another bachelorette party – small world! 

bread plates at square 1682

we were greeted with baskets of truffle oil popcorn on our table.  omg.  delish!  i’m a sucker for anything with truffle mushrooms, so i thoroughly enjoyed our pre-dinner snack.  we ordered a few bottles of wine and some appetizers for the table, all of which were completely amazing. 

our apps
baked goat cheese with saffron and roasted tomatoes served with toast points
tuna tostadas with avocado lime cream
crispy cauliflower with a spicy ginger sauce
lemon scented hummus with herb garlic naan bread

my mushroom tart.  divine!

for dinner, the orders were split almost evenly, with 3 of us getting the wild mushroom tart with truffle sauce and petite vegetables and 4 getting the amish chicken with polenta, taleggio cheese with chayote-pineapple salsa.  only two strayed, with erin getting the smoked duck with scrambled duck egg, lobster and potato rosemary galette (my 2nd choice after the mushroom tart) and cate ordering the wild striped bass with potato confit, sage gnocchi and anch chili romesco.  (are you drooling yet?!)  luckily, my foodie friends don’t mind sharing, so i was able to try a bit of everything.  and let me tell you, the food was truly phenomenal.  though we had no room for dessert, they sweetly sent over a complimentary (scrumptious) miniature apple tart.

sara & ashlee

while enjoying our decadent dinner, i was given a few more gifts to open.  a black and pink feather boa, a glitzy tiara and a hot pink sash.  there was no doubt who the guest of honor was in our group…

my crown at the lounge

after dinner, we headed back out into the night for a refreshing walk to prim lounge.  a very cool lounge/bar with fabulous atmosphere and great dj.  hannah, my awesome sister, got everyone wrist bands which entitled us to open bar for the evening.  fabulous idea, right?!  we ordered a round of drinks and were able to grab a few tables, which was great.  they brought over an ice bucket with champagne and glasses and more toasting ensued. but it didn’t take long for the beat to get us.  the mix was up tempo and fun, and we danced and sang to our hearts’ delight.

me dancing

after i don’t know how long and with 20 aching feet longing to get out of high heels, we walked back (slowly) to the hotel.  upon entering the doubletree, we were accosted by a female softball team who  was evidently collecting pictures of random people wearing a fanny pack.  of course i was all too happy to oblige, and thus a fanny pack was momentarily added to my outrageous ensemble for a brief pics.

erin & ashlee

back to the room and into the custom t-shirts han made especially for the occasion, we partied into the wee hours of the morning playing “never have i ever”.  fun times!

when sleep finally got the better of us, it was 3:30am.  and we only had a few sweet hours of sleep to enjoy before arising for a 9:30am breakfast so we could make our 11am check-out before philly was to be put on “lock down” because of irene.

communal table at le pain quotidien

for breakfast we wandered over to le pain quotidien – a bakery/café with a parisian feel, fresh baked bread and mouthwatering meals.  before we walked through the door, i knew what i was hoping for.  a comforting slice of french-style quiche.  of course, they did not disappoint.  i selected the “vegetarian quiche” filled with spinach, mushrooms and lots of gooey swiss cheese baked in a flaky, homemade crust.  yum!  alongside my quiche, i was pleased to find a lightly dressed mixed green salad which complemented it perfectly.  to cap things off, a small pot of earl grey did the trick. 

apricot jam & noisella (i.e. nutella)

for the others, omelettes were the choice of the morning – asparagus & goat cheese, smoked  salmon & scallion and chicken chorizo & cheddar, to name a few.

marissa, han, me and ashley at breakfast

cate, erin & ashlee at le pain

we reminisced about the night before and talked about the wedding…which is just 2 months away!  after breakfast, we headed back to the hotel to check out and bid adieu.  since han’s master plan for an entire weekend of bachelorette fun was shortened, she is already scheming about a night out so the friends who couldn’t make it because of the last minute switch might be able to join us.  though we had to cut our weekend short, it lacked nothing when it came to fun times, laughs and drinks! 

our table

thank you, girls, for a wonderfully fabulous bachelorette celebration!  love you all!

cocktail #1

1-2 shots pinnacle whipped cream vodka over ice

topped with:
½ raspberry seltzer
½ ginger ale
squeeze of fresh lime

cheers!

pizza time

last night craig and i decided to get take out.  it was too hot to cook, and we wanted to try a pizza place my cousin and his wife recommended.  pina's pizza in doylestown is your typical pizzeria.  booths line the right wall and the counter flanks the left.  their pizzas are massive.  seriously, they are some of the biggest and most extravagantly topped pizzas i've seen in quite a while.

pizzas topped with penne vodka, chicken parm or stuffed with spinach and cheese.  we opted for a 1/2 eggplant and ricotta, 1/2 sundried tomato pie. 

typically i eat 2 to 2 1/2 slices.  well, pina's pizza was so huge and so rich, i would barely finish one slice!  needless to say, we have A LOT of leftovers : )

while we waited for our pizza, we wandered around the shopping center and found the latest philadelphia magazine.  their cover story?  "the very best pizza."  ironic, no?  now, craig and i have quite a few more pizza joints to try...  i think we have our work cut out for us.

what's your favorite kind of pizza???

wedding tasting

yesterday, we headed into philadelphia for our wedding tasting at our venue - xix restaurant at the hyatt at the bellevue.  center city was a bustle - no, not because of me and craig...  president obama was making an appearance, not just in philly, not just in center city, but in the hyatt at the same hour of our tasting.  needless to say the crowds were massive.  luckily, we got into the parking garage just minutes before they put it on "lock down" for three hours.

(we tweeted obama and invited him to our tasting, but alas, he did not show...)

for our tasting, we selected 3 appetizers and 3 entrees to sample.  we also were able to try out the available wines and also (re)try our wedding cake. 

the spread was beautiful as well as delicious.  the apps we selected to try were:

appetizer sampler

spinach salad, tossed tableside with granny smith apples, warm rosemary polenta, caramelized endive and goat cheese

asian pear salad, tossed tableside with baby greens, gorgonzola, pecan and cider vinaigrette

jumbo lump crab cake, pickled beets, mustard aioli with red pepper coulis

the entrees we tried were:

entree sampler

mushroom and onion tart with gruyere, arugula and lemon vinaigrette

lemon thyme roasted eberly farms chicken, paired with jumbo grilled shrimp, sweet potato puree, wilted greens with morel demi

roasted beef tenderloin paired with pan seared filet of grouper, potato gnocchi, braised holland leeks with tomato infused demi

the wines we sampled were equally good.  the pinot grigio, chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon all hailed from a private label exclusively available at the hyatt.  i'm not a huge red wine drinker, but the merlot was particularly good...especially with the chicken with morel demi...

for dessert we enjoyed a wedding cake sampling:

chocolate, chocolate chip, marble, vanilla and lemon pound cakes

with a variety of icing options:

vanilla, chocolate, fudge, mocha and strawberry

we like the chocolate chip and marble pound cakes with the fudge icing and the lemon with the vanilla icing.  delish!

we definitely found some favorites.  the rosemary polenta appetizer was excellent, and my personal fave of everything we tried was the mushroom & onion tart with gruyere.  it. was. amazing.  the chicken was also fabulous, and though i didn't try it, there were not complaints about the beef.  decisions...decisions...

we're torn between doing a duo entree for everyone (chicken with grilled shrimp) or offering a choice (chicken or beef).  your thoughts???

for more wedding updates, click {here}