Happy One Year Anniversary Mr. Corn!!

Today is our one year wedding anniversary. As is expected, I can hardly believe it has already been a year while at the same time, I feel like we have been married forever!

It was a bit difficult to get away this week, so we took a trip to Boothbay, Maine just before Labor day to celebrate our anniversary.

We spent a day golfing at the Bath Country Club, stayed over night in a bed and breakfast and then spent a day sightseeing around Boothbay.

The beginning of our sightseeing day was cold, damp and overcast:

But it didn't stop us from enjoying some super yummy seafood at the Lobster Dock:

I had a 'hot' lobster roll for the first time ever. I have only had 'cold' ones and never knew there was a difference. For the uninitiated...apparently, a cold lobster roll is served cold and is bound together with mayonnaise. A hot lobster roll is served warm and bound together with melted butter. I would like to give a huge shout out to the inventor of the hot lobster roll because it darn near knocked my socks off!

Mr Corn was getting "lobstered out" so he had haddock:

After lunch, we did some more exploring:




Then, at exactly 3:00pm when we had our reservation to go on a tour with the schooner, Eastwind, the sky completely cleared up:

(a picture of the schooner from where we had eaten lunch a couple of hours prior to us actually getting on the boat)

We had such a great time and it was so fun to get away together as a couple and celebrate our first year of marriage! Do any of you married bees have anniversary trips in the works?

How to Honeymoon

Hey there hive. Mr Corn and I are a month out from our one-year anniversary. As cliche as it sounds, it feels like the wedding was ages ago...yet I can't believe it has almost been a year since the big day. I still have some posts in me that I think will be beneficial to the hive, so strap on your favorite summer sandals and join me for my How to Honeymoon series.*

(source)

Mr Corn and I started our Italian Honeymoon on the Island of Capri off the Amalfi Coast. We chose this destination because after the hard work of planning and executing our wedding, I knew I wanted to go to a place where I could get some R&R before becoming a full blown tourist.

Honeymoon Tip #1: Always, always ask for an upgrade.

Mr Corn is pretty shy and doesn't like to make a scene...me, well...I have no qualms about talking to strangers. So when we finally got to the JW Marriott in Capri, after two plane trips, a bus transfer, a seriously rough ferry ride (I'll spare you the gory details), a ride in a mini-cab, and a walk through the center square of town, Mr Corn was ready to just check us into our hotel. I however said to the lady at the front desk, "it's the first night of our honeymoon, is there any chance there is an upgrade available?" She went into the back for a bit and when she came out they had upgraded us to a sea-view suite. We had to wait about an hour for the room to be available, but it ended up being the difference between this:

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and this...

A king suite with a double balcony overlooking the ocean and a bottle of champagne on ice...not bad!

(source)

While we were waiting for our room to be ready, Mr Corn and I had a chance to talk to one of the hotel staff while we had drinks on the front veranda overlooking the Mediterranean Sea (I told you it wasn't such a bad thing to have to wait an hour!)

This brings me to Honeymoon Tip #2: Ask the locals where they like to go

It seems like such a simple concept, but really some of the best times we had on our honeymoon were when broke away from the guide books and asked the locals for inspiration.

Of course, being a good hotel staff person, they first suggested the hotel restaurant...but after some chiding, we were able to get a recommendation to head up the hill and go to La Savardina.

So we headed up the hill on foot, along the tiny 'roads' that lead to Villa Jovis.

Along the way, we saw signs like this, along with posters for the restaurant which had me convinced we were headed to the 'Chili's' of Capri.

But when we got there, it ended up being a tiny restaurant on a terrace under a grove of lemon trees overlooking the bay of Naples.

No one in Italy even thinks about eating dinner until at least 7:00pm, so even though we got there when it was daylight, we ended up walking around until it was night time, which made the whole experience even more magical.

(source)

Hive, this was hands-down, the most amazing meal we had in all of Italy. I don't know if it was because we were the only ones there for an hour or because it was the first time we truly sat back and relaxed since the wedding, but the meal we had at La Savardina was phenomenal! And when it was all over, they served us a bit of Limoncello, straight from the freezer. A deliciously cool, tangy drink that had been made from the fruit of the trees hanging right over our heads. Obviously this meal was beyond anything we had ever imagined, as I ended up naming my company based on this experience alone! And all of it was because I talked to a local and found out her favorite haunt.

Speaking of locals, here are some fun kids playing soccer in the largest area on the road they could find. We sat and watched them play while waiting for the restaurant to open. They all had bikes so they could chase the ball down the mountain when it inevitably rolled past the goal tender.

* Clearly our honeymoon is just a very small example of the many types of trips you can take with your new spouse, so obviously this series is not supposed to be the be-all/end-all of honeymoon advice...but while our trip was one-of-a-kind, I think the general advice applies to most.

Looking Back, continued...

This FINAL installment of my 'Looking Back' series* focuses on one of the details about our wedding that we are both very glad about: we had a day off before leaving for our honeymoon.

Mr Corn and I were both super excited about our two week honeymoon in Italy; especially after a year of planning; a week of last minute details; and the most fun, yet incredibly intense, day of our lives.

Thankfully, we booked our honeymoon to leave on Monday which gave us a day to get back from Newport, RI to our home in Boston; pack for the trip; open all of our gifts; and work with US Airways on correcting my ticket as Mr Corn forgot to check that my ticket for our honeymoon flights had arrived as well as his when they were sent to us months before the wedding. :)

That extra day was well. worth. it. and I highly, highly suggest giving yourselves that extra time to veg out!

So that's it. Nine months after our wedding, and I can still only come up with five ridiculously small, only moderately meaningful, things that I would have done differently.

I think the main lesson in all of this looking back is that it is most important to focus on the fact that you are getting married to the person that you have chosen to commit yourself to for the rest of your lives. Even if it isn't exactly perfect, even if you have to step on toes, even if you accidentally put a hyphen in the wrong place on the delicately cut menus that match your bridesmaids sashes that are made from the same fabric as your Mother's...at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that you are married.


Best of luck to all of you!!

--Mrs Corn


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*Previously in this series...

I'm so glad I did this:
renting a full length mirror
setting my DIY deadline for a week out from the wedding
making arrangements for my disabled father so he could participate
having an 'open-door policy' at the site where I got ready
going a little overboard with the theme


I wish I could fix this:
being too proud to start a few minutes late
not testing all of the directions before sending them out
forgetting to pause before rushing down the aisle
handling the cake cutting logistics


succumbing to pressure and tossing my flowers

The alternate to being given away

It doesn't surprise me that many people think that the whole 'who gives this woman to this man' part of the ceremony is antiquated and chauvinistic.

What does surprise me is how many people apparently don't realize there are other alternatives.

Below is the wording from our ceremony supplemented by the choreography we worked out. Hopefully it will help someone out there...

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*Processional (everyone walked down the aisle, the last of which was me escorted by my dad who remained standing with us at the 'altar')
*Statement of the Gift of Marriage
*Prayer (the 'congregation' sat at this point)

Declarations of Intent
Davis, understanding that God has created, ordered and blessed the covenant of marriage,
do you affirm your desire and intention to enter this covenant. I do.

Miriam, understanding that God has created, ordered and blessed the covenant of marriage, do you affirm your desire and intention to enter this covenant. I do.

Affirmation of the Family & Friends
Guy and Karen (Davis' parents), do you give your blessing to Davis and Miriam, and promise to do everything in your power to uphold them in their marriage? I do.

Marty and Peg (my parents), do you give your blessing to Davis and Miriam, and promise to do everything in your power to uphold them in their marriage? I do. (my dad was still standing with us at this point, so my mom stood up at her seat and they both said, individually, 'I do'.)

And do you, the witnesses to this union, give your blessing to Davis and Miriam, and promise to do everything in your power to uphold them in their marriage? We do. (at this point, my dad joined Davis' and my hands together, gave me a quick peck on the cheek, sat down next to my mom and the ceremony continued)

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See...narry a degrading word or action in sight.

Dream big, kids....dream big

Not to be outdone by Mrs. Ant's gorgeous spread in the June/July 2008 issue of Modern Bride, Mr Corn and I have been feature in...



...wait for it...



...the June 2008 edition of the Angie's List, Boston Magazine.

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

For those of you unfamiliar with Angie's List, it is an incredible resource for finding realistic reviews of service professionals. While it is mostly for home-related services (contractors, cleaners, plumbers, etc) they have expanded to include the medical profession (doctors, dentists, etc) and now they are including wedding vendors as well (dance instructors, alterations places, wedding gown salons, etc).

There is a yearly fee to be a member, but that gives you access to the entire list so that you can look up vendors and see their reviews. The best part about this site is that it lets the vendor know that they have been reviewed and if it is a bad review, they are allowed to explain their side of the story. This keeps the reviews pretty 'real' and very reliable.

Mr Corn and I submitted reviews for our wedding gown shop, our dance instructor and our band and we received an email from the editor asking us if we could give them more information on our dance instructor and submit a picture. And now, we are part of Angie's List Boston magazine history.

I know you are jealous.

Looking Back, continued...

Sorry to have gone missing for a bit there. I suffered from a complete hard drive failure and had to have a new one sent and have all of my files extracted by the fantastically smart, technology geeks I have as friends...which brings me to my #1 detail about wedding planning that I recommend (aside from relaxing and remembering what the real purpose of the whole thing is): BACK. UP. EVERYTHING!!!

Moving on...

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This installment of my 'Looking Back' series* focuses on one of the details about our big day that I wish we had done a little differently: I should have gone with my gut and not tossed the flowers.

I know there are lots of good arguments for both sides of this issue but for me, it came down to tradition: every wedding I have ever been to had a flower toss.

NOT every wedding I have ever been has had a garter search-and-toss, so I nixed that idea early-on in the planning.

However, regardless of my gut feeling about the thing, I was bound and determined to have my wedding day have as many wedding-y moments as I could cram into it, so I went ahead with it anyway.

Truth be told, it really broke up the whole feeling of the reception. It was awkward, poorly attended (as I really only know a few single gals so none of them wanted to be singled out), and I ended up throwing the bouquet over everyone's head thus making it an actual waste of time and perfectly good flowers.

Again, I understand this is a personal thing, but for me, I would have much preferred if I had loosened up my requirements on 'what-makes-a-wedding-a-wedding' and gone with the flow. If you are even thinking of leaving it out, I suggest going with your gut.

What about you guys? Any flower tossers out there?


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*Previously in this series...

I'm so glad I did this:
renting a full length mirror
setting my DIY deadline for a week out from the wedding
making arrangements for my disabled father so he could participate
having an 'open-door policy' at the site where I got ready
going a little overboard with the theme


I wish I could fix this:
being too proud to start a few minutes late
not testing all of the directions before sending them out
forgetting to pause before rushing down the aisle
handling the cake cutting logistics

Looking Back, continued...

This installment of my 'Looking Back' series* focuses on one of the details about our big day that I am very grateful for: we went a little overboard.

As many of you know, Mr Corn and I were married at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI. After the ceremony, we hosted an authentic New England clam bake. Considering how close we were to the water, and the food we were serving, it only made sense that every detail at our wedding was based on our New England Coastal theme.

Everything, that is, except for these guys:

When our site coordinator at the Fort mentioned that we could hire Revolutionary War reenactors, Mr Corn and I both knew they would be perfect for our event. We didn't care that they had nothing to do with being 'New England Coastal', we figured they would be fun. Then we found out we could have an authentic Revere Cannon lit as well! We went back and forth on the cannon for quite a while, but in the end we decided that hiring the reenactors was the start of going overboard, so we might as well go completely!

And, you know what?

IT WAS GREAT!! Our guests LOVED it!!

The soldiers and the cannon added elements to the day that truly made our wedding unique and fun. The best part was that even though we only officially hired four reenactors, about 12 showed up. My guess is that the Civil War reenactors and the Revolutionary War reenactors are actually the same people. Since there was a full Civil War reenactment taking place inside the fort the weekend we were married, we figured they were all excited about an opportunity to wear their other outfits and just showed up!

One of the reenactors handed out our programs and acted as an usher:

I was escorted from the fort to my dad by a team of four reenactors, while four others stood along the side with their swords raised in salute:

When we got to my dad, they 'presented' me to him...very official:

As Mr Corn and I turned to face our families, we were announced as husband and wife and then the cannon went off! It was LOUD but such great fun. Then the reenactors saluted us as we recessed:

A shot of the Revere Cannon:

A group shot before the reenactors headed home (and by 'home' I mean 'back-into-the-fort-to-change-back-into-their-civil-war-outfits'):

Do any of you have anything 'overboard' planned for your wedding?

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*Previously in this series...

I'm so glad I did this:
renting a full length mirror
setting my DIY deadline for a week out from the wedding
making arrangements for my disabled father so he could participate
having an 'open-door policy' at the site where I got ready


I wish I could fix this:
being too proud to start a few minutes late
not testing all of the directions before sending them out
forgetting to pause before rushing down the aisle
handling the cake cutting logistics