It was finally here. Sam and Mindy's wedding day! The only good thing about being wide awake at 8am was that's when I had to get up to be at the wedding on time. You see, I was located in upper Manhattan and it was about an hour trip to make it down to the very bottom of lower Manhattan, to then catch a ferry over to New Jersey. I got suited up and reached the ferry at about 9:45am.
It didn't take long for all the other wedding guests to arrive. I was one of the few Cleveland guys who made it for the 10:15am ferry (Sean and Jenny also were there). One problem...they were super strict with their arrival and departure times. Those of us planning on making the 10:15 ferry wandered over as it parked, but since we weren't in the boarding area, it left promptly at 10:16am. Oops. So we waited around and the other Cleveland guys to began to show. This is one of the many reasons I love weddings, they unite old friends for a special day.
As they rolled in, it was a breath of fresh air to see Dr. Love himself a.k.a. Sam Lee. Since his departure to the Big Apple, he is a rare sight indeed. We stood around, chatted, caught up, then made sure we were on the 10:45am ferry. This was my first time on a boat while I was here and making the trip across the harbor was awesome. The sky was overcast, but the view of the NYC skyline was incredible.
When we stepped off the ferry, we were greeted by music and a host of other wedding guests. The venue was beautiful. It was big, had many windows, and the view from most angles was awesome. Before we took our seats, servers offered us a glass of ice tea or water (it was hot) and that's the first wedding I've been to that's done that.
The ceremony began and the bridal party made their way down the isle, including a cute little flower girl who managed to use all her flowers halfway down. And then came Mindy. She was stunning. The whole wedding was beautiful. At one point, Mindy had happy tears and Sam immediately and lovingly wiped them. They exchanged their own written vows (I love these), rings, and finally kissed the bride.
While they went off for pictures after, the cocktail hour began. I don't know if you could even call it a cocktail hour because there was soooo much food. Right as you entered the building the servers were on you with drinks and tasty morsels. There was a tuna bite on a thin flake, fried shrimp, round noodles in an amazing sauce, sausage bites in sauerkraut, a whole table of fruits, garnishes, and other tasty things. A few of us eventually wandered outside to enjoy the air and the view. Not long after everyone had disappeared upstairs for lunch and the reception to which Jenny quipped "Wait that wasn't lunch?" (referring to the cocktail hour).
The upstairs was just as grand as the lower level. There was a balcony that also had an awesome view of the Manhattan skyline and many pictures were taken there. For lunch was a choice of steak or salmon. I chose the steak and it was juicy and delicious. We were entertained by speeches from the parents, the bridesmaid and the best man. Last but not least the cake was cut. Sam ended up with a little cake on his face.
We left the venue at four, where we then took the ferry back to NYC and mad our way to Woodrow's for some after wedding celebrations. We had the whole basement to ourselves. There were couches and I nearly passed out on one. After hanging out a bit, I headed back to the Airbnb for a little relaxation before I headed out again.
I left the airbnb about 9:45pm and took a subway to central Manhattan. Two observations. The first is that because this is NYC, the subways can be crammed with people all day, even after midnight, even parents with young children...at 1am! Second, even though I was alert and aware, I felt invincible walking the streets at night. I didn't have any creepy people approach me and the city was still extremely active.
I made it to the Ganservoort Hotel where there was a rooftop lounge and a pool. This is where Sam Lee's birthday bash was. It was a fancy, upscale, with doormen, elevator-men with earpieces, and security. I also learned something. Never arrive early to a party...especially in NYC. People don't start showing up until later. The guys finally showed up including the birthday boy himself. I hung around until 1am then left to catch some shut-eye. That wraps up day four.
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