Jonathan & Erika's rehearsal dinner

Here are a few photos that I took of the rehearsal dinner for my brother-in-law Jonathan and his lovely fiancee [now wife!] Erika.  The Garber parents threw an amazing party at their house with outdoor seating under a tent strung with twinkle lights; a whole roasted pig (!); a delicious spread of salad and baked potatoes and homemade biscuits; drinks and snacks on the back deck; homemade pumpkin pies and apple crisps and Nutella-stuffed brown butter + sea salt chocolate chip cookies for dessert; and a fire pit for gathering and talking after dark.  The whole party was a smashing success.  So happy for you, Jon and Erika!

thank you, Abby, Clydette, and Gail, for your amazing help in the kitchen!

baby girl with my apple cider tea & the groom-to-be snatching a taste of fresh pork rind

Jonathan with two of his favorite girls in the world: his twin sister Jess and his now-wife Erika

lots of toasts to Jon and Erika at the end of the evening

***

Last but not least, I would have loved to include a beautiful family portrait in this post, but... this is how our family portraits turned out that night:

brother-in-law gets hitched!

 

It was a busy weekend here in the Garber family household... baby brother Jonathan got married!  Jonathan and Erika have known each other since 9th Grade and have been dating since their second year of college.  A long-awaited day! 

They chose the historic Rosemont Manor in Berryville, VA, for their wedding.  They planned to have the wedding on the lawn in front of the Manor House, but just for good measure the bridal party also practiced on the porch.  Good thing they did, because it rained throughout the entire ceremony, and so that's where the ceremony was held! 

Isn't it gorgeous?  It reminded us so much of Raspberry Plain, the beautiful old Virginia manor house that Elliott and I chose for our wedding.

Eden and I have matching shoes!

& Jess joyously jumping

The rehearsal dinner was at the Garbers' house (!), which definitely was a lot of work for the family to get everything ready, but was a total success and so much fun.  I took a million pictures of the rehearsal dinner at my mother-in-law's request and plan to share a few soon, after I do some editing.

As I was a reader in the wedding and Elliott was a groomsman, I couldn't take any photos for awhile once the wedding began, but it was so tasteful and so lovely.  The rain didn't detract from anything; instead it seemed to make it more intimate and unforgettable.  The wonderful reception included family-style dining on chicken and mashed potatoes, caramel apples for favors, Pumpkin Spice and Maple Walnut Crunch cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake, and plenty of dancing with a fabulous DJ.  Lena partied along with all of us... our little social butterfly!

 giggles and tickles with Daddy

& relaxing with her Grandpa

 "dancing" with her new friend Marisol

& the Cupid Shuffle, always a favorite

Congratulations, Jonathan & Erika!  We love you!

happy anniversary to us!

We've been married for two years today... such a long time, I know!  So much has happened in these two very short years.  Weddings and home-buyings and deployments and deaths and travels and births and good-byes and moves to Sicily!

I remember this day last year very well.  Elliott had flown home at last after getting caught in the middle of the Arab Spring uprising in Cairo, a terrifying 36 hours for us until he called me as he ran to board the last plane out of Egypt.  We met up with his family on our anniversary morning to have brunch at The Chesapeake Room on Barracks Row and then Elliott, Eden, and I went for a walk before we went to Bradley class.  I was 7 months pregnant at the time and stepped off a step on our walk... and suddenly I couldn't walk any farther.  I thought I had twisted my ankle, but it wasn't my ankle, it was my foot.  An x-ray the next day confirmed I had broken my foot!  What a fun day.  If it isn't one thing, then it's the other, it seems, with us.

Anyway, hopefully this anniversary will be a little less eventful.  Thus far Lena and I have spent it curled up in front of the fire as the rain pours down outside.  Tonight we're leaving Lena in the hands of a sweet Italian woman and are going out to a new sushi restaurant that our friends can't stop talking about.

Just for fun here are some photos of our beautiful snowy wedding by our awesome photographer friend:

 

the men get ready

 

walking from the carriage house to the mansion to greet his bride

 

joyful preparations!

 

first look & my sweet Grampie

 vows (we couldn't stop smiling!)

quick and cold portraits outside... snowflakes on our noses and eyelashes

 dancing the night away