Another Wedding and a Honeymoon Send Off

No, no. It wasn't another lovely getting married. It was Breezy's bestie's wedding day! I didn't take a lot of photos just because it wasn't one of the lovelies so I didn't feel free to be so bold and because, the reception was so HOT that no one wanted to move. But I'll get to that.

First...

A couple of hours before the wedding, DoodleBug dropped Birdie and MostBestestSonInLaw off at the port of Charleston to head out on their honeymoon cruise. During the wedding reception, we received this photo from them- it's the view from their stateroom--that's the bridge from Mount Pleasant to Charleston:

Soon after, someone at our table said, "There goes Birdie and MostBestestSonInLaw!" We looked out the window and saw this:

Very cool, eh?

The ceremony was downtown Charleston at St. Luke's Chapel. It was a nice ceremony and the chapel was nice as well. No pictures of this part at all. Sorry. We were curious how they would have a wedding with a southern, Catholic bride and northern, Jewish groom. Let me say, it was absolutely lovely!

Afterwards, we headed back to Mount Pleasant (just across the bridge) for the reception which was held at the Cottage on the Creek. Now, I love going to Shem Creek for dining out. Not for the food which, no matter which restaurant you choose, is mediocre at best, but for the location- right on Shem Creek where you can watch the shrimp boats, dolphins, pelicans, gulls, kayakers and paddle boarders and atmosphere- friendly and inviting.

However, if you are visiting our area, hanging out on Shem Creek in July is not necessarily the best idea. Because it's HOT. And HUMID. And the combination of the two make it MISERABLE.

But we love it anyway. We just love it from inside. LOL

Except when the inside is almost as hot as the outside. As it was yesterday inside the Cottage on the Creek. Luckily, it wasn't hot enough to melt the beautiful cake! See that topper? I thought it looked like an antique. Our bride told me it was her grandmother's and that her mother also used it so Erin was the third generation to use the topper. I love that! Also, Erin's wedding band was her grandmother's. So sweet!

The band and bar were set up outside on the dock. Yes, it was covered. No, that didn't help. Yes, oppressive heat and humidity are expected in Charelston in July. No, that doesn't make it easier.

Inside the venue was on the small side. They state that they can accommodate up to 300 people. I'm not sure how this could be unless they have a bigger, hidden room somewhere. It's a nice place and the view is fantastic. To get that view from the inside, there are loads of windows. Where the sun shone through. And heated up the inside. It was heated up even more by the fact that it was so hot outside that everyone stayed inside so it was overcrowded and HOT. Sweating hot. Inside.

There's the main floor and an upstairs. The upstairs is sort of like a loft and that's where we sat. There's also the rooftop. I didn't go up there. It's even closer to the sun. That was beating down on the place with a vengeance.

None of this took away from the joy of the day, however, There were sweaty smiles on everyone's faces and good hearted joking about the heat.

Outside was sweltering hot. I looked out on the deck several times and the highest number of people out there was 5. If anyone went to the bar, they went and came right back inside. I hope the pelicans and dolphins enjoyed the band. However, the lovelies who were here to attend the wedding said that it did become tolerable once the sun went down. I gave up long before that. LOL

It was such a fun and special time spent with friends who are quite special to our family. We felt blessed to be included in this wonderful celebration!

I've seen many brides in lace dresses but rarely have I seen a bride that looked good in those lace dresses. But Erin pulled it off beautifully! Gorgeous!

These two have been through thick and thin together for, OMG!, 17 years! Wow, I'm old.

So-

Did we enjoy the wedding? YES! ABSOLUTELY! Without a doubt! It was so nice and there was a simplicity to it that added elegance without pretension. Always a plus and not many can pull this off. They did. And they did so beautifully!

Would I recommend Cottage on the Creek as a venue for a wedding reception or other gathering? It depends.

Yes IF you:

• don't mind mediocre food
• are having your event from November to early April, maybe even the beginning of May. 
• don't mind having your event in a heat box
• appreciate a lovely view
• don't mind all the kayakers/paddle boarders and other restaurants being nearby
• don't mind not having a choice in caterers
• are going to have a summer EVENING/NIGHT event

NO if you:

• are coming in the summer. NO. NO. NO. It's too hot inside and out
• are opposed to mediocre food 
•  mind all the kayakers/paddle boarders and other restaurants being nearby
• mind overcrowding
• want to choose your own/favorite/whatever caterer

Let me also share something that was shared with me---

At the weddings of my two married lovelies, we brought all that food home and scrambled around putting it into freezer containers and putting it away. We ate that food for quite awhile. Birdie and MostBestestSonInLaw even hosted a couple of parties with their leftovers.

No problem. I mean, we DID PAY for all that food.

I was told that, at Cottage on the Creek, you are not allowed to take home the leftovers. That you paid for. That you paid BIG BUCKS for. Nope. Apparently, they are afraid that someone might put it in their car, not take it out and refrigerate it right away, eat it, get sick and sue Cottage on the Creek. Apparently, they will just throw it away...waste it, in other words.

Riiiiight. My thoughts are that the staff takes it home. And consumes those leftovers. That you paid those BIG BUCKS for. But that's just my personal thought. I can't imagine just throwing food away. Not that much anyway. Who knows for sure? Only those who work there.

In my opinion, it's like saying, "This is yours, you paid for it. BUT, we will tell you what to do with it."

Yeah. That doesn't set well with me. At all.

I hope they didn't make the cake!

Regardless, it was a lovely day!

Congratulations, Erin and Ethan! We love y'all!

Oh! One more note: The mother of the bride is a 4th generation Charlestonian who has written books and gives historic tours. Check out her site right HERE and hit her up for a tour next time you're visiting Charleston!