Music Monday

Sorry it's a late one-
Just started EM and between that and my residency applications and Peter's visa forms,
I have pretty much no time.

also, I'm on the last chapter of a Clash of Kings. So that might have something to do with my absence.

How to Get Married in New York {part 3}

Here it is- the last New York post. Thanks for bearing with me on this. I know it's wayyyyy too many photos, but we had such a great time, and this was really the first time Peter and I really got to know our camera, so I really wanted to share. Feel free to provide critiques/feedback, especially on the imagery- this photography thing is brand new to us, so anything we can improve we want to know about....

After your brunch {which includes champagne and cookies on the house as well as your waitress running two blocks just to catch up and return your card to you,}you might think you want to go to Central Park to take romantic photos. However, if you are an individual for whom sleep is important, do that instead. Trust me.

Now it's time to regroup- and continue the New York journey through gastronomic delights- back into Manhattan for drinks with your friends at Turks and Frogs in the West Village.

 

Next up, follow your fearless foodie leader through the streets of the village, into the super-top-secret restaurant, Hudson Clearwater.

It's such a cool concept- a secret restaurant you can only find if you know the name- it's not marked by signs or even tables on the street- everything is nestled inside a courtyard, so you'd walk right past it if you didn't know it was there.

Once you're inside, you quickly realize what a special little place it is. Crowded and bustling with waiters shooting off specials like a boss, clanking pots and pans from the open kitchen, and lively conversation from literally every table, the dimly lit, simply dressed room is open and inviting. It felt like some kind of cross between a cozy tavern and an open garden. Truly a cool little spot.

And now it's time to enjoy some good food and drink with the people who have come so far and done so much to celebrate with you.

The men being....manly?

That, my friends, is duck roasted with seasonal vegetables- a farm to table affair. and yes, it's every bit as divine as it looks!

Last stop for the night is at Fat Cat- a bar that combines a grimey dive environment with live music, ping pong, board games and draft beer. Or in other words, everything that is good in life.

How to Get Married in New York City

First off, it's imperative to pick the perfect partner- one who laughs at your weirdness, accepts your ragged edges, keeps your on the straight and narrow, and overall thinks you are the bee's knees.

Have you got them?

Next, you must apply to get married! you can start online, before heading to the City Clerk's office to complete the process.

At this point you'll have a bit of waiting to do. So you'll peruse the gift shop, and the selection of bouquets...

you'll creepily watch other couples pop out of the chapel one by one, each dressed beautifully and beaming

Then it's your turn- you nervously laugh with the city clerk employee at the fact that you and your spouse are decidedly not hispanic as it says on your application, wring hands in anticipation, then breath a sigh of relief when she tells you that you can head over the courthouse anytime after 24 hours and get hitched!

So back you come the next day, fully equipped with a suit, a white dress, and a bouquet of flowers generously provided by your gracious friends for this very occasion.

The mood must be appropriately serious, of course...

 Make sure to have a few proper witnesses around; perhaps a brother...

 Or a few old friends

By the way, do NOT expect a wait at this point- at least not on a week day! You will not, in fact, have time to do more than throw a touch of mascara on, let alone trim and polish those bare nails before you're called up to get your license printed!

What Happens in New York

Hey folks,

so I realize several weeks have gone by and I still haven't posted a word on New York. Bad, bad blogger! I know. I'm sorry. But I had good reason! I was debating putting this in such a public forum, but the truth is...

It's because we got married!

yep. you read that right.

Peter and I got hitched in New York. 

I know this is confusing. we actually haven't told a ton of people for that very reason. For one, we're both Orthodox Christians, who believe in marriage beginning before God, in the church. And we can't wait to get married in the church next summer on Crete! (yea, that's completely still happening, by the way.) 

But the truth is, Peter's visa process could take a year or more. and until he's got that sorted, he can't just leave his job and find a new one in the U.S. on the J-1 he currently has. We could be apart for another year after our church wedding, and neither of us wanted to put off starting our life together that long. We're happy to wait for our Orthodox Marriage, but spending our first year of wedded bliss miles apart just sounded totally lame. So consider this year one of our marriage. I think this quote from When Harry Met Sally nailed it: 

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Wedding Wednesday: the details

Throughout this whole planning process, I've been trying really hard not to let the inner bridezilla rear it's ugly head. The high-strung part of me tries to justify it- you only do this whole wedding thing once (if you do it right the first time)- so it has to be perfect, obviously. There's also the socially anxious part of me that envisions people walking into our wedding and seeing less than stellar flower arrangements or plastic tables and chairs and whispering about how tacky or cheap everything looks {yea, I have a very vibrant imagination.}

Obviously, none of these things will happen- people are generally nice, and the whole point of the wedding has absolutely nothing to do with our choice in rentals or foliage {I think it's something to do with finding the love of my life? not really sure...} anyways. I'm still a very visually driven person, so there are a few key things that I think really are worth the splurge in our case.

1. lighting 

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To me, bistro lighting is one of the simplest ways to make for a more elegant and intimate wedding atmosphere. Especially when you think about the alternative- flood lights that wash everyone out and totally kill the mood. 

2. Wooden tables and chairs

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When we decided to try and throw a wedding in Greece, both Peter and I knew exactly what we wanted- a laid back night at a Taverna under the stars with great food, an abundance of wine, and simple, unassuming decor. I love the little wooden tables and chairs that most restaurants in Greece are already equipped with- so why reinvent the wheel? They add to the atmosphere just as much as, if not moreso, than traditional decor, just from their large size and prominence in the scenery. To me they look far more elegant than round tables draped in stuffy white linens ever could. 

3. food 

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Because people need to eat- and eat well- at our wedding. duh.

But in all seriousness, this is one of the biggest reasons we chose Crete for our wedding. We both love the food. We are dragging our guests through winding mountains into what is essentially the middle of nowhere- we'd better make the food well worth it. 

4. Flowers (kind of.)

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How to get Married in New York {part 2}

As you wait in the bare gray courtroom, stop to read the ledger of couples who were married in this very office years before.

 

The butcher and the homemaker, the soldier and the telephone operator, the doorman and the divorced secretary, who stood here and said their vows in 1944.

Next comes the ceremony- a friendly  balding fellow with a husky New York accent will officiate. Don't blink or you'll miss it- all 60 seconds of it!

Be sure to take photos by the fake lit up back drop before hitting the Brooklyn Bridge for a few photos and your celebratory brunch!

don't forget to thank your friends for fixing your hair/being awesome.

Sound City

Ever since watching this incredible documentary, Sound City produced by the one and only Dave Grohl, I've been back in a rock kind of mood again. Sound City was the dive bar of record labels in LA- gritty, without airs. A what you see is what you get kind of place. It's walls have heard noise from every decade and genre imaginable- from Fleetwood Mac to Neil Young, From Rick Springfield to Johnny Cash, from Nirvana to Nine Inch Nails. See here for a full list (your mind will be blown.)

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Music Monday

Morning, folks :)

In keeping up with the old school rock n' roll vibes from last week, here's a great Beatles cover featuring the great Duane Allman

how was your weekend? do anything special or fun?

G

Hey, Y'all!

....whoa. that title?? where did that come from? I've been in the deep south too long, folks. Ah well.

Somewhere between planning a Greek Wedding, forlornly watching my friends vacation in Greece from afar and my cousin leaving a Zoidakis CD in my car, I've been in a particular Greeky mood lately {did I just break the record for using the word Greek in a sentence?}. Maleviziotikos has always been a favorite traditional dance of mine, so here's a taste of what's coming next summer- feast your eye balls!