I was pretty thrilled last fall when my childhood friend Chezza phoned me up to tell me that her charming swain Brha had proposed! Those two are so darn cute - they met while volunteering together at the Housing Works Used Book Cafe, so you know they're awesome already. Yay love!
And then, a few months later, I was SUPER thrilled when they actually invited me to attend their nuptials July 9th in the fair burrough of Brooklyn! Yay, traveling to witness love!
Since I traveled all the way to Belfast for my friend Jech's wedding, going to NY for Chezza and Brha's wedding seemed like a breeze. Plus, I already knew where to go to the bathroom in NY and how to handle being hit on by Latin Americans.
I really only had one day for New York frolic and, since I was staying near Times Square and the weather was glorious, I decided to spend the morning as a loser tourist on a double decker bus tour:
and the afternoon feeling SUPER COOL because my friend Cano lives in NY and he knows where there are restaurants that do not have "Times Square" as part of their name. We went to Westville Chelsea for lunch and I had a Cobb salad that changed my life. Seriously...and there's no innuendo-free way to say this...I didn't want to stop putting it in my mouth. Thanks, Cam.
My beloved Katr had a prior engagement and couldn't make it to NY to repeat our butter filled tasting menu adventure, so I was dateless for the wedding itself. But, ever the gracious hostess, Chezza unwittingly provided me with my "plus one" for her nuptials in the handy "out of town visitor welcome kit" that was waiting for me at my hotel.
In the kit was this:
What do you do when there's a mini knit-your-own-ninja in your welcome kit? Well...you knit him.
And then, you take him on a double decker bus tour with an hilarious guide named Marian:
And then you take him to the wedding as your date.
In between the ceremony and the reception, the bride and groom treated guests to a double decker bus tour of Brooklyn, complete with water and delicious popcorn! And, of course, the ninja.
The reception space was fantastic - lots of space to mill around and visit and a beautiful view of the river. And, of course, there was that ninja.
The wedding was really lovely - everyone was so happy to be there and to celebrate the newlyweds. It was great to drink mojitos and catch up with high school friends and other folks I haven't seen since we were all stressed out twenty-somethings in university. Plus, cake!
Congratulations, Chezza and Brha!! It's always pretty sweet when you see a couple surrounded by love. You are wonderful, warm, generous people and Ninja and I were honoured to have been included on your big day.
Over the course of my many bus tours and the wedding, I took several photos of architectural details and wedding fun and ninja interruptions and they are all here in this handy slideshow. Enjoy...IF YOU DARE. Thanks to Katr for giving me the purple camera that made it all possible!!
