Carrie and Matthew's Wedding

Saturday May 23, 2015
Gramercy Mansion
Stevenson, Maryland

Please Read:
It has been more than a week since Carrie and Matthew were married. I tried to publish this on May 26 the day of the problem with LiveWriter and Blogger. I have waited for them to solve the problem but am no longer convinced they will despite hearing that they are supposedly "talking to each other". I have used a Windows Live Mail work around which still required that I go back and redo all the formatting for this post. Still it is nothing like what was originally in LiveWriter.  The photos are the wrong size and placement.  It was a lot of work and I won't do it again. Blogger's editor and preview are horrible. In neither case is what you see what you get.  BUT this was an important post for our family.  So here it is.   Thanks a bunch Google and Microsoft for all the trouble.  IF they ever get this worked out, I'll publish what I actually originally created.

As you will see, I had a lot of help from my friends with the photos. Thank you all so much for being a part of this special special occasion.

Today is the day! Back from the Salon and it's time to get dressed. The Tower Room at the Gramercy is reserved for the Bride and Groom. It's here that the bridal party will get dressed and the first professional photographs taken.

Even the bathroom is elegant.

Amazing how you can change the look of a room so quickly.

The photographers take pictures of the dress and pictures of the bride. Some pretty posed shots but they look lovely.

It's just a stunning bridal gown.

The girls help her get everything buttoned and snapped.

The gown looks even more beautiful on the lovely bride.

Everyone is downstairs and ready for the big event.

Carrie and Matthew have chosen to do all their wedding pictures before the ceremony so they can go directly to the reception with their guests. Great idea, I think.

These pictures were taken right after "the first look". I can't wait to see the photographers' photographs of this moment.

The wedding party from left to right, Eleanor, Matthew's oldest brother Stephen, Jess, Matthew, Carrie, Kate, Matthew's older brother Mark behind Kate, Alyssa and Matt C.

A little clowning by the wedding party.

I'm not sure I have ever seen a lovelier group of women. What special friends Carrie has.

Carrie and Matthew with his friend Matt and brothers Stephen and Mark

So what in the world is the mother of the bride saying now rather than posing for the picture? Probably, "I'm too short to stand next to Matthew". Seriously, don't I look like I'm in a hole?

In the only other picture of Matthew and Carrie with us and David has his eyes closed. But here are the bride and her parents.

Luckily Matthew's mother poses better and I think this is a good picture of Matthew and Carrie with his parents Bob and Joan.

But now it's time for the ceremony. This can't be a kiss for good luck.
They have all they need already.

Carrie and her matron of honor Jess are looking pretty excited just before they walk down the aisle.

When she was fresh out of law school in 2008, Carrie was a law clerk for Judge Ellen Hollander who has come to be the officiant for Carrie and Matthew. She does an amazing job, I only wish someone had video taped it. Many people comment that it was the most personal ceremony they had ever attended. My special thanks to my great friend Pam who took all these photos of the ceremony with my camera.

Eleanor and Alyssa

Matt C has all the luck, a girl on each arm as they head back down the aisle.

Matthew's new in-laws look pretty happy.

So do Carrie's new mother and brother-in-law.

Did someone tell Carrie's cousin Justin ahead of time that the color of the day was purple??

The food is waiting at the reception where the father of the bride gives his toast.

Like our Great Niece Olivia, at age 12 I wouldn't have been as interested in the Father of the Bride's Speech as my Uncle Ernie either. Olivia is quite the artist and every picture I have of her shows only the top of her head. I'm sorry I didn't ask her to pose.

David's Aunt Bunny, Carrie's great aunt, has come from New York with her son Brian to be with us. She is David's mother's younger sister and we are so happy she could come.

Carrie and Matthew dancing the first dance.

And of course the father daughter dance. Carrie has chosen James Taylor's How Sweet It Is. They do a fine East Coast swing. Wish I could have gotten the twirls but they all turned out blurry.  David's older brother Roger took the best ones.  That's him at work on the right.

Matthew chooses John Lennon's rendition of "Stand By Me" a favorite of his mother Joan one of the Beatles' biggest fans.

Mr. and Mrs. Iwanowski cut their wedding cake prepared by Matthew's cousin.

And now it's time to party.
Pretty sure that's Joan in the middle!

Emma and Allegra have all the right moves.

It has really been the perfect day in every single way.
It seems to have flown by.

David and I wish Matthew and Carrie a lifetime of happiness.
May you love each other every moment as you do now.
We love you "to the moon and back"!