Erin's Beach Shack

This turned into a super busy weekend. I made an executive decision on Friday that there was to be no house repairs and no car repairs and no this-isn't-really-relaxing-but-it's-the-only-thing-I-know-what-to-do-with-free-time activities.

So, we've been up to a lot. Saturday morning, 2 mile walk to breakfast at favorite coffeeshop Fuel, walk home, over to Erin's to see potential wedding place, over to lighthouse point to see potential wedding place, walk all over, come home take a quick nap, out to the New Haven Green to see a live jazz musician (Tito Puente Jr), out all night, then to Rudy's, New Haven's best dive bar, till 12am. Today, cleaning all morning, off to our friends Alex and Joy to hang out at the beach for a bbq, then tonight we're making Pizza at home with Travis and Kristen. Phew. So, if I haven't called back family members - sorry. It turned into a busy weekend.

Erin's wedding spot is so beautiful. We really loved it. She has a cozy "beach shack" set into a lush green property. It has a large backyard (will fit 60-80 people) that goes up a small hill (10 feet high) with a rock ledge and overhung trees. We thought we could do the ceremony on the rock ledge. She's fine with alcohol and food cooked on the spot - great. 100 yards away is the private beach. It is a small spot with grass on the upper flat part, a stone wall, and then a curved section that goes down to a sandy beach with a dock cutting off one side. It's cute and homey. We would string lights along the grassy area to block everything off from the neighbors. Picnic tables and food on the far end of the grass. Hopefully Rohn Lawrence (the jazz musician we'd love to have play) on the grassy area near the beach. And chairs and a dance floor on the sand. There's be flowers all along the stone wall, white lights and candles everywhere. It'd be intimate and romantic. We could set up ahead of time, leave things out the night before, store food in her kitchen, and have nice bathrooms and a place to wash your hands. All little things that make the whole event much easier.

I know it's hard to tell from this photo, but here is the backyard. It looks overgrown right now because it is - but with the greenery trimmed back a bit, this would be beautiful. WHere you see the rock, it extends back about 15 more feet. When you're there in person, it's really quiet and settled feeling. There's something serene about the whole place


And here's the beach area. Imagine it at night with the dock, the boats, and the houses all lit up





I'm running out of time, but I'll post the pictures of lighthouse point tomorrow. Lighthouse is very very different. It is dramatic and open, beautiful and far less intimate feeling. It's really hard to decide. Plus, lighthouse has a ton of complications because it is a public space.