Love in Cabo - our goodbye breakfast

Not too much to explain here, so here are some photos....

Wish I was back in Cabo San Lucas...

Love in Cabo - the wedding

You don't need a lot of narrative, the pictures say it all!  (But since you know it's impossible for me to sit quietly, I'll insert some short-but-sweet explanations or comments where necessary!)

Coffee on our terrace.

Poolside...

A little niche 1/2 way between our room and the pool - J waited 2 days to take a picture of me in this spot!

Didn't he look great in that shirt and pants combo?!

I was so worried about being the "only one" in a short dress - 1/2 the guests were in short dresses and it was so darn hot, I'm THRILLED I was in a short dress!

The parents of the groom...

Here comes the bride!

Showing off their bling!  (The minister's words, not mine!)

They chose to do a sand ceremony, where they alternated two different colors of sand into a single vase, and the minister made reference to their lives being intertwined and inseparable:  "As the grains of sand cannot be separated, neither can your lives."

The happy couple...  Oh, I meant to put this caption near the bride and groom!  (LOL!)

They had couches and pillows and ottomans set up on the sand for the cocktail hour.

Their first dance as Mr. and Mrs.

Beautiful centerpiece.  Every other table had this centerpiece, or the other was a ball of hot pink flowers.

The place settings...

There were fire pits all around the reception area...

The bride cuts the cake, the bride cuts the cake!!!

We went to bed around 10:30/11:00.  The party went on until about 1:30am, apparently, but we needed a relatively early night.  Immediately after the wedding ceremony, J almost passed out from the sun and heat.  All he had to eat all day was 1/2 of an apple and 1/2 of a pear, a 1/2 slice of pizza, and some water.  Not much.  Some.  The resort was there with cool cloths and Gatorade almost immediately when they saw him sitting down, holding his head.

If only I'd thought to take a photo...  Yes, to hold over him every time he does something that dumb in the future...  Which we all know he will...

;-D

Love in Cabo - the pool and rehearsal dinner

We ran out to the pool as soon as we got our luggage, which really only took a few moments.  Although J wanted to get out and about so we didn't wait - he had to take a picture of me on the premises in my yoga pants/travel outfit...  not the most flattering clothes I own but comfortable for 6 hours on a plane...

We got our luggage and immediate went to claim some poolside lounges.  There are several pools on the property:  a few adult-only pools for those rich old fogies who prefer cigars, peace and quiet, and no kids.  Us?  Not so much.  We went right to the main pool where our group was hanging out and staked a claim on two spots.  J started to turn one of the lounges to face the sun and Ernesto ran over and told him not to move the chairs, that he was there to do that.  Of course J said, "No, that's okay" and Ernesto almost had a stroke making sure J didn't exert himself in any way...  "NO, Sr. Salvetta, I will relocate the lounge for you!"

We settled in, slathered ourselves in either dry oil #4 or a combination of that and SPF 15, SPF 30, and SPF 50 (for my face) and my clear zinc oxide.  They brought over a bucket of ice with water and spray Evian cans to mist ourselves if we became too warm...

I have vowed to never take a bathing suit photo with my sister-in-law and/or my niece.  You think TV adds 10 pounds?!?!?!?!?!?

At around 3:30 we went back to the room to shower and get ready for the reahearsal dinner.  It was being held on the beach at The Office, a restaurant P and B found the last time they went to Cabo.  Here are some photos from that evening's dinner...  The waiters were AWESOME!  They not only provided a high chair for the baby, but when they saw she was sleeping in her mom's arms, they put two chairs together, brought over 6 Mexican blankets, and made a little crib for her so she could rest until she woke up for dinner.  Look how cute she looks sleeping in it...

I need to learn how to pose - 9 times out of 10 I stand in THE most unflattering position...  Trust me when I say I truly didn't look that heavy in this new dress...

My sister-in-law on the left, mother of the groom, and mother of the bride on the right...

The table at the rehearsal dinner, on the sand, with torches all around us, too...

This was the "crib" the waiters created for E...

Here's a photo of the bride and groom - we love you, R!!   (And G, too!)

That was one GIANT mojito!

J and G (the groom) - they may not look alike, but personality-wise, they are SO much alike!

The baby and her mom - she was in a GREAT mood when she woke up from her power nap!  To be honest, she was an angel that whole trip - not a peep out of her on the plane, not on any of them, not in the airports when we were delayed, not during our layover, she's the BEST!

I'll do another post of wedding pictures...

Love in Cabo - upon arrival

On Thursday April 28 Friday April 29th we left for Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to attend the wedding of our nephew.  They decided on a destination wedding.  I've never attended a destination wedding before but let me say here, I would SO do it again!  We stayed at Las Ventanas al Paraíso. 

We are a Motel 6 sort of traveler.  As long as the sheets are clean, along with the shower, and there are no critters with more than 2 legs sharing my space, I'm okay with the room.  A comfortable bed is negotiable, since we're usually there en route to somewhere else.  This resort, though, is beyond anything I've ever experienced in my life.  You're greeted on the open air reception patio with a shot of margarita, and then you're escorted to your suite.  We paide $575 per night, plus 25% tax.  This is so beyond anything we've ever spent before, and that was the wedding rate!!!  But as God is my witness, I'd spend it again!  The gentleman greeted us by name (we'd never introduced ourselves!) then took us to the room.  Here are some room photos:

Every single employee referred to us by name.  My sister-in-law is convinced we're videotaped upon arrival and when we confirm our identities, the employees then view the video so they know who's who.  How else can you explain that Ernesto at the pool called me Sra. Salvetta when I walked out there to sit in the sun and tan burn for the wedding???  How else can the gardener call me by name?  Not the two cleaning fairies butlers assigned to my suite; they know who's staying where, of course...

The next post will be photos from the pool, then the rehearsal dinner.  Then I'll post wedding photos, and finally pictures from our Sunday departure breakfast.

For the record, more than a few of us were overheard saying we could get used to this kind of treatment:  the white glove service, the coffee service on the patio first thing in the morning, the iced water bottles next to the pool, along with iced spray cans of Evian for when we sweat perspire...  Oh, I also have to tell you that our flight down on Thursday was cancelled due to weather.  THE HOTEL DID NOT CHARGE US FOR THE ROOM.  You're talking about 23 people who didn't make it to the hotel in time for the welcome dinner on the first night.  23 people paying, MINIMUM, $800 dollars per night.  Do the math!  And the welcome dinner?  They didn't charge my nephew for the peopl who didn't attend EVEN THOUGH FOOD WAS PREPARED FOR US AND THE AREA WAS SET UP FOR US.

THAT, my web-friends, is customer service.  I would HIGHLY recommend Las Ventana - click on the link above and take an advance look, if you'd like, but I'll be posting my photos tomorrow (or later tonight if we get home early enough)...

Went to a bridal shower yesterday...

My nephew (on hubby's side) is getting married in April.

In Cabo San Lucas.

Mexico.

And we're going.

YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!YAY!

Yesterday was the bridal shower for his fiancee R.  We love R.  She's so nice and he's so happy with her. 

The shower was at a restaurant named Jane in NYC.  I really wouldn't voluntarily go to NYC on a Saturday for very many people, but R is one of them!  The food was great - here's what we got to choose from:

Starter

Mushroom Soup - Portobello, brandy, truffle oil

Seasonal Fruit Salad

Main Courses

Shrimp Risotto - lemon, chervil butter, lobster broth

Steak Salad - organic arugula, goat cheese, red onion, beefsteak tomatoes, shoestring potatoes, balsamic vinaigrette

Egg White Scramble - sauteed spinach, goat cheese, mixed greens

Sides for the Table

Spicy Garlic Broccoli

Rosemary Fries

Desserts

Profiteroles - espresso ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce

Warm Apple Tart - puff pastry, cider caramel, vanilla ice creaam

Mimosa, Bloody Mary

juice, fountain soda, coffe & tea (they also had green iced tea)



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!  (I boldfaced my choices!)

Here are a couple of photos from the party...

The gifts

The bride (R is in the middle) with her bridesmaids

My dessert - I could have eaten 3 plates!

The clock we got her (along with the hamper she asked for - see that HUGE box behind her head!?)

R with my nieces (the groom's twin sisters) and their cousin-in-law (K) on the right, along with the ribbon bouquet they made with the ribbons from the gifts

The party ran from 11:30 to about 2:30 - we got home around 4pm-ish, after we packed the cars to bring all the gifts back to NJ, made our way through Holland Tunnel traffic, etc.

It was a fun party, not without a little grandma drama (she's 95 and a little too used to being the center of attention), but all in all we had a great time and it was a lot of fun spending time with my nieces and my sister-in-law and meeting the bride's friends and family.

Welcome to the family, R (almost!)!!!