100 Degrees From Belmar To Brooklyn... To Andover

Had a busy weekend in late July 2011 that took me from the Jersey Shore all the way to the quaintest B & B in Sussex County... First was the wedding of Jackie & Ray on the sand of the 4th Ave. Beach in Belmar. This was the week of Jersey's 100-degree heatwave... so I had Gatorade stashed behind the bridal archway :) We had fun in a lively, upbeat & sunny ceremony.

Later in the evening was a wedding on Sheepshead Bay at Baku Palace (Brooklyn), where the food just doesn't stop coming. It's a gourmet food onslaught! Anna & Ruslan exchanged beautiful vows in a Russian-themed wedding. Meanwhile, outside in the evening heat... an Asian couple was catching crabs in the bay with a flashlight & a net on a long pole, while standing on the Sheepshead Foot Bridge. The crabs were attracted to the light and were easy pickin's. A crowd had gathered to watch.

Next day was Woodney & Gabriela's bilingual Spanish & English nuptials at the ultra-quaint Crossed Keys Inn (Andover, NJ). This is a blissful nook in the woods. The bridal suite is a barn. Awesome. "Lucky" for the couple and I, we were standing in the bright 100-degree sunshine for the ceremony, while all the guests were seated in the shade. I made it a point to stay hydrated, and the groom and I took a few breaks to dab our brows with a handkerchief. Guests later told me they were making bets on how long before I fainted, but would I let that happen? NOOOO. The ceremony came out really nice, with the special kind of bonding people feel when they have gone through an intense heatwave together. I'll never forget it!

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