Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

Rehearsal for the wedding

I was very excited to see Garreth, Mei and Bronte arrive at the hotel. It feels like ever so long since I saw them last and thank goodness Bronte hasn't forgotten me. She was bubbling with excitement about her holiday so far. Disneyland for several days plus visits to Central Park zoo and the Museum of Natural History. They have been staying with Zach and Sarah in Forest Hills, but everyone has come to the Wall Street Inn ready for the wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner tonight.

Jan, Mei and Garreth

Pam, Jan Garreth and Bronte at the hotel

Mei, Gaz and Bronte check out her presents

Bronte and Nanna

Diana arrived from London after getting lost on the cab ride in from the airport. Her cab driver seemed marginally less frightening than ours was yesterday. Father Philip (Zach's Godfather "Tio"), who will be officiating at the wedding service, arrived from Florida after a tiring journey. He is only a couple of months post renal transplant, so he's entitled to feel tired. Zach and Sarah and various other members of their wedding party also arrived in the foyer. I recognised Cully and Jimmy from the New York Picture Company skits I'd seen. Pam has been feeling the pressure today too. She is hosting the dinner tonight at Adriens, a nearby restaurant and is hoping it'll all go well with the weather rapidly going bad.

Tio and Pam

Gaz, Zach and Pam

Gaz and Mei

Pam and Culli

We all traipsed on foot to the church where the wedding will take place on Saturday. It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel, but a storm was beginning. With lightning flashing and the heavens threatening to open up at any moment, it was touch and go whether we'd get there dry. Jan and I took an arm each and escorted Philip on the walk to the church. He can only walk slowly and he wisely caught a cab back to the restaurant afterwards.

Margaret Sarah and Pam

Sarah, Mei and Bronte

Garreth, Mei and Bronte

We met Sarah's parents Margaret and Jeff, and her brother David and his fiance Kristen.  David and Kristen have only recently announced their engagement too. Everyone was in very good spirits and were very excited about the upcoming nuptials. All the wedding party went through the procedure  for the wedding with the two priests. Bronte was a little overwhelmed by it all, but at least didn't play up or cry.

Jeff, Sarah and Margaret

Sarah and her Mum

Kristen and David

Afterwards everyone walked down to Adriens where they had reserved the whole back part of the restaurant for us. It was a fabulous Italian feast! Several courses of fabulous food were brought to the tables as well as a continous flow of wine and beer. It was a very relaxed atmosphere with  a minimum of formality apart from a couple of brief speeches by Zach and Pam.

Tio and Pam

Jim and Caroline

 

Diana and Barb