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Sanctuary

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I've read how many of you have done weddings and won't do them again. Despite all that good advice, I've accepted a wedding charter and it's off to the races! Wish me luck. It's next Saturday.
It's a 4-hour cruise, with the ceremony occurring onboard in the bay, followed by a sit-down dinner for 8. That's the nervous part. I'm only set up to seat 6 at my dining table on the covered aft deck, and they knew that going in to this. So, they are bringing in an 8' table and will set it up on the flybridge (top level, outside). If it rains, we're screwed! They know this. My biggest dinner for which I've cooked was for 12 friends (friends are different - they are much more forgiving if something doesn't come out on time), so I'm hoping 8 will be doable, given the menu they've chosen. It's not like I've got a 6-burner cooktop and double ovens, so the process has been running through my mind for a while now.
Appetizers: Grilled Swordfish Skewers with Coconut, Key Lime and Green Chili Sauce; Garlic Tomato Brushetta with Crostini; Seafood Cocktails with Watercress Sauce
Dinner: Baby Lettuces with Champagne Vinaigrette, Freshly Baked Parkerhouse Rolls, Grilled Maine Lobster Tails and Summer Vegetables with Spicey Herbed Butter, Twice Baked Cheesy Garlic Potatoes, Grilled Pineapple Slices, and Wedding Cake (they are bringing the cake).
A variety of wine, champagne, imported beers and cocktails.
I am praying for good weather, a beautiful sunset, and NO RAIN!!! And most important...a VERY HAPPY BRIDE! I will do my very best to make this the most perfect day for the couple.
This charter has been on my mine for a few weeks now, but before I say I won't do this again, I have to at least try it so that my reason is justified. That said, if it goes well...then, good and I may do it again. I'm having the seafood and fish overnighted from New England for delivery the day before the wedding. I do have a back up plan if something goes wrong there - the local Fresh Market has the lobster, shrimp and swordfish that I need.
 
Holy cow! All I can say is they must have bucks for you to be overnighting lobster in!
You'll be fine as you are in control of everything but the weather once you are on board. They act up, they walk the plank!
 
I am certain that all will cooperate - even the weather - and it will be an absolutely beautiful wedding and dinner.
 
It sounds wonderful. You will do fine because you are going through it in your head. Good luck!!!
 
i love weddings! and i love dinner on board a ship!!! yay!!
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i think it's going to be great.
the issue with weddings for me is that guests not staying with me swarmed over my place or the worry of my guests attending a wedding took over the place when i had other guests that weren't part of it. this problem was eliminated by stipulating that all rooms had to be taken by wedding guests. when my whole place was used by a group, it was okay if it was only those people. this is not a problem for you.
yours is a relatively small group ... and you will do it up proud. you will be able to cook up a lovely dinner same as for family (and, wow, what a menu)
i would only suggest you formulate your go-to plan if it rains like crazy. that's my concern, always, with an outdoor (or on deck) event. have you discussed this with the couple? do you by any chance have a friend with a bigger boat and indoor cabin you can use if there is a storm? will you be docked?
i so hope you have great weather!
 
Forget about the wedding, I need to do a room swap with you!!!
 
Sounds like a great time and a great menu. It seems that you've thought of everything. Well done!
 
Thanks for the encouragement. I sure hope the weather holds out - I'm more worried about that than anything. There isn't even a bridge I can fit under that would give me any shelter!
Today, it rained and rained and rained all day long - so hard that we lost the sat TV signal for a while. There is no shot at a back up boat. The only other one I know of that might do this is in the Bahamas right now. They had a wedding earlier this evening on that boat.
If the guests give us permission (we always ask first!) to take photos of our own for our website and marketing stuff, I'll post some photos.
 
Thanks for the encouragement. I sure hope the weather holds out - I'm more worried about that than anything. There isn't even a bridge I can fit under that would give me any shelter!
Today, it rained and rained and rained all day long - so hard that we lost the sat TV signal for a while. There is no shot at a back up boat. The only other one I know of that might do this is in the Bahamas right now. They had a wedding earlier this evening on that boat.
If the guests give us permission (we always ask first!) to take photos of our own for our website and marketing stuff, I'll post some photos..
YES.. Photos, Photos....we all need to look at those pictures and dream..A small stay-cation for innkeepers ! Mary in Bridgewater
 
Thanks for the encouragement. I sure hope the weather holds out - I'm more worried about that than anything. There isn't even a bridge I can fit under that would give me any shelter!
Today, it rained and rained and rained all day long - so hard that we lost the sat TV signal for a while. There is no shot at a back up boat. The only other one I know of that might do this is in the Bahamas right now. They had a wedding earlier this evening on that boat.
If the guests give us permission (we always ask first!) to take photos of our own for our website and marketing stuff, I'll post some photos..
Glad it is raining NOW! Hope it gets it out of its system before time for the wedding!
 
Broker just called. The Eurpoean bride can't get here by April 24 because of the volcano. So, the wedding charter has been moved back to May 1. I was just about to POINT, CLICK & SHIP 10 Maine lobster tails for overnight delivery on Friday when my phone rang. Wow, that was close!
 
Broker just called. The Eurpoean bride can't get here by April 24 because of the volcano. So, the wedding charter has been moved back to May 1. I was just about to POINT, CLICK & SHIP 10 Maine lobster tails for overnight delivery on Friday when my phone rang. Wow, that was close!.
Close indeed! Hopefully she'll be okay with the May 1st date.
 
The wedding was nothing short of spectacular!!! The skies threatened, but made good on that threat. The cloud cover was a bit of a blessing because it was hot on Saturday, and with the clouds overhead, no one got "baked" on the flybridge. I was told by the guests that that was the best meal they had had in a long, long time, and by far the best meal they had ever had in Florida.
We left the dock and headed over to the Vizcaya mansion for a little sightseeing. I wonder how many folks at Vizcaya were taking photos of us as we came up to their "back door." LOL You don't see many boats the size of our getting in there.
Next we headed over to Stadium Bay in downtown Miami where we anchored for the ceremony, more cocktails and the appetizers. Thereafter, we retrieved our anchor and headed over to the sandbar in front of Key Biscayne, right in front of President Nixon's former residence. On the way over, we had a school of dolphins riding our wake for a long time on both sides of the boat. That just really "made" the day.
The guests were just a joy to have and I hope they come back for another charter to celebrate their first anniversary. The couple, having met in high school in Poland, were high school prom dates. After high school, the groom returned to the United States with his family. The bride remained in Europe. They dated all these years from across the Atlantic, reamining faithful to each other. On May 1, they married. What a sweet story.
We will be uploading more photos (including dolphins!) to Sanctuary's Facebook Page. I'll post the link to that as soon as it's done. Here's the one I have at the moment (yes, we did get permission from the couple to use the photos):
30405_1374605678848_1042996037_31091451_4829547_n.jpg
 
The wedding was nothing short of spectacular!!! The skies threatened, but made good on that threat. The cloud cover was a bit of a blessing because it was hot on Saturday, and with the clouds overhead, no one got "baked" on the flybridge. I was told by the guests that that was the best meal they had had in a long, long time, and by far the best meal they had ever had in Florida.
We left the dock and headed over to the Vizcaya mansion for a little sightseeing. I wonder how many folks at Vizcaya were taking photos of us as we came up to their "back door." LOL You don't see many boats the size of our getting in there.
Next we headed over to Stadium Bay in downtown Miami where we anchored for the ceremony, more cocktails and the appetizers. Thereafter, we retrieved our anchor and headed over to the sandbar in front of Key Biscayne, right in front of President Nixon's former residence. On the way over, we had a school of dolphins riding our wake for a long time on both sides of the boat. That just really "made" the day.
The guests were just a joy to have and I hope they come back for another charter to celebrate their first anniversary. The couple, having met in high school in Poland, were high school prom dates. After high school, the groom returned to the United States with his family. The bride remained in Europe. They dated all these years from across the Atlantic, reamining faithful to each other. On May 1, they married. What a sweet story.
We will be uploading more photos (including dolphins!) to Sanctuary's Facebook Page. I'll post the link to that as soon as it's done. Here's the one I have at the moment (yes, we did get permission from the couple to use the photos):
30405_1374605678848_1042996037_31091451_4829547_n.jpg
.
Sounds just fabulous.
Great work!
 
The wedding was nothing short of spectacular!!! The skies threatened, but made good on that threat. The cloud cover was a bit of a blessing because it was hot on Saturday, and with the clouds overhead, no one got "baked" on the flybridge. I was told by the guests that that was the best meal they had had in a long, long time, and by far the best meal they had ever had in Florida.
We left the dock and headed over to the Vizcaya mansion for a little sightseeing. I wonder how many folks at Vizcaya were taking photos of us as we came up to their "back door." LOL You don't see many boats the size of our getting in there.
Next we headed over to Stadium Bay in downtown Miami where we anchored for the ceremony, more cocktails and the appetizers. Thereafter, we retrieved our anchor and headed over to the sandbar in front of Key Biscayne, right in front of President Nixon's former residence. On the way over, we had a school of dolphins riding our wake for a long time on both sides of the boat. That just really "made" the day.
The guests were just a joy to have and I hope they come back for another charter to celebrate their first anniversary. The couple, having met in high school in Poland, were high school prom dates. After high school, the groom returned to the United States with his family. The bride remained in Europe. They dated all these years from across the Atlantic, reamining faithful to each other. On May 1, they married. What a sweet story.
We will be uploading more photos (including dolphins!) to Sanctuary's Facebook Page. I'll post the link to that as soon as it's done. Here's the one I have at the moment (yes, we did get permission from the couple to use the photos):
30405_1374605678848_1042996037_31091451_4829547_n.jpg
.
Congrats on the first wedding gig! I'm sure that it was fantastic!
 
The wedding was nothing short of spectacular!!! The skies threatened, but made good on that threat. The cloud cover was a bit of a blessing because it was hot on Saturday, and with the clouds overhead, no one got "baked" on the flybridge. I was told by the guests that that was the best meal they had had in a long, long time, and by far the best meal they had ever had in Florida.
We left the dock and headed over to the Vizcaya mansion for a little sightseeing. I wonder how many folks at Vizcaya were taking photos of us as we came up to their "back door." LOL You don't see many boats the size of our getting in there.
Next we headed over to Stadium Bay in downtown Miami where we anchored for the ceremony, more cocktails and the appetizers. Thereafter, we retrieved our anchor and headed over to the sandbar in front of Key Biscayne, right in front of President Nixon's former residence. On the way over, we had a school of dolphins riding our wake for a long time on both sides of the boat. That just really "made" the day.
The guests were just a joy to have and I hope they come back for another charter to celebrate their first anniversary. The couple, having met in high school in Poland, were high school prom dates. After high school, the groom returned to the United States with his family. The bride remained in Europe. They dated all these years from across the Atlantic, reamining faithful to each other. On May 1, they married. What a sweet story.
We will be uploading more photos (including dolphins!) to Sanctuary's Facebook Page. I'll post the link to that as soon as it's done. Here's the one I have at the moment (yes, we did get permission from the couple to use the photos):
30405_1374605678848_1042996037_31091451_4829547_n.jpg
.
All I can say is WOW!!! What a wonderful way to get married. His ONLY problem will be - How do you top the wedding?
My cousin's son proposed on the canals of Venice and they were married in one of the historic churches in American Discovery Park (Sutter's Mill). I need to ask him how he topped those events.......
 
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