Despite all the fun we have had in the city it was lovely to arrive in Roxbury, in upstate New York on Saturday afternoon to begin the celebrations for my brother's wedding...the reason we are on this trip in the first place.
Roxbury is a little town in the Catskills area and in summer it is green and lush with thick woodlands. There is one main street in the town but the boutique Roxbury Motel certainly puts this town on the map. With most of the wedding guests staying at the Motel we were able to do a 'room crawl' to see several of the detailed rooms and suites that range in themes from the Wizard of Oz, the Sound of Music, Star Trek, Charlie's Angels, The Flintstones, The Wild West, I Dream of Genie etc etc. all you can say is WOW! The detail and care that has been taken to make every room unique is exceptional. And this the uniqueness of the setting was reflected on the beautiful wedding we would all attend the following evening.
Attention to detail was also a theme of the wedding. In our rooms we were met with a bag of goodies welcoming us with a mix of Aussie and US treats, plus a schedule of significant events for the weekend, some info on the surrounding areas to explore and then a list of who was staying in which themed room at the motel.
Saturday night was pizza night at the local pizzeria, followed by drinks at the local bar (conveniently next to the motel) and a great chance to meet new friends and family, and also to reconnect with those who we have not seen for many years.
Hours went by way too quickly and midnight soon appeared on the clock. At the risk of turning into a pumpkin, I retreated to my spotty room to find Andrew and the kids fast asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day!
Sunday came and it was time to chill out and wait for the wedding to start. There was a pacing groom who didn't really know what to do with himself and a bride (in the the aptly named 'Amadeus' Bride Suite', preening and preparing for the main event.
And then it was time to come to head to the barn and the woods where the wedding would take place. The weather could not have been more perfect; sunny, not too hot and the setting was romantic and beautiful. A dear friend was the officiant at the ceremony and managed to to make everyone laugh and cry in appropriate measures.
Such a beautiful ceremony hearing such personal words from Adam and Kristen as they promised to 'love each other, even if sometimes, they didn't like each other'. I was reminded that marriage, and to a certain extent, love, is a choice; and you have to keep choosing to love every day, even when it is hard and you don't want to.
Then it was time for the kiss, the cheers and time to relax, formalities done with, and two people ready to start thier married life. I felt very blessed to have been there with my loved ones to share in this day. There was dancing and drinking, food and frivolity, and the night ended under the stars; a huge bonfire burning and fire flies dancing in the woods. Certainly, a night to remember.
