rehearsal | rehearsal dinner | before the ceremony| ceremony | reception | day after the wedding

WEDDING PHOTO ALBUM

Saturday, May 26

After the service, there was a cocktail hour with passed hor d’ourves; photographs with Maria and Bentley’s extended family; a few dances on the dancefloor, led by the band; and time just to visit. The wedding party regrouped upstairs again, only to process back down while the band leader introduced us. Maria then danced the first dance with Bentley, then a dance with her father (to the tune of “Wind Beneath My Wings”), then Bentley with his mother.

Then champagne was passed around, and Bentley’s two best men led toasts. First Andrew, his younger brother, led a toast, explaining to everyone that when their older brother Rudd got married last year, he also had both brothers as his best men, and so now the precedent has been set, no one can deviate; and confusing Maria’s family by referring to Bentley as Ben. Andrew spoke about how he feels as the only brother left unmarried, and about how happy he is that both of his brothers have found women to share their lives with. Then Rudd, the oldest brother, spoke, telling the listeners how well he knows Bentley, how he’s seen Bentley change and become a better person since falling in love with Maria, and a few words of advice for Bentley and Maria in their first year of married life. Then the matron of honor realized she was the only member of Maria's family in the wedding party, so she decided to give a toast as well, telling how close she is to Maria and Maria’s mother, as all three are only children, and of the first time she met Bentley.

Dinner followed, with salads and bread at the individual tables, and excellent fillet mignon with a nice sauce, asparagus and zucchini, penne pomodoro, and mushroom ravioli in cream sauce being passed around by waiters. After dinner there were Italian pastries, and more dancing (see Aunt Grace getting very excited by the dancing at top left, and two members of Maria's church, and long-time friends of the family, dancing at immediate left), and then Maria and Bentley cut the cake and decorously fed each other a slice. After still more dancing, Maria threw the bouquet and her high school friend Deanne caught it. Around 11 o’clock, Maria and Bentley went upstairs to change, and then came down in their travelling clothes to say goodbye to everyone, get into their decorated hired car (below), and be driven to the Marriot LaGuardia in Queens before flying out for their honeymoon in Greece the next day. Above right, Robert tries on Aunt Grace's fur stole while she's out on the dance floor. See a few more reception pictures on our photo album page.

On to the day after the wedding here