The Great Pre/Post Gravy Boat Wedding Reception

Number 4 will be getting married, again, in 12 days. She’s been married for not quite 16 days. Confusing?

She refers to the date she went to the courthouse as her “signing” day, referring to the marriage license and legal stuff. Her true “wedding” day is August 15th, but since she’s getting married in Punta Cana (and they don’t consider that as a legal ceremony in the U.S.) they had to make it legal first.

Being a destination wedding, our side of the family won’t be able to make it, so we hosted a pre/post wedding reception at our house over the weekend. Still confusing? (maybe a little, eh?)

So, what do gravy boats have to do with anything, right? Recently, #4 went to a wedding that was very traditional. One of the items she saw on the registry was a gravy boat. When Hubby had asked her if she’d be registering somewhere for her own wedding, #4 went a bit nutsy and raved on and on about how she had no intention of registering anywhere and focused on how useless a gravy boat actually is, so why would anyone register for one? She said if she got a gravy boat as a gift, she’d smash it.

That did it. Hubby was so amused by her vehemence that I figured it only made sense to surprise #4 with a gravy boat themed reception. We began scouring Goodwill and yard sales for gravy boats, alerted all our friends to be on the look-out for boats and even told guests to be sure their gift came with a cheap gravy boat.

 

My Aunt, cousin and I decorated a dozen boats Jenny found on-line and we hung boats from the trees and used them for tealights.

 

 

We had about 24 gravy boats in the house being used as vases, hand-towel holders, utensil containers – you name it! Yet, as with most gravy boats, not a one had gravy in it!

Instead, we had crabs. (it’s Maryland, you have to have crabs)

And we danced a bit….

 

Of course there were gifts! (which all came in gravy boats, remember)

 

At the end of the night, we toasted two families becoming one with some Perrier-Jouet champagne.

The next day 9 of us went to a local restaurant for their brunch, filled our tummies up again and then came home to do what you do on a Sunday afternoon after a party.

 

We had a good time.

I can’t believe my adorably sweet, ferocious, beautiful baby is a married woman, but couldn’t have asked for a better husband for her. Love this punkin’.