Wedding Day Bliss -- Part Two

I've already showed my daughter's wedding ceremony, which you can read about on this post, and also more photos are on this post, so now, as promised, I want to show some photos from the wedding cocktail hour and dinner reception celebration that took place afterward. All of the photos are a conglomeration of many photos taken by family and friends, all of which I have been enjoying immensely while we wait for the professional photos taken that day.

The wedding ceremony was followed by a cocktail hour, held right off the veranda of the catering hall where the ceremony was held, both outside and indoors. The string quartet we hired played a selection of songs during the entire hour.  I loved this photo of my daughter and son-in-law enjoying their antipasti selections...my daughter has a napkin neatly tucked into her bodice to protect her dress.

The cocktail hour was an Italian "abbondanza" buffet, as in addition to the usual cocktail hour hors d'oeuvre selection we added on a "Tuscan Table" of an assortment of Italian cheeses, sausages, olives and loaves of bread, plus pasta selections, and a roast suckling pig.  We also had a deluxe seafood selection of lobsters, shrimps, mixed seafood salad, oysters and calms on the half shell, with an open bar of premium liqueurs.  My husband and I hardly ate anything, as we tried to walk around and greet everyone, but we were very pleased that our guests were enjoying all the food. My grandsons were very good, as were all the assortment of young nephews and great-nieces and nephews. There are so many children in both families that my daughter and son-in-law felt they couldn't choose one ring bearer or a few flower girls, so none of the children were part of the ceremony, but they were all happy guests.

After the cocktail hour, our guests were called up to the main dining area for dinner and dancing. As you can see from the photos above the room has almost floor to ceiling windows taking in Brooklyn's fabulous view of the East River, and both lower and midtown Manhattan and the Williamsburg Bridge. One of the table centerpieces is shown in the upper left of the photo collage. They were a full blend of white and purple springtime flowers in a square glass vase, surrounded by square votive candles. The wedding cake was on display and was also decorated with purple and white roses and flowers.

After the parents, and the bridal party was announced by the DJ and entered the room one by one, my daughter and son-in-law were announced and made their entrance to the applause of the guests.

They then begin their first dance as husband and wife.  Their wedding song was a beautiful Blake Shelton song: "God Gave Me You," which you can hear on this link.

My husband gave a speech welcoming everyone, and the best man and matron of honor gave their heartfelt toasts to the new couple.

At this time the bridal party was called back outside to take more photos and the girls took the opportunity to change into the purple sneakers my daughter had given them as gifts so that they could dance the night away.

 It made a fun photo!

The sun slowly set...

.....and more dancing began, as the music played in between dinner courses...

We all had a wonderful time!

Later in the evening, there were the very touching and special father and daughter, and son and step-mother, dances...

..... followed by the cake cutting ceremony. My daughter and son-in-law chose a chocolate and raspberry flavored cake with whipped cream frosting...it was very delicious! We also had a three-tier tray of fresh fruit, cookies and assorted pastries set on each table for our guests to enjoy.

One of the last dances of the night was the traditional Italian Tarantella! If you can not see the video above you can watch it on this Youtube link. My older grandson was trying to swing around with me so exuberantly I had to pick him up at the end of the dance so we wouldn't fall down.  It was such a wonderfully fun and celebratory party!

By the end of the night, the city was ablaze with twinkling lights.

It was the end of a beautiful day...

..and a beautiful wedding!

Our little girl who delighted in trying on my wedding dress when she was four years old was now all grown up and herself a beautiful bride, and we couldn't be more pleased and happy for her. Thank you for sharing our happy and blessed day with us and for all your best wishes to the new couple!

New Michelob ULTRA Light Cider - A Refreshing New Taste

Attention New York ... and almost the rest of the USA!

There is a new beverage in town that I know you will want to try!

When Anheuser-Busch's Michelob ULTRA announced the newest addition to its portfolio, Michelob ULTRA Light Cider, a naturally sweetened and gluten-free cider made from crisp apples, I could not wait to try it, as I've been searching for a new refreshing light alcoholic beverage to offer guests other than beer or wine.

Featuring one-third fewer calories (120) and a more mellowed sweetness than traditional ciders, Michelob ULTRA Light Cider is ideal for year-round enjoyment and provides a light, refreshing alternative to white wine, champagne and heavier ciders. The fact that it is naturally Gluten Free, is a bonus to me, as members of my family are gluten sensitive. When I was asked by Anheuser-Busch, through Blogher, to do a review of the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider I decided to serve the cider at my first backyard barbecue of the season.

Michelob ULTRA Light Cider tastes crisp, light and refreshing. It has 1/3 fewer calories than an average of the leading regular hard ciders, 120 cal./serving in light hard cider vs. 180 cal./serving in an average of the leading hard ciders. It's lightly sweet taste and sparkling bubbles complimented my antipasti course of cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and marinated artichoke hearts perfectly!

For dinner I served grilled toasted sesame ginger crusted salmon, along with roasted fingerling potatoes, and roasted cauliflower with a tri-color pepper and capers medley. The chilled Michelob ULTRA Light Cider was a wonderful and refreshing accompaniment to our meal and a drink that I would be able to enjoy year round. I enjoyed my cider served over ice, and my husband drank his cider straight, using his favorite frosty mug.

Michelob ULTRA Light cider will be available nationwide (excluding CO, UT, WY and OK) beginning May 7, 2012, and will be available in six-packs of 12-ounce clear glass bottles.

Naturally sweetened and made from hand-picked apples, the cider was so good I popped a few of my garden's first strawberries into my glass and drank another cider as dessert! Michelob ULTRA Light Cider will be a welcome addition to my beverage selection year round. I hope you will look for it at your local store and give it a try.

Which favorite summer meal or activity do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Cider? I'd love to know!

As full disclosure, I have been compensated to buy and try Michelob Ultra Light Cider, by Anheuser-Busch and Blogher, but all opinions stated are my own.

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