So nice we did it twice

It's official: not only are we married, but we're done with wedding planning—for now. Last weekend, in between our recent move and my new job, we squeezed in a quick trip to the States for Wedding #2. That's right, with us, the fun never ends. And we pulled this wedding off by the skin of our teeth.

Chic yet cozy in what one Parisian (Nicolas) is calling "the new burka." Ah, the glamour of flying in economy class. (En route to our US wedding reception.)

Other than checking off the venue, sending a round of invites, and finding the The Dress version 3.0, we didn't really give this wedding much thought until June, at which point we realized we were looking at a 60-person guest list and all we'd planned was brunch. What the heck were we supposed to do with all those people traveling from all across the US (and even Canada)??

First thing's first: if it's a wedding, there should be some sort of ceremony. But, not much for theatrics, Nicolas and I figured the most genuine solution was to share a short reel of highlights from the our actual I do's. With the help of some friends and Light Works free video editing software, we got on that. But that and the musical performance from Nicolas's dad would hardly fill up an entire 3 hour brunch, so we got on the internets and found ourselves some wedding games to fill the gaps.

Find The Guest Bingo, one of our wedding games, an ice breaker that sent guests searching the room for people with certain professions, hobbies, and years of high school graduation, among other traits

We'd also had the idea that there should be an after party at my parents' place, but we figured no one would really show up at a Sunday evening shindig other than local family and friends. Spoiler: were we ever wrong! Luckily, having bought enough to feed a small army, that wasn't a problem.

And finally, we'd vaguely planning to do "something touristy" on Saturday with any out-of-town guests who might be mulling about in Philly on the day before the reception. Mid-June, we emailed out to see who'd be game, and interest levels blew us away: a full third of our wedding guests were up for it! Time pressures tested our organizational skills, but with a week and a half to go, we managed to schedule, cancel, and reschedule a walking tour of historic Philly followed by dinner and drinks. Ultimately, we settled on a tour with Urban Adventures followed by an evening overlooking the Liberty Bell at Independence Beer Garden. And, miraculously enough, it all worked out.

Walking tour highlights. Top row: the most random billboard, Elfreth's Alley (the oldest residential street in America), Nicolas and me in front of Independence Hall, and the B. Free Franklin Post Office and Museum. Bottom row: Another shot of Elfreth's Alley, a studio covered in the mosaics of Isaiah Zagar, the wild mastermind behind Philadelphia's Magic Gardens (where I'd have chosen to host our wedding if they did weekend receptions), and the whole gang of "kids" in front of Independence Hall.

With two tour guides, our groups naturally broke into the "grown ups" and the "kids" tours, where "kids" were defined as more or less those under 40. Our guide was full of fun and random facts, perhaps most memorable of which was Betsy Ross's love life. After losing her first husband, she found a replacement, only to lose him as he wasted away in a jail cell. But never fear, the cell mate held on long enough to make his way out of jail and into the arms of Mrs. Ross, as husband #3.

The lovely Independence Beer Garden, overlooking the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where we spent the evening with 20 or so out-of-town guests before wedding #2

When the tour ended at the Independence Beer Garden, things were touch and go for a minute or so—first off when the bouncer decided that European state-issued IDs would not be accepted for people under 30 (which is a problem when the groom is a 29-year-old Frenchman), and again once we'd wrangled past the bouncer, when we discovered that seating was going to be a challenge. But no sooner had my mom disappeared into the deepest reaches of the garden in a last-ditch seating search when the table right beside us asked for the bill. In short succession, the two adjacent tables also downed their last glasses. Within 20 minutes or so, we'd seated a party of 20 side-by-side sans reservation in a happening, center city beer garden on a glorious mid-summer Saturday evening.

The pre-wedding(#2) party at the Independence Beer Garden!

We wound the evening down a few blocks over, at the Franklin Fountain, a historically-inspired soda fountain where my father-in-law was reminded of just why you shouldn't order a large cone in a US ice cream shop. :)

Wrapping up our evening over root beer floats, ladies' choices, and oversized ice cream cones at the Franklin Fountain

The following morning, as the unlikely musical duo of my father-in-law and my sorority sister Xiao Xiao ironed out their piano/cello duet, I sat in a salon getting arguably my best hair and make-up of this entire marital extravaganza.

Admiring my latest bridal look as it came together deliciously in the salon

I emerged an hour and a half later, decked out like someone straight from the Great Gatsby, and surprisingly pleased by just how this look had pulled together, from the Jacques Vert fascinator to the Irregular Choice heels. My elementary school teacher pulled up in her SUV at 5 to noon to take me over for my big surprise—for once, Nicolas didn't know what to expect with regards to my wedding attire.

Outfit reveal (and the miracles ebay shopping): Jacques Vert fascinator (originally £79, purchased for £35), one-off Timothy O'Sullivan (former Jenny Packham pattern cutter) '20s-inspired hand-made wedding gown (similarly-styled Jenny Packham gowns retail for about £3000, purchased for £300), Mary Frances Mercury Rising handbag (originally £189, purchased on ebay for £38), Irregular Choice Courtesan Floral Bar heels (originally £79, purchased for £40)

The three-hour brunch breezed past.

Bella Tori at the Mansion was all decked out in an classic/shabby chic charm for our US wedding reception.

We hardly showed face during the first twenty minutes of our reception, between our "first look" and posed family photos.

The "First Look": for once, Nicolas didn't actually know what to expect!

Families saying cheese

Then came our grand entrance as husband and wife, followed by a quick toast and the wedding ceremony highlights video.

Our grand entrance as husband and wife was followed by a short but sweet toast from my mom before we launched the wedding video, throwing our guests back into April 15 on the south coast of England for the next 6 minutes.

Nicolas's dad and my sorority sister Xiao Xiao had devoted a nice chunk of their weekend to perfecting their wedding duet on piano and cello. I think they thoroughly impressed the crowd.

Xiao Xiao and Serge performed a duet on the piano and cello

Between all the group photos and the requisite wedding drama, it was time to thank our guests before we'd hardly said hello.

The group shots of sorority sisters, 5th Westers, and high school friends, which felt like they ate up nearly half of the reception, turned out to be a surprisingly good way to steal small groups away from the party one at a time to have a chance to catch up in a more intimate setting.

The brevity of it all hammered home how meaningful it had been to spend the previous afternoon with so many of the out-of-town guests. Only as we began our goodbyes did we start to understand (to our delight) just how many people weren't saying bye just yet—they'd all scheduled in our after party. (Thank you, withjoy—our wedding website—for spreading the word!)

Pink hearts and Congrats! balloons jostled each other above our mailbox, surrounded by a fleet of vehicles, as we pulled up to my parents' driveway. Soon enough, we'd pulled the beer tap dry and the backyard card game was going strong. For all you horrible people who love Cards Against Humanity and are considering marriage, I can't recommend Cads About Matrimony highly enough. It was the perfect way to mark my wedding with my cousins, that crowd with whom I stay up late one night just after Christmas each year to continue the hallowed tradition that is Cousins Campout, which has matured like a fine wine from tents in backyards as kids, to steins and late night games now that we've come of age. I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time that card game makes an appearance at an Aloia family wedding.

No after party is complete without the after-after party. At least that's what we decided as the part wound down to my 5th West (college dorm) and Paris friends. We hopped in our cards and drove down to Philly to toast the night over beers and bar food at an unexpected Sunday night happy hour at Kraftwork. I can't believe how much I've missed that crew. Having them all together and reliving all the crazy moments brought me back to the best that MIT offered me. It was unreal. I can't express how glad I am to see that these relationships haven't been lost to time, a reassurance I can't often have when living on the other side of an ocean.

The after-after-party at Kraftwork

I was so touched to see so many friends and family from so many stages of my life coming together after all these years. I guess the years had numbed me to how much I miss everyone. I may love life in Europe, but this weekend drove home some of the sacrifices that have come with the lifestyle I choose. But, surrounded by so much love, it was hard for any of that realization to feel bittersweet just then.

As for the rest of the trip, there's not much to say. There was some passport renewal, then more passport renewal—write that off as a general fiasco. Suffice it to say that Nicolas's first trip to the East Coast of the US included way more of the inside of admin buildings that of actual tourist attractions. At least this East Coast trip shouldn't be his last.

And after it all was over, there were at least a pair of furry someones who were not unhappy to see their humans come to their senses and return to England.

Finally, back at home in England with our furbabies.