Hi Hive!  

I still owe you a few recaps, but I wanted to pop in as today marks one year of marriage for Mr. Jet and me, and what a year it's been, let me tell you!
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October 19, 2013
A month before our wedding, Mr. Jet and I moved in with his parents in order to save money to buy a house.  We were renting an apartment in a not-so-desirable location and made the leap to Mark's childhood home so that we could spent what would amount to just under a year scrimping and saving to buy our dream house.

On August 29, 2014 we made that dream a reality!  We bought a house in my hometown after a very long (and quite terribly named) short sale process.  It was built in 1890 and we hit the ground running the day we closed to rehab and renovate it to our liking.  We've also begun some historical research on the place and found out it was once owned by the Delano family, I wonder if FDR ever came to visit?
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Mr. Jet and I, the day we closed on our first house.
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Daddy Jet and I do some demo!
They often say the first year of marriage is the hardest, and I guess if we can handle living with our Portuguese in-laws and renovating a 100+ year old house and still love each other as much as we did the day we met, I think the Jets are in for a good, long life together!

I thank you all for following along and wishing Mr. Jet and I well as we started our lives together as a married couple and don't think I won't be back to finish up those final wedding posts once we move into our new place and settle back into a "normal" life!

To Mr. Jet - the happiest of anniversaries to you, my love.  Here's to a million more....
 
Right after our first dance, our guests were seated so Mr. Jet and I could have a dance with two of the people who helped us get to where we are! 

First up, Daddy Jet and I took the floor to Lulu's "To Sir With Love"
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"I've never danced with my dad before...is this gonna be weird?"
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"Eh, not so bad"
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Pretty sure he told a "dad joke" here.
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"Love you, dad!"
My dance with Daddy Jet was short, sweet and filled with "dad jokes" told only the way he can.  

Next up was Mr. Jet's dance with his momma.  He chose "In My Life" by The Beatles.
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She was so proud of her boy!
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Nothing like a mom and her son to make you tear up, no?!
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I'm pretty sure Mr. Jet told his mom a dirty joke to lessen the sappiness.
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"Thanks for everything, mom. Love you!"
Are you hungry yet?  Because we certainly were!  Dinner was next, and not a moment too soon!
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJets: We're toasted...and roasted.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
Gathering Words, A Remembrance, A Reading
Marriage Address, Declaration of Intent, Vows
Ring Exchange & Final Blessing
We're Married & Family Photos
The Bridal Party Enters The Ring
Owners of Lonely Hearts, No More
No One's Gonna Love You More Than I Do
 
Our first dance song was pretty much a no-brainer for us.  The first concert we ever went to as a couple was a group called Band of Horses.  They toured through Providence, Rhode Island back in 2007 and Mr. Jet and I were both big fans.  Their ballad, "No One's Gonna Love You", was a fast favorite and became "our song" soon thereafter.

Still gives me warm fuzzies:
We swayed awkwardly for the next three-and-a-half minutes and whispered to each other how amazing it felt to be in that moment with each other.  It felt like no one else was in the room.
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"Are my hands sweaty?" "Yeah, totally."
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"Holy crap, you're my wife!"
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"Oh, there are people here!"
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Our song ended, people clapped, reception was in full swing!
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJets: His mom, her dad, two dances.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
Gathering Words, A Remembrance, A Reading
Marriage Address, Declaration of Intent, Vows
Ring Exchange & Final Blessing
We're Married & Family Photos
The Bridal Party Enters The Ring
Owners of Lonely Hearts, No More
 
After the bridal party settled into the reception, it was our turn to make our (second) big entrance of the day...our official announcement as Mr. and Mrs.!

Mr. Jet and I wanted our entrance song to surprise everyone.  Something fun.  Something upbeat.  Something...totally random.

The first 0:24 seconds of this song crack me up so hard, to this day.  A huge laugh erupted from the crowd as we interpretive-danced and lip-synced our way through our friends and family as newlyweds.  Any Yes fans out there?  Does this song make you jam as hard as we did?
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"I'm the only person clapping...aren't I?"
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This, according to my family, was my Oprah moment.
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This, according to him, was Mr. Jet's Paul McCartney moment.
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"DJ Frank, if you don't cut off the music...she's just gonna keep dancing."
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJetsOur first dance as Mr. & Mrs. Jet Setter.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
Gathering Words, A Remembrance, A Reading
Marriage Address, Declaration of Intent, Vows
Ring Exchange & Final Blessing
We're Married & Family Photos
The Bridal Party Enters The Ring
 
When I first started envisioning our wedding, the part that really got me pumped up was ours and our bridal party's big entrance.  And looking back, this was the moment when I was really able to just let. it. go.  

The nervous energy surrounding the ceremony and all of my fears about rain, Nana coughing mid-ceremony (okay, this was her fear...she was driving me nuts) and only dogs being able to hear my vows as I spun into a hysterical crying fit disappeared and the rest just felt so easy and fun.  People would eat.  People would dance.  And if they don't, who cares...we're MARRIED!  

I wanted the energy to come bounding out, so our DJ cranked "Your My Best Friend" by Queen as our besties enterered the room.
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DJ FRANK!
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MOH K catches a Saturday Night Fevah.
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JBM A and JGM R realize they've never heard of Queen.
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The group gets together and gets ready for the bride and groom!
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJets: I make a very Oprah-like entrance, according to my family.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
Gathering Words, A Remembrance, A Reading
Marriage Address, Declaration of Intent, Vows
Ring Exchange & Final Blessing
We're Married & Family Photos
 
After Nana pronounced us man and wife, this happened:
We were then whisked away to sign our marriage license and take the rest of our bridal party photos (which I've already shared) and our family photos.

Take a peek:
After all of our formal portraits were done, my new *husband* and I snuck around the back of our venue and upstairs to our prep area.  At this point, my stomach was yelling at me to put something in it so I found this random busboy and pulled out my "I AM THE BRIDE" card and asked him to find us some appetizers to nosh on while the cocktail hour finished up.

Boy, (no pun intended) did he deliver.
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(Guest photo)
I'm proud to announce that Mr. Jet and I housed that ENTIRE plate of apps in record time.  Lest you forget, our passed appetizers were Spanikopita, Sea scallops wrapped in bacon, Crab-stuffed mushrooms and see that tiny, tiny cup?  OH YEAH, THAT IS A TINY CUP OF CLAM CHOWDER.  It was topped with a skewered clam cake.  (Don't know what a clam cake is?  A.  I feel sorry for you.  B. Read about them here!)

Damn, I wish I could pull that bride card out anytime I wanted.
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJetsQueen & Rush welcome us to the party.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
Gathering Words, A Remembrance, A Reading
Marriage Address, Declaration of Intent, Vows
Ring Exchange & Final Blessing
 
RING EXCHANGE

Rings are adornments,
Carefully chosen for their beauty and simplicity.
They quietly sit upon our fingers reminding us of the power of love
And the pledge of the wearer to his or her partner to be faithful and true,
And to nurture their love so that it will last a lifetime.

Alison and Mark,
May these rings be for you always your most treasured adornment,
And may the love they symbolize be your most treasured possession.

Alison, as you place the ring on Mark’s finger, I ask that you repeat after me:

I give you this ring
as a sign that I choose you
to be my lover, my partner
and my best friend
today, tomorrow and always.


Mark, as you place the ring on Alison’s finger, I ask that you repeat after me:

I give you this ring
as a sign that I choose you
to be my lover, my partner
and my best friend
today, tomorrow and always.
FINAL BLESSING

Alison and Mark,
There is a wonderful life ahead of you.
Live it fully.
Love its changes and choices.
Let life amaze you and bring you great joy.

And now, by the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
I now pronounce you husband and wife.

You may now kiss your bride.
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJetsThe familial round-up and some sneaky snacks.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
Gathering Words, A Remembrance, A Reading
Marriage Address, Declaration of Intent, Vows
 
MARRIAGE ADDRESS

Marriage is a magnificent opportunity to share one’s life with another
And to enjoy the adventures inherent in this most intimate of human relationships.
Today, we gather here to celebrate with Alison and Mark
As they embark on this voyage of discovery.

Alison and Mark,
From this day forward,
This date - the 19th of October
Will always have a special meaning for you
As the day you vowed to love and cherish each other
In all ways, always.

Each year when you come upon your anniversary
We all encourage you to re-dedicate yourselves to the vows you make here today.
Express your gratitude to each other for the ways that you have effectively loved
And supported one another,
And forgive yourselves and each other
For any judgments that have come between you.

Show each other that you can be trusted and counted on as a comfort
When facing difficult times,
And celebrate abundantly the successes and joys life brings your way.
Let your love lead the way and be more important than anything else.
Then, your lives together will be filled with blessings and joy.
DECLARATION OF INTENT

Alison and Mark, do you, with family and friends as your witnesses,
present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage?

(Alison & Mark: We Do!)

Will you promise to care for each other in both the joys and sorrows of life
and share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your lives together?

(Alison & Mark: We Will!)

Then please turn to one another and share the vows which you have written.
MRS. JET'S VOWS


To take care of you when the slightest cold has seemingly become the flu.
To tell you when your choice in facial hair is creeping me out.
To plan parties, vacations and college funds and keep all the paperwork in color-coded folders for you to casually peruse.
To laugh when you laugh, cry when you cry and then laugh when you cry to get you to feel better.
To be honest when I break a french press and hurry out to buy a new one before you have the time to miss it.
To share even my really-good leftovers with you even when it's all I've thought about all day.
To watch you grow old and wrinkly a solid four years ahead of me and love every minute of it.
To laugh at all of your bad jokes and vine videos.
To grow our love every day until we reach our last.
To take care of your heart and to let you take care of mine too.
To become a family from this day forward.
To love you always.
These are my vows to you, today and every day.
I'm so happy that you chose me 6 years ago and even happier that you chose forever.
MR. JET'S VOWS

Well, we wouldn't be Mr. & Mrs. Jet if I weren't hyper organized and had a draft of my vows and Mr. Jet hand-wrote his onto a piece of scrap paper.  That scrap paper is long gone, but I can assure you, there was not a dry eye anywhere after his vows!  They live on on an HD Camcorder that's hidden somewhere in our wedding bins, so it'll be a nice surprise to break that out and remember his lovely words. :)
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJetsWe exchange rings.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
Gathering Words, A Remembrance, A Reading
 
Mr. Jet and I wrote our own ceremony, which was a great perk of having my Nana "ordained" for a day to perform our ceremony.  It was a nice, clean slate for us to start from.  It was also a little overwhelming to start from scratch!  With the help of a few bees before me (Mrs. Cherry Pie, to name one!) and a great book called The Wedding Ceremony Planner, we were able to narrow down our ceremony into a personal and heartfelt ceremony we both loved.

I'm writing out the text to hopefully help a future bride looking for the right words!

GATHERING WORDS
Love is what has gathered us here today.
We are all here to celebrate the love that Alison and Mark have for each other
As well as the love that each of us has given them throughout their lives.
As families and friends,
We are the ones who have taught Alison and Mark how to love and be loved.
We have shown them the true meaning of family.

Today, they come before us to enter into the sacred covenant of marriage,
Vowing to be partners through the trials and triumphs of their shared life.
They are declaring to each other and to all of us present
That they will be by each other’s side,
No matter what life brings their way.

In marriage, two lives are intimately shared;
And the blending of the two must not diminish either one.
Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.

As Alison and Mark give themselves into a marriage partnership,
They will not abandon themselves;
They will not shed their individuality;
For that is what brought them together in the first place.
REMEMBRANCE

At this time,
We would like to honor the memory
Of Alison’s grandparents, Normand, and June & Richard,
And Mark’s grandparents, Sofia and Manuel, and Maria and John,
Who, while unable to be with us here today,
Are carried in our hearts always.
READING

Now we invite Alison’s best friend Kate forward with a reading:

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In marriage the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end
with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJetsWe take our vows.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional
The Bride Makes An Entrance
 
Our musician, T, was given the signal to change to the bride's processional which was Mr. Jet's pick - "She's Your Baby" by Ween and I was ready to take the walk, arm in arm with Daddy Jet!
I might add, Daddy Jet wore his Terminator sunglasses through the entire ceremony.  He says to reduce glare.  I say so no one would see him cry.  You be the judge.
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I don't even remember what Daddy Jet said here but I think it was something about how small Nana looked.
Photos (unless otherwise noted) by James F. Reilly

Next on The NewlyJets: We welcome our guests and MOH K says some words.
Previously on The NewlyJets:
The Rehearsal
The Night Before
The Wake-Up Call
The Ladies Get Ready
The Dress
The Bridezilla
The First Look
The Portraits...and the Mailman
The Trolley Portraits
More Portraits & A Good Luck Charm
The Pre-Wedding Snack
Portraits of Some Ladies
Portraits of Some Gents
The Big Solo
The Ceremony Processional