I met Laura eight years ago when we were both working our first full-time jobs in corporate social media. We bonded over our love of eating lunch unreasonably early and our obsession with meme culture.
We’re night and day different, yet have managed to stay close friends despite rarely seeing each other. After leaving our corporate jobs, I stayed in North Carolina while she moved to Boston. While attending Northeastern University School of Law, she met her now-husband. When she asked me to be a bridesmaid in their wedding, I emphatically said yes.
When I began planning for the wedding weekend, I added some extra vacation days so Brandon and I could explore the Northeast. I’m going to break it into three blog posts, similar to our California trip. Today, our afternoon in Rhode Island and the wedding weekend in Massachusetts.
Newport, Rhode Island
Instead of flying directly to Boston, I chose a route to Providence, Rhode Island, so we could visit Newport first.
When we arrived at the Hertz rental counter, Brandon discovered that he had his choice of most of the cars on the lot. He picked a Jeep Wrangler Sport, and it’s maybe the most excited I’ve ever seen him. After a quick stop to pick up a new SD card for my camera, we drove out to Newport. We explored Bowen’s Wharf and visited The Breakers before grabbing dinner at The Red Parrot.
After dinner, it was around an hour and a half drive to Boston to check into our hotel for the wedding weekend.
Boston wedding at The Liberty
The Liberty in Beacon Hill is hands-down the most luxurious hotel we’ve ever stayed in. The price tag hurt, but it’s a Marriott property and I was thrilled to earn an abundance of loyalty points from our stay. Part of The Liberty is in the historic Charles Street Jail along the Charles River. Read about its history here. Of the nearly 300 guest rooms, 18 rooms are in the original jail building. We were surprised at check in to be given a “jail” room. It was small, but had huge character. When you stood at the window and looked up, you could see the sawed off iron bars that covered the original jail cell window. ?
While I enjoyed a bridesmaids luncheon on Saturday, Brandon walked across the Longfellow Bridge to explore MIT and Harvard on his own. Then, we took a very short stroll along the river before realizing what a truly awful idea it was to be by the water in the cold temperatures.
After the wedding rehearsal that evening, we scarfed down slices from Regina Pizzeria with the wedding party and family. On Sunday, Brandon did some more exploring while I prepared for the wedding. The wedding on Sunday evening was beautiful, and a perfect celebration for Laura and Brian.
We all love them so much! / Photo: Christian Napolitano
On Monday morning, we were up early to grab breakfast at Tatte Bakery and walk around historic Beacon Hill. We made sure to stroll by Acorn Street after reading that it’s one of the most photographed spots in Boston. I wasn’t paying attention, and every photo I took there was out of focus! After that, we packed up and jumped on the road to Maine for the second part of our trip.
Next time
I would love to visit Cape Code in any season besides winter, and return to Boston to explore the sights along the Freedom Trail, Fenway Park, and neighborhoods outside of Beacon Hill.
