Anniversaries are special. Ask someone who doesn’t have anniversaries anymore, and you realize just how special they are. They indicate commitment, common goals, cooperation, shared dreams, and adaptation. With marriage comes changes, some easier to weather than others. When I see a couple who have been married for decades, I’m filled with awe. How’d they get there? Did they just go with the flow or did they work hard to overcome divisive challenges? Are they stronger than I was and able to get through tough times? Or were their tough times faced in unison – that’d make a difference. Anyway, these are the things I think about when someone’s anniversary rolls around.
Today is a special day in my family. It’s Katie's and Bill’s fourth anniversary. They were married in a steepled church across from the Equinox Hotel in Manchester, Vermont. It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day, October 1, 2005. The reception was in the Equinox's pavilion overlooking the Duck Pond in the hills behind the hotel. It was an ideal setting – not too fancy, rustic yet elegant. Their first dance was to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" which kicked off a lovely reception. The food was incredible. Little white lights, mums and carved pumpkins decorated the site. As evening fell, luminarias lit a path around the pond. Some of the guests mentioned that it was the nicest wedding they’d been to. I enjoyed being mother-of-the-bride but I enjoyed more the celebration of their intention to live life in unison, especially since both are children of divorce. Their decision to marry despite their family histories is a testament to their commitment to one another and makes me a proud mother and mother-in-law. And now I’m a proud granny to Henry. Life is good.
I made their wedding cake. It was three tiers of vanilla bean cake with sour cherry and cream filling and Hershey’s chocolate frosting swirled over all. It was decorated in fall flowers. I went a little baking-bezerk that week and also made the groom's cake (his favorite--pineapple upside down) and also decked out a dessert table with a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting , a double chocolate fudge cake, a lemon cake, and a pumpkin-swirl cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. Katie's brother Jeffrey baked his wonderful chocolate chip cookies. The Equinox added to the table with a very Vermont-y maple mousse in champagne glasses. Next to the table was a big tin tub filled with little containers of milk on ice to wash it all down. Katie says you can't have chocolate cake without milk.
For their anniversary every year I replicate their wedding cake. So last night I was up late making a small version of this special cake, but I had to substitute strawberry jam for the sour cherries. Oh well. It’s the thought that counts, and I hope Katie and Bill enjoy this litte token and have a wonderful anniversary today and many, more until they’re so old they can’t remember how many years have passed!
Today is a special day in my family. It’s Katie's and Bill’s fourth anniversary. They were married in a steepled church across from the Equinox Hotel in Manchester, Vermont. It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day, October 1, 2005. The reception was in the Equinox's pavilion overlooking the Duck Pond in the hills behind the hotel. It was an ideal setting – not too fancy, rustic yet elegant. Their first dance was to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" which kicked off a lovely reception. The food was incredible. Little white lights, mums and carved pumpkins decorated the site. As evening fell, luminarias lit a path around the pond. Some of the guests mentioned that it was the nicest wedding they’d been to. I enjoyed being mother-of-the-bride but I enjoyed more the celebration of their intention to live life in unison, especially since both are children of divorce. Their decision to marry despite their family histories is a testament to their commitment to one another and makes me a proud mother and mother-in-law. And now I’m a proud granny to Henry. Life is good.
I made their wedding cake. It was three tiers of vanilla bean cake with sour cherry and cream filling and Hershey’s chocolate frosting swirled over all. It was decorated in fall flowers. I went a little baking-bezerk that week and also made the groom's cake (his favorite--pineapple upside down) and also decked out a dessert table with a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting , a double chocolate fudge cake, a lemon cake, and a pumpkin-swirl cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. Katie's brother Jeffrey baked his wonderful chocolate chip cookies. The Equinox added to the table with a very Vermont-y maple mousse in champagne glasses. Next to the table was a big tin tub filled with little containers of milk on ice to wash it all down. Katie says you can't have chocolate cake without milk.
For their anniversary every year I replicate their wedding cake. So last night I was up late making a small version of this special cake, but I had to substitute strawberry jam for the sour cherries. Oh well. It’s the thought that counts, and I hope Katie and Bill enjoy this litte token and have a wonderful anniversary today and many, more until they’re so old they can’t remember how many years have passed!
Photo by Jeannie Eddy of wedding cake for Bill and Kate Eddy Hofmann, Oct. 1, 2005, Equinox Hotel, Manchester, Vermont
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