We meet! Or rather, CK comments on one of my Livejournal posts. That’s right, we’re old school. Livejournal was pre MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, or being able to openly talk about using Match.com. Friendly AIM chat sessions and emails followed for a very long time.
I have absolutely no idea when this happened but CK agrees to come over for football fun with my friends. We watch a Pats game at Kristen’s apartment in Davis Square. Anna does something cool to my hair (probably an infamous aughts era twisty situation). I take it down and end up with “Flock of Seagulls” hair. We both have “he’s not/she’s not” that into you vibes. To the left is a hair reenactment of actual events…
CK and I sort of start dating, but I’m living in Portland and he’s in Massachusetts. It’s kind of complicated.
We decide to be grown-ups and actually admit that we, A, like one another and, B, we should just date.
I’m totally lying and I happily move in with my cousin Amanda. We eat a lot of Sicilla’s stuffed crust pizza with spinach. RIP Sicilla’s.
I’m fairly certain that this is one of the first pictures of us together. Don’t judge. We didn’t have camera phones, Instagram, or filters “back in the day.”
We move into out first place together. We have actual furniture. We feel very grown-up. The “when are you getting married” questions begin…also, as you can see, CK still had hair.
We host a small Christmas Party. As you can see I’m a very “classy” hostess.
Everyone knows that a mini-break means true love. — Bridget Jones
Some people go to the beach in the winter, but not us. Off to snowy Vermont we go. It was all fun and flurries until the harrowing 5 hour drive home.
Fun Fact: Because the Red Sox won the World Series this year the new furniture we ordered from Jordans was free. Also, I miss that rug.
We go to Philly for baseball and Longboat Key for family and sun, but our favorite trip (I believe even to this day) was to Seattle. Here I am pretending to be a sexy librarian in The Bookstore Bar.
We adopt a cat. Eventually he will get very ill, and the vet will tell us that he’s going to die. I think his life is over so I feed him canned tuna and organic roast chicken every single day. He doesn’t die, but for a long time that free kitten was one of the most expensive things we owned. It’s a very good thing he’s cute.
The great Kelly Family Thanksgiving Traditions are still going strong.
My grandmother likes CK to wear this horrifying hat each year and sews wacky ornaments to it. He’s a good sport.
CK takes charge in the kitchen. He’s not afraid to pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees.
We move to this ridiculous loft in Davis Square. Never believe anyone if they say something was designed with European cooling (aka just open the windows) instead of central air. When summer rolls around stuff gets real.
We try our hand at “gardening.” The first cherry tomato that appears gets eaten by someone else in the complex. To quote Michelle Tanner, “How Rude!”
Thank God some woman decided to buy our unit so we could move to a building with AC. Everyone was miserable at the end.
We have a magical time in nautical Nantucket. For some unknown reason I keep dyeing my hair red. Just stop it, Erin!
Not really. That’s just a very bad reproduction of Princess Di’s ring from from 1980s era Avon. Some of you actually think we are engaged though and confusion ensues. Sorry about that!
So off we go for a visit.
Almost as soon as we arrive I get so ill that I can’t even leave the hotel room. I should have known then that this wasn’t such a brilliant idea. #hindsight
We live in an apartment that is 680 square feet. I bet you’re so jealous right now.
But in the end it just wasn’t for us. I would really like to be able to still have some In-N-Out though.
Everyone is happy to be back on the East Coast.
Life continues…and eventually we buy a condo in Portland!
And now you all have to come to our wedding!
We decide (ok…let’s be honest) I decide I want another cat. Lizzie is a tiny handful and is now often referred to as “Baby Monster.” She’s extremely active and hyper and likes to play bite your hands. She spends the majority of the day grooming and/or snuggling with Dexter. Dexter has never looked so dapper. Nice work, Lizzie! Watson treats her like a kid sister with cooties. If you use a laser pointer she will run like a maniac up and down the halls while parkouring off the walls. This is her 2nd favorite pastime (after curling up with Dex).
Location
Our ceremony will take place at The Portland Club. This venue was established in 1886 with the common goal of connecting likeminded individuals for meaningful conversation and company. Of course in 1886 that just meant men, but they eventually remedied the situation.
I’m also going to go out on a limb here and propose that this gorgeous building is probably haunted. There’s a very large and very creepy mirror that you should definitely spend a bunch of time gazing into. Maybe something spooky will happen at midnight?
There is a hotel block at the Westin. You have the option to call their Reservations Coordinator at 207-517-8889 and reference the Nichols-Kelly Wedding Block or book online.
In addition, Portland has a huge number of hotels, B&Bs, and Airbnbs. A few of our favorites include:
The Westin Portland Harborview
Why: Great service, very close to venue location, and a fabulous rooftop bar (The Top of the East) with beautiful views of Portland.
The Portland Regency
Why: Centrally located in the middle of everything (in case you’d actually like to do more than just watch us get married). They also have a restaurant onsite and a dark bar that makes you feel a little bit like you’re in a detective novel.
The Francis Hotel
Why: Who doesn’t like staying in a super cute boutique hotel?
The Hilton Garden Inn
Why: You want to be able to stumble home to something close by after pub-crawling in the Old Port.
Excited to let us know that you’ll be there even if the storm of the century occurs on NYE? Fill out this form.
May I Have a Plus 1?
Probably! Send me an email and we can chat.
What Should I Wear?
I’d categorize the “dress code” as cocktail/festive. Feel free to be “sparkly.” After-all, it is New Year’s Eve.
Should I Bring the Kids?
You may, but keep in mind that this shindig takes place from 7:00 PM – 1:00 AM and we will not have childcare on site.
Are You Having a Rehearsal Dinner?
No, we are not.
Is There Parking At The Portland Club?
Yes! There is a lot behind the building. Or, I’d suggest taking a Lyft, Uber, or cab.
Are You Going to Feed Me?
Have we met? Of course we’ll be feeding you! After the ceremony, there will be a fabulous cocktail hour, followed by a sit-down meal. You’ll have 4 entrees to choose from and you can make your selection on the RSVP. Later in the evening there will also be some additional treats along with an undoubtedly pink wedding cake.
What’s the Social Media Situation?
Use #KellyEverAfter