adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

ECLT: First Stop, Albany!

Our first stop on the East Coast Love Tour was to Albany/East Greenbush, NY for Shawn and Kate's wedding.  It was my first time in upstate NY, and I must say, I quite enjoyed it!  You can tell that the city of Albany was once bumpin', but now it's a bit more quiet.  It's true, there are some unsavory areas, but for the most part it's college-y, cute, and full of beautiful historic buildings.  Here are some of the hotspots we hit up: Cafe Madison - I went here for brunch with the girls one morning and we had a delightful time.  The food is good, the neighborhood is pretty (near the College of Saint Rose and SUNY's downtown campus) and they have a lovely outdoor patio.  Their menu's chock full of omelette and egg dishes, plus sandwiches and wraps.  The Bloodies looked to die for, but we had to focus on the task at hand - getting ready for wedding rehearsal! Beff's - Kate and Shawn had their rehearsal dinner at this good ol' Irish Pub and the food was dee-lish.  I mean, look at these corned beef nachos!  Made with potato chips - genius!

hello!!!

We also snacked on fried pickles and the most amazing hot spinach dip I've ever had before we sat down to order dinner.  Beff's is known for their super hot wings, which The Hub enjoyed, while I opted for the yummy steak salad.  Oh, and for an Irish bar, they have a surprisingly good wine list. The Hampton Inn - yes, that's right.  The Hampton Inn.  Who knew it would be so swanky!!  Smack in the middle of downtown Albany, this hotel is tops!  Comfortable bed, free wi-fi, steam room and sauna, plus two very stylish attached bar and restaurants, dp and Yono's.

my fave pic of the trip, taken in the Hampton Inn lobby

dp:  An American Brasserie - We popped in here for a drink one night and I was very impressed with their cocktail list!  I was very boring and got my usual, a cucumber vodka concoction called, Cucumber Cooler but they had a pages and pages full of creative drinks to try, wines from around the world, and a bunch of microbrews. The City Beer Hall - We all went here the night before the wedding and had a fantastic time!  Everytime you order a beer, you get a little mini cheese pizza!  Is that cool or what?  They have a huuuuge list of beers to choose from, a giant outdoor patio, two floors, and a mechanical BULL YOU CAN RIDE.  Yes, people.  It's that kind of place.

how most Albany grooms spend their last night of singledom

The Pruyn House - This historical landmark is where the wedding took place, and it was the perfect venue for Kate and Shawn's "rustic chic" nuptials.  They worked so hard at creating their own crafty details and it showed!

cootie catcher wedding programs - loves!!

a homemade board showing where all the guests came from. we were so close to being the furthest! jessica beat us by 59 miles.

adorable place cards

brooch bouquets made with help from friends, relatives and the internets

The impending rain held out for the outdoor ceremony and then everyone moved into the barn for the reception.  The evening was filled with beautiful personal touches like writing their own vows, tables noted with Scrabble tiles (the couple's favorite game) and a carefully designed dance party playlist.  I never would have guessed that 2Legit 2 Quit would be the song that brought down the house!

the beautiful bride!

reading their vows

our table

the barn was so cool

footloose creates an ultimate dance party circle

Albany, thanks for the fun!  We had a blast celebrating the Schmuglers!

a reader and a groomsman - so happy to be part of the wedding!!!

One Response to “ECLT: First Stop, Albany!”

  1. um i want this wedding to be mine.

    everything seems so cool.

    such stylish friends you have!

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