Buffalo and a Wedding

This weekend we flew to Buffalo, excited to be a part of a very special wedding.  My friend Nate was marrying his beautiful fiancee, Kate. I've mentioned Nate before when we made a surprise trip to Buffalo in January. It was a reunion for "The Trio", Joseph, Nate, and I. These boys hold a special place in my heart after our semester abroad in France, and I love any excuse to get together. And what better excuse than a wedding?

We landed on Thursday morning, and naturally, our first stop was for wings. First up was a big bowl of Duff's Hot wings.  They were even better than I remembered! Not too spicy but spicy enough to make your mouth tingle a bit. Washed down with a Labatt Blue, we knew we had arrived in Buffalo.

After picking up Joseph from the airport, next up was an obligatory visit to the "Home of the Original Buffalo Chicken Wing," Anchor Bar. We ignored words of warning from the locals (the service is terrible, the wings aren't that great, etc), because we had to try it for ourselves. And you know what? The service is terrible. And the wings aren't that great. But now we know!

Once we couldn't think about eating another wing, we grabbed some Spot Coffee, changed for the rehearsal, and drove an hour outside of town to Becker Farms.  It's a beautiful location, complete with roaming clucking chickens and sprawling rows of grapevines.

Following a successful rehearsal, the rehearsal dinner was on the Spirit of Buffalo for a 3 hour sail around Lake Erie, featuring the brides favorite wings and pizza (La Nova). (Side Note: This brought our tally to 3 different wings all in one day.)

We had the best time! The views of the city, the sunset, the breeze, the food, the company! Once the sail drew to a close, we stopped into the nearby Pearl Street Brewery for some local brews with Nate before calling it a night.

Friday was Nate and Kate's big day! We began with a ladies lunch at the Sweet Sixteen Cafe in Lockport (including a fabulous homemade blood orange soda), and then it was time to start getting ready! There was make-up to put on, hair to fix, nails to paint, and pictures to take!

After a sweet "first look" between Nate and Kate and what I'm pretty sure was hundreds of pictures, it was time for the main event. Kate was a glowing bride in her flowing satin dress, and Nate was so handsome and beaming from ear to ear as Kate joined him at the alter. Bubbles filled the air as they walked down the aisle together as man and wife! We spent the reception enjoying drinks and dinner, listening to warm speeches from family and friends, admiring the happy couple's swing dance skills, watching them cut their gorgeous wedding cake (made by the bride herself!!), and then the guests flooded the floor to dance the night away! 

There was a photo booth for silly pictures. There was a popcorn stand and coffee to keep us going. There were cliche group dances (The Macarna even made an appearance). Before calling it a night, everyone gathered around a crackling bonfire, a perfect end to the evening.

I'm so very happy for these two people. I'm so very happy that Nate has found a beautiful woman that makes him as happy as my handsome man makes me! We now have a fifth member folded into the no-longer-numerically-accurate Trio, and we're so glad to have her! 

The next morning, we stopped into Tom's Diner (in Lockport) for breakfast before our drive back to Buffalo. It was a great little greasy spoon spot, every table featuring a big bottle of Frank's Red Hot. After dropping off Joseph, we spent a little time in the Elmwood neighborhood before our flight. Sipping juices from Ashker's Juice Bar, we spotted a local farmers market on our stroll!  What luck! It was fun pretending to be a local, admiring produce, watching honey bees at work, and listening to local musicians.

On our way to the airport, we made a detour for one last Buffalo specialty: beef on weck! Following the advice of a local, we ducked into a gloriously dive-y spot called Kelly's Korner.  Tender roast beef was piled high on a kummelweck roll flecked with caraway seeds and flaky salt. It was served alongside a little pot of horseradish, and while I'm not a big fan of horseradish, a generous smear on the bun made a huge difference in this sandwich. We loved every last bite (and splitting it was a very good idea). 

It was a fun weekend, and I'm so thankful that we were asked to be a part of such a special day for Nate and Kate. I wish them joy and blessings for a long, happy life together!