the bachelorette

What happens at the bachelorette party … goes on the blog! Well, some of it. =) The idea of feathers, crowns, rhinestones and hot pink sashes makes me cringe. Luckily, I needn’t have worried. Sarah, one of my MOHes (my big sister is the other), planned the most incredible weekend, incorporating all the things I love in life … great friends, delicious wine, beautiful weather and, of course, NYC!

The best part was that at every turn I had no clue what was next. I was thrilled to learn we were headed to NYC (they only told me because Sarah and Meg are great party planners, but not-so-great navigators). Once there, to my surprise, a limo was waiting outside our hotel (the hotel deserves its own blog post, so bachelorette part II is coming later this week). Nearly an hour later, with no clue as to which state we were in — and not minding after all the champagne — we arrived at Duck Walk Vineyards in Southold Long Island. Not a cloud in the sky, not an ounce of humidity, it was the perfect day.

Our limo driver, Keith from Long Island Wine Tours, took us vineyard hopping. We spent the day sipping everything from sangiovese and chardonnay to champagne and port. It was heaven.

lunch on the patio at Duck Walk

The second stop, Pugliese Vineyard in Cutchogue, is known for its champagne and had a beautiful pond filled with bright orange jumping koi fish. I went home with a bottle of Blanc de Blanc Brut. For those of you looking for a beautiful spot for a wedding, this was it (check out the picture below).

the view from below the vines at Pugliese

I was not looking for a wet n’ wild time in Vegas. After months of planning and worrying about every little detail of our wedding, it was amazing to be escorted around in a limo sipping bubbly with the girls in excited anticipation. I have never felt so at ease. (check out this blog post by Susan Schneider Design about why the no-”penes” bachelorette party was a breath of fresh air. p.s. she’s the one in the scarf and pretty long pink dress.)

Final stop: Vineyard 48 on the North Fork, where the real party began. It was more like a club than a vineyard. Okay, slight exaggeration, but the DJ and 15 other bachelorettes were ready for one! I like to think of us as incognito. While we snacked on cheese and crackers (okay, we’re not that lame, I was triple fisting at one point), we saw one bride-to-be and her ladies dressed in all black and ready for Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Veils galore, pink sashes, feather tiaras, the works, mixed with a good representation of the Jersey Shore (the show, not our beautiful wedding locale). We’ll call it the best people watching of the day.

So as I mentioned, the p.m. portion of the bachelorette was equally as exciting. It’s possible our hotel manager confused me with Tina Fey (wouldn’t be the first time) because we were treated like royalty. Below is a preview … of the master bath in our upgraded “owner’s suite.”

to be continued …