Mr. Onion and I joined the ranks of newlyweds to save the top of their wedding cake to enjoy a year later and I have to admit...it tasted pretty darn good (more on the cake later)!
Cake made by Alison at Mirabelle's Cafe in Burlington, VT.Mr. Onion and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary by heading back to Burlington, VT where we were married last September. We stayed at the Willard Street Inn
where it all began and enjoyed the weather and being outdoors in such a beautiful part of the county.
Here we are on the steps at the inn on our wedding day.
And here we are on the steps this past weekend. We asked a very kind guest at the inn if she'd mind taking our picture explaining our story and connection with the inn. She told us she and her husband had been married for almost 60 years and assured us that our love would continue to grow!
Our room was lovely and very romantic. It was a bit of a splurge, but we didn't get each other gifts -- the trip was our shared gift!
The breakfast at the Willard Street Inn is a major highlight! Not only is it delicious (they have a chef who comes in every morning just to make three yummy breakfast choices -- usually an egg dish, and a sweeter dish (pancakes/french toast) and a granola and yogurt for a lighter breakfast), but their breakfast room is stunning!
You might remember Mr. Onion and I had our "
first sight" here on our wedding day.
The owners are wonderful gardeners and grow these amazing dahlias that make you feel welcome at the guest book table....
More dahlias at reception and on the breakfast tables. I thought this was a lovely idea for wedding reception or cocktail table decorations. This is such an easy DIY flower project and something that can be done in advance.
Then we headed to town and Mr. Onion came across a brick on the market place that was so sweet....what a way to propose! I wish I knew the story of the couple.
That night we had a romantic celebration dinner at
Leunig's -- the best restaurant in town! When our waitress approached our table she smiled and said "You guys got married at Adrianas last year. I served your party and it was an amazing wedding!" Burlington is such a small town and I was pleased to see a familiar face.
The next morning we got up early to enjoy the day. We drove out to
the Grand Isle, a small island in Lake Champlain that is quite close to Burlington.
Then we headed back to the Lake Champlain waterfront in Burlington where we took our engagement photos.
On the waterfront is
Splash Cafe where a wedding reception was going to be held that evening -- we saw many well dressed guests on their way, but sadly, no bride and groom sightings!
The weather really turned out to be lovely...a little chilly, but sunny!
And we made a friend! He was fearless and came right up to us hoping we had bread for him.
At the end of the day we headed back to the inn to try our wedding cake and see how freezing for a year would work. MIL Onion did a fantastic job. If you plan to freeze the top of your wedding cake, here are some tips.
1) Know the size of the top layer and get a Tupperware a little bigger (round/square) depending on the shape of the cake.
2) Talk to your reception staff beforehand to let them know you plan to do this so they don't serve the top of the cake.
3) To preserve the cake put in the fridge so it sets up a bit (this way it won't get too squished), then wrap in plastic wrap, (two layers), then tinfoil (two layers), THEN place in Tupperware.
4) Bring a cooler or freezer bag to store it in and transport home.
5) Prepare your freezer (or friend/parent/in-law freezer) before hand so you know the Tupperware will fit and you can keep it frozen for a year.
And enjoy, but don't eat the whole cake!! We brought the rest home to share with our families.
We had a fantastic time and enjoyed remembering our wonderful wedding day. But the best part was to reflect on our first year of marriage and to spend a whole weekend of down-time with each other...no cell phones, no work emails...just us! We both feel so fortunate everyday and are sure to tell each other as often as we can. I look forward to all our future adventures...including closing on our first home (more on that later). Did you tell your partner you loved them today?! Don't forget...it never gets old :)
PS. A very happy anniversary to my date twins -- Mr. & Mrs. Corn and Mr. & Mrs. Emerald!!
My favorite item? Their lemon specialty oil and balsamic vinegar.
This is made for men, but it's one of my new favorite things (I feel like Oprah)! Seriously the best shave you'll ever have. Get one for yourself, your bridesmaids, your fiance/husband (I did)....you'll all be wonderfully soft! And use coupon code, WELCOME11, for FREE SHIPPING with $50 purchase & FREE GIFT (six pack). EXPIRES DEC 31, 2008. 
Usually $65, I found it for $58.50. 
