Frequently Asked Questions

- What time is it?
- Will the boat leave without me?
- I've never had lobster, will someone show me how to eat one?
- And what if I don't like lobster?
- What are New England steamers like?
- Are there restrooms?
- What should I wear?
- It's really on an island?
- Do we have to swim there?
- What if it rains?
- What if I get lost in Boston?
- What is this T you keep talking about?
- How do I get from the hotel to the church?
- Where should I park if I'm not staying at a hotel?
- Where am I going??
- Can I get a recap?

What time is it?

That IS a frequently asked question... we get this like once a day on the way to work!

No, I meant what time is the WEDDING, you imbicile.

OH sorry! Ok, here's a loose timeline for you as of now- remember, these times may change so please check back:

Friday, August 31st
6:00pm - Wedding rehearsal at St. Cecilia's
7:15pm - Rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's

Saturday, September 1st
11:30am - Ceremony at St. Cecilia's
12:30pm - Make our way to Long Wharf
1:30pm - Charter boat leaves from Long Wharf; cocktail hour begins
2:30pm - Arrive at Thompson's Island
4:00pm - Lord of the Flies-like atmosphere prevails
7:30pm - Board boat back to civilization
8:00pm - Arrive back at Long Wharf

Sunday, September 2nd
12pm - Brunch at a location TBD

Will the boat leave without me?

Yes. You need to be on the boat by 1:30pm. No later. You will be left behind. Seriously, be there.

If you DO miss the boat, there are some options. You can:
a. Call a water taxi. For real, there are such things in Boston. The number is: 617-422-0392. (If you forget/lose that number, the emergency contacts mentioned below will keep it on them and be able to help you out.) PLEASE NOTE it is not a cheap fare (approx. $40), so do your best to make the 1:30pm departure!
b. Find a local pub, get drunk and feel sorry for yourself.
c. Wait for us to get back around 8pm. We'll probably go out in Boston then.
d. Or just be there on time in the first place!

I've never had lobster. Will someone show me how to eat one?

No need to fret! There will be a ton of lobster-eating vetrans in attendance... you ARE in Boston you know! And if you're nervous and want to read up on the best way to eat our favorite bottom feeder, there are a couple of how-to guides HERE and HERE.

I don't like lobster. Will there be anything for me to eat?

First off, you don't know what you're missing! But if you really hate lobster, are a vegan, or are deathly allergic to shellfish (though lobster is technically a crustacean), there will be roasted BBQ chicken (for the non-vegans), chowder and steamed clams (for those not allergic to shellfish), corn on the cob, salads, lots of potatoes, and homemade pie! PIE! And if you are a strict vegan/vegetarian, please let us know! We will make sure there is something tasty for you as well... we'll even let you wear a lobster bib! Speaking of that...

A lobster clambake sounds messy. Will there be bibs?

Of course, silly! All the usual hardware will be provided too, like nutcrackers, those little tiny forks and moist towelettes.

I love steamed clams, but heard that New England steamers are different than what I'm used to. Is this true?

Yes. New England steamed clams aren't like the ones the bride grew up eating. She mentions (complains about?) this a lot. She refers to them as pisser clams. There are more steps to eating them than your average little neck. According to Jasper White's Clam Shack, this is how it's done:

Each diner should be provided with a small bowl of the cooking broth for rinsing the steamers. To eat one, open the shell and remove the entire body. (You may have to pry a tiny, round muscle loose from the shell.) The siphon, or "neck," will be covered with a brown membrane that should be removed. To do so, grasp the base of the siphon between your thumb and forefinger and dig your fingernails under the edge of the membrane. Pull upward, peeling off the membrane. (Underneath, the siphon will be brown-black and shiny.) There may also be a thin strand of the same membrane extending down to the body - this should be removed and discarded as well.

Once the membrane is removed, grasp the steamer by the siphon and swish it around in the broth, squeezing the siphon to rinse out any grit. (Try turning the siphon upside down to look for grit trapped on its underside.) Then shake off any excess broth, dip the steamer in melted, lemony butter, and eat!

Since we'll be getting all messy, are there restrooms on this island you're sending us to?

Yes! Real, bonafide bathrooms. They are a short walk from the tent, and if it is raining, a golf cart and driver will escort people back and forth. If you don't want to miss any of the fun by heading to the bathrooms to wash up after dinner, there will of course be wet naps for the post-lobster clean-up!

Okay, so eating is going to be messy, and we're going to be on a boat and then an island. What the heck should I wear?

That is a very good question. We're glad you asked! Perhaps it will help to know what we'll be wearing: the bride will be dazzling in a fancy wedding gown, while the groom will be looking smart in a sport coat, tie, and khakis. We encourage you to wear whatever is comfortable, so long as you don't arrive in your bathing suit (or your birthday suit!), cut-off shorts, or ripped jeans. Does that help? How about some examples: sun dresses are good, sandals are fine, even flip-flops are okay. You will have to walk in some grass, so keep that in mind when you think about wearing those high heels!

Now where is it again? On an island?

Yes, yes... a real island. Thompson Island to be exact. It is in Boston Harbor and is the only privately owned island in the harbor, home to the nonprofit Outward Bound program.

What kind of stuff is on this island? Can I wander around?

We'll be partying under (and hopefully around, weather-permitting) a large pair of tents on the main lawn of the island- there are horseshoe pits nearby, and we'll bring a set of bocce balls as well. We'd prefer it if everyone hung out by the tent/food/music/action with us, because we're social people after all- but there is LOTS of room to roam. If you have kids who want to fish, feel free to bring your poles. That said, please keep an eye on your little ones, and don't get lost! The Outward Bound equipment is tucked away in the woods, but if you do stumble across it, please don't get any crazy ideas... it'd be best not to have anyone drunkenly scaling 50-foot climbing walls unsupervised! Thanks.

Do we have to swim to the island?

What do you think this is, Survivor? No swimming required. There will be a large charter boat waiting at Long Wharf on the day of the wedding.

How big is this so-called boat? Do I have to row? And if it rains, is there an indoors on the boat- a place to stay dry?

The boat is pretty darn big (no rowing necessary). It holds about 400 people, and we'll be in the protected waters of the harbor the whole time, so most likely you won't get seasick. If it does happen to rain, which can certainly happen, there is plenty of room under cover on the boat. No worries, mate!

Speaking of rain. How will that work?

Though that might throw quite a damper on the day, everything will still go on as planned. The trolleys are covered, the boat has room enough to shelter everyone on board, and there are enormous event tents set up for us at the island. If it's really coming down, we will get jumbo golf carts to drive people from the dock to the tents (a 5 min walk) once we get to the island, so don't worry your pretty little head! :)

What if I get lost in Boston?

Many people get lost in Boston; in fact it happens regularly, even to seasoned vetrans like ourselves. If you find yourself lost on the day of the wedding, you have a few options. You can:
a. Carry a city map like this one
b. If you are driving, abandon your car--really, it might be easier--and jump on the nearest T.
c. If you're walking and/or don't want to abandon your car, and are still lost, you can:
- Ask directions (this CAN be a crap shoot depending on who you ask!)
- Call one of our emergency "I'm lost in Boston on the day of Jon and Gina's wedding, so what the heck do I do" numbers.

Um... what is an "I'm lost in Boston on the day of Jon and Gina's wedding, so what the heck do I do" number?

We have coerced some of our most favorite Boston friends--oh, yeah, do you guys mind?-- into guiding the out-of-towners. That means they will have their cell phones on, and if you find that you are lost, you can call one of them for help. They will do their best to talk you through whatever crazy Boston road maze you've found yourself in. Okay? We will send these numbers in the invitation for your convenience. Just don't prank call them, they hate that.

And another thing, what has a T got to do with anything?

The T is the nickname for Boston's subway system- the first in the U.S.! (Which means it's wicked old so don't mind the creaking and squeaking.) You can get virtually anywhere in the city once you get familiar with it. Key stations for the weekend are:
- St. Cecilia's Church: Hynes/ICA (Green Line)
- Long Wharf: Aquarium (Blue Line). Also an easy walk from Haymarket (Orange/Green Lines) or State Street (Orange/Blue lines)

If I'm staying in the hotel and I don't want to get my car out of the garage, how will I get to and from the ceremony at St. Cecilia's? It seems so far...

First off, from the hotel to the church is not necessarily far - nothing in Boston is that far of a walk from anything else. It IS walkable (about 2 miles) and might make a nice stroll through the city on a sunny day. Both locations are accesible by T, if you would like to take public transportation. A cab ride would be doable, but Boston cabs are a tad rich (think double the price of NYC cabs... what the heck, right?!). There are also bicycle cabs, which require no fare, just a tip. HOWEVER, out of the kindness of our hearts, we will provide a trolley from the hotel to the church and from the church to the boat.

If I'm not staying in a hotel, where should I park my car?

As mentioned, we will try to make arrangements for parking at St. Cecilia's- check back here for details as the date nears. As for Long Wharf, there are many parking garages and lots in the area since it's a very touristed part of town- of course, that also means it's pretty expensive (about $25/day). People coming from outside of town could save some money by parking at a T station (North: Wellington; West: Alewife or Riverside; South: Braintree or Quincy) for a few bucks and taking the T to the church or Long Wharf to catch up with us- once you make it to the action, you'll be taken care of until it's time to go home.

Directions?

- To Saint Cecilia's: click here

- To Long Wharf: click here or here.

- Also, if it helps, here's an embellished GOOGLE MAP of BOSTON, with St. Cecilia's, Long Wharf, Maggiano's (rehearsal dinner), and a few relevant T stops highlighted.

(One more note: our wedding is September 1st. This coincides with the busiest moving day of the year in College Town USA, a.k.a. Boston, MA. And it's not even just college kids; EVERYONE in Boston moves on September 1st. In fact our lease is up that day too, but we'll worry about that later. Anyway, what this means to you will vary depending on where you're coming from... just bare in mind that you may run into delays if you take Commonwealth Ave. near Boston University, or if yet another freshman decides to take their U-haul on Storrow Drive. In all likelihood you won't need to be on these roads, but keep it in the back of your mind just in case. On a related note... if you are for some reason driving a big-ass truck to our wedding, please avoid Storrow Drive, it has low overpasses.)

This all seems very complicated. So where do I need to be again? Can we have a recap?

Of course.
- The wedding ceremony at St. Cecilia's starts at 11:30am. There will be shuttles from the hotel to the church.
- After the church the shuttle trolleys will take you straight to the boat. No stopping. In order to save time, we won't have a receiving line at the church- we will greet you on board the boat.
- The boat leaves at 1:30pm SHARP. If you are driving over, decide on the best route ahead of time.
- From 1:30pm to 2:30pm is the cocktail hour on the boat as we cruise the harbor. There will be an open bar and some hors d'oeuvres.
- At 2:30pm we will land on Thompson Island and head to the tent... whence will begin dancing, eating, bocce, and general carousing.
- Last call from the bar has to be a half hour before we leave the island, and by law they are not allowed to serve drinks on the short boat ride home (this is for your safety, not because we cheaped out... it's one of those weirdo Massachusetts laws). So last call will be at 7:00pm. Prepare/drink accordingly.
- We leave the island promptly at 7:30pm. Please don't wander off or else we will have to leave you on the island to fend for yourself!
- We arrive back at Long Wharf at 8:00pm.

This website is absolutely useless, can I just email you?

Hey, we tried, but we realize that there'll be hundreds of other questions. So OF COURSE feel free to email Jon at jagorey(at)yahoo.com or Gina at glfavata(at)hotmail.com and we will do our best to answer any questions you might have!