Picture Perfect

We just viewed the remainder of the wedding photos. Most of them are pretty flippin' awesome. If you want us to send you some, just let us know. The video is still in the works, but it ought to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

This Just In

Just Married

As we prepare to enjoy the beaches of Cape Cod, we wanted to thank everybody one last time for joining us on this journey. We will try to get pictures and video online ASAP, but in the meantime, check out the following local news coverage:

SunJournal Article

WCSH 6 Portland Story

The Show's a Go

Well, this is it. After years of planning and dreaming, our superhero wedding day has arrived. We had a fantastic rehearsal last night and I really feel that our vision is going to be realized. Also, we get to marry each other, which is really what this is all about. There are still a few odds and ends to take care of, but for the most part, we are ready. That being said, I want to take a few moments to thank some people that have been integral in bringing this dream to fruition.

In no particular order:

My mom and stepfather, Nick and Jean Bennetts, for their generous support, both emotional and monetary. They have given way more of themselves than they can afford to, and will likely give more before the day is through.

The capable doctors and nurses at Oak Ridge Hospital, for helping Sarah's mother beat the odds. Against all likelihood, she has battled back from stage 4 lung cancer to a full remission. Having her sitting in the front row as Queen Hippolyta is the greatest gift anyone could give us.

Leigh Garrett, for donation of her seamstressing and power tools. She was by far the best thing to come out of Sarah's short-lived Maine theatre career. Without her, I fear our Wonder Woman would have had a nervous breakdown for sure.

Rick and the crew at Casablanca Comics, for their careful research and their tolerance of our johnny come lately comic enthusiasm. They have spent countless hours mining the archives for Kryptonian wedding vows and the like, helped us find decorations and cake toppers, and supported our wedding to far greater lengths than our meager business required.

My father and stepmother, Mario and Pam Lucchese, for their generous loan to get us over the hump. Even though I know my father is a bit disappointed at what a colossal nerd his only son turned out to be, he at least has to be proud that I scored such a hottie.

Brian Hinman, for sound design, reception entertainment, and patronage of iTunes. Any music you hear tonight was collected and edited by him. In addition, for traveling the farthest to get here and arriving a week early to help me build the set.

Emily Mercker, for supporting Sarah, even through her damaging New Kids on the Block addiction. I can't tell you how much your friendship has meant to Sarah. I know I have been a bit scary through this whole ordeal and I apologize if I ever came across as a groomzilla. I would choose no one else to lead our Amazon army into battle.

The entire Kieschnick/Favreau family, for adopting me years ago. To Eric, for his friendship and for reigning me in when creative momentum pushes too many boundaries. To Ed and Janice, for being adoptive parents to me and now to Sarah. Ed is the perfect person to guide us through our wedding promises and Janice gave him the uniform to make him official. Thank you for the lovely rehearsal dinner. The cheesecake was delicious. And finally, to Heidi and Andrew, for taking me in when I was homeless and aiding Sarah and I in establishing our new life here in Maine. We are proud to be a part of the family.

Kristy Volker and Becky Zwicker, for keeping Sarah sane, marching in the Amazon ranks, and being supporting the maid of honor so that she can in turn support us. Thank you for your chauffeur services this weekend.

Angela Haskell, for costume, hair, and makeup design. Thank you for taking Sarah on to raise and for cleaning up after the Ninestones debacle.

Andy Milford, for his generous donations and for rocking the Aquaman fins.

To Sarah's brother and sister-in-law, JR and Tiffany Lafore, for taking care of Sarah's mother so that my bride could return to Maine and be with me. We are thrilled that you could make it up to join us and we are sorry for the grueling travel delays.

To Sunshine, for walking hundreds of miles with me. Freckles and the kitties thank you for your dispensing of food and affection. We thank you for your videography services and for taking the plunge the week before us, so that we could see how easy it could be.

To anyone else that has donated, loaned, advised, designed, constructed, or consoled. The list of people to thank is longer than I currently have time for, Please know that we are well aware of how much you all have done and we are eternally grateful and terribly humbled that you would go to such great lengths for us.

Thank you, and enjoy the show. Curtain is at 7pm. Don't be late.

No Parking

As a reminder, there is no parking available at the wedding venue. We ask that you please park in the Ocean Gateway parking structure just one block away. There is an unloading area for guests with mobility issues at the front door.

We hope everyone enjoys themselves. I finished the set last night and today I will be dealing with the sound and lighting design. One of my groomsmen has been working on sound cues and reception music for weeks now and I made the decision to add lighting a couple of days ago. I think it will really help the set pop.

Anyway, I need to get to work. We can't wait to see everyone.

It's the final countdown..

(as my friend Emily would say!!) I cannot believe we are this close!! Doesn't seem like we just got engaged? I know everyone says it comes together at the last minute, but I feel somwhat skeptical. If we can just survive the next 2 days...

Tech Week

For those of you unfamiliar with theatre vernacular, "tech week" is the week just before a show opens. This is where you start mixing in lights, sound, costumes, and special effects. Typically, the set would be nearly finished at this point, but for Super-Wedding the circumstances are a bit different. I do hope to finish all of the major carpentry today, leaving only the foam crystalline structure and any painting that needs to be done. Fortunately, my first groomsman arrives today, so I will be getting a bit of help.

In other news, I spoke to the costumer last night, and he assured me that he was overnighting the remainder of my order today. I am having him send everything directly here to Portland rather than risk sending it to groomsmen who are traveling from away. When I started dealing with the costumes, I had no idea that things would end up being so last minute. It has been extremely nerve wracking.

There are still a million miscellaneous things to do. I made a Daily Planet press pass for my photographer yesterday. There are still some sound cues that need to be assembled. We have string lights and Chinese lanterns for the hall, but no cords for the lanterns yet. I stopped by a local brewery yesterday to sample all of their bottled sodas for the reception.

You get the idea. Here's hoping for a healthy dose of theatre magic.

Thank You, Google.

It appears as though even Google wants to wish us well.

Thank You, Google.

Under Construction

Set construction began yesterday and is already behind schedule. I built a prototype foam ice pillar and I am feeling sketchy about the adhesive. It didn't seem to be holding very well so I decided to let it cure overnight before building any more. I may end up having to resort to duct tape as a primary structural component. Carpentry should begin tomorrow. The event coordinator at the venue assured me that she would allow me to work after hours if necessary, which was of great reassurance.

If you have any free time over the next week, grab your tape measure and come on over.

Wedding or bust!

I can't believe in less than 2 weeks I am going to be Mrs. Lucchese! Tony, determined to make me happy despite all the other things he has going on, drove all the way to NJ to make sure that my costume fits. It really turned out fine, I was glad we made the trip. We got several other bits and pieces to complete the other costumes as well, and might I just add how incredible Tony looks in his super suit! We have quite a bit left to do, but for the first time in many months it feels like we can get it all done. It does seem amazing that all these people are coming to see us get married. I hope all goes well.

Not-So-Free Parking

When I visited the wedding venue this weekend to drop of lumber for the set, it occurred to me that there is no parking available at the facility. Well, there is parking, of course, but not enough for all our guests. If you have elected to drive to Maine or will have a rental car, the best place for you to park would be at the new Ocean Gateway parking garage. It is within easy walking distance.

There is an unloading area at the venue for handicap access.

Return to FAQ list.

A Great Weight has Lifted

I am going to try to convince Sarah to post later, because I really feel like you should hear about this from her, but we have good news resulting from our grueling trip to NJ.

The Wonder Woman costume is finished.

The decision to drive the 6 hours to exit 16W turned out to be a good one. The costumer met us at the house of one of his seamstresses and brought along all that he had finished. Even the pattern girl showed up to help. The three of them pulled and torqued and twisted the costume, discussing what changes needed to be made. They ended up ripping the costume apart and rebuilding it. The removed four inches from the torso and replaced the elastic in the legs so that the costume no longer cuts into her. It only took them 3 hours, so we didn't even have to spend the night.

The seamstress's house was 12 minutes away from my grandmother, so we were able to visit with her. It was good to see her, even thought I will see her again in less than two weeks. We went to Applebee's and had a bite to eat and Sarah got a chance to see pictures of me as a wee lad. I hope I am as sharp and spry as my grandmother when I am 91 years old.

Anyway, there are still a few things left to be done with the costumes, but they are minor and I have been assured that they will be overnighted by Wednesday. At the very least, Sarah and I have our completed costumes, and if you'll forgive the narcissism, we look pretty bad ass.

Down to the Wire

Tomorrow, we are taking a road trip down to New Jersey to meet with the costumer. While the men's costumes have all fit reasonably well, Wonder Woman has proved problematic to say the least. Rather than ship the costume back for a third time, we have decided to take the time and money to drive down so that he can build the next suit right on her body. Unfortunately, this unplanned escapade is cutting into my set construction time.

I rented a van and made a run on Home Depot today. I have had to pare the set down considerably from what I had intended, but I think it will still be pretty cool. I even got a glowing Kryptonite shard to bring the Fortress to life.

There are still a million things left to do and more than a few unknown quantities. I'll try to keep you posted as things develop.

Do Not Panic

There are exactly 20 people participating in our wedding ceremony. As of today, there are 6 completed costumes.

Deep breaths. It will all be okay.

Special Delivery

Yesterday was a big day for shipping and receiving at the Lucchese/LaFore residence. Between UPS and USPS, we got the Wonder Woman costume, shields and spears for the Amazons, and the last of our cake toppers. The costume needs some tweaking, the spear heads need to be fitted to poles, and the topper needs to get to the baker. Still, it was a big day.

Candy is Dandy, but Liquor is Quicker

In exactly one month, Sarah and I will be married. Fortunately, stress levels don't come across in blog posts. There are still myriad decisions to be made and plans to be finalized. I won't go into the details, but know that back-up plans are being considered and extraneous expenses are being cut.

To that end, this is shaping up to be a dry wedding. As we near the final day, and as I have already begged, borrowed, and stole all the funds I can from every source I can think of, we have come to the difficult decision to cut the alcohol. Even thought neither Sarah nor I drink, we wanted to be able to provide our guests with some social lubricant. It's hard for most people to enjoy YMCA and Brickhouse when completely sober. Nonetheless, that accounted for the bulk of our catering expenses and it was either cut that or the photography.

We hope you will forgive us. Feel free to leave early and explore one of the many fine pubs or microbreweries within easy walking distance of the wedding venue.

Icing on the Cake

I am pleased to announce that the design for the wedding cake has been finalized. We met with the baker, or as Sarah refers to her, the "cake lady," and she had a great idea that allows us to fit all of the PVC figures we have purchased on the tiers without running out of room. Instead of going with a traditional tired design, each tier is on its own pedestal which branches out from a central support. Obviously our characters get top billing with the remaining two tiers left for the remaining DC and Marvel characters. We are segregating the worlds, each to their own tier and flavor.

Those of you who like variety will be happy to know that each tier is a separate flavor, though we'll keep you in suspense as to what they are.

License to Wed

We're turning in our application for a marriage license today. It's a lot easier than I thought it would be. I guess they don't do blood tests anymore. There isn't much standing in our way now. We have a few more details to work out, but I'm actually starting to think we might pull it off.

Friendly Reminder

Today is significant for two reasons. First, it is the lovely Sarah LaFore's birthday. Drop her an e-card if you like. Second, today is our deadline for RSVPs. So if you're still mulling it over, try to make a decision as soon as you can. We want as many of you there as possible.

All the World's a Stage

Well we have finished the script and put it in the hands of the key players. Overall, we are very happy with how it turned out. Fortunately, we were able to borrow from several sources, including Superman II, Action Comics #307 "Supergirl's Wedding Day," and a book on pagan wedding vows. The next thing on the list is set design. Once I have that laid out, I can price the materials and provide the photographer with a loose storyboarding of the shots we want him to take.

Hitting the Gym

So tomorrow I begin a fairly intense exercise regimen. We have gotten our fitting costumes for the wedding, and while I am very happy with the costume, I am less happy with the body underneath it. Sarah is going to look fantastic, though.

In addition to honing our own appearances, we have myriad other wedding plans to deal with. We are almost finished with the script. I've ordered a copy of Action Comics #307 entitled Supergirl's Wedding Day. It is supposed to have references to the traditional Kryptonian ceremony. Once we have that, we should be able to polish things off and get it out to the participants. I took some measurements at the venue yesterday, and I'm going to start designing the set tomorrow. I have decided to find an alternative to our aerial entrances. When I climbed up into the rafters of the room, I didn't see anything that I would feel safe rappelling from. I certainly can't ask my best man to do something I wouldn't do myself.

We are starting to wonder if anyone is even coming to this crazy shindig. We sent out invitations fairly early, knowing that most people were coming from out of town. I fear that this has given our intended guests enough time to forget about us. Our RSVP list is pretty pathetic. Hopefully, people will begin responding soon

Other than that, we seem to be in good shape. The wedding, I mean. Not my midsection.

Song and Dance

We spent a little time this weekend putting together a tentative song list for the reception. Spiderman happens to have a CD collection rivaling most music stores and has generously agreed to compile the playlist in digital format. We essentially went through Top 100 lists from every decade and picked out our favorites. I fear we may be a little heavy on 80s hair bands, but what are you going to do? The final tally ran to roughly 8 hours of song, so he's going to have to cut things down a bit. Still, there should be plenty of tunes for us to sing and dance to.

I just heard from the costumer, who said that costumes should be shipping to the wedding party this Friday. We will each do our own fittings and send them back to him with instructions for necessary tweaking. I am absolutely giddy.

It's about time..

I know that this is a big surprise, me posting and all, but I thought it was about time! All in all I think the plans are going very well. I am only minimally freaked out that it seems like it is right around the corner. I feel really good about the venue, the caterer, and especially the costumes! I just got off the phone with my wonderful sister in law, Tiffany, and she got me excited about the people I love coming up here to share this special day with us. We have a meeting tomorrow with the wedding photographer so we can make sure to get some fantastic shots. I hope that everyone will want to be a part of this craziness with us. I am beyond estatic to be marrying my sweetie, my best friend, my hero.

Greetings, One and All

Hopefully, if you're reading this, it is because you've received your invitation and are here to RSVP. If that's the case, just click on the link at the right and follow the instructions. If you haven't gotten your invitation yet, you will soon. We've still got a few more envelopes to stuff and address, so please be patient. We will be updating the site regularly with new information for you, so check back occasionally. In the meantime, if you have any questions, simply post them as a comment on the FAQ and we'll answer them. Thanks, everyone.

-Tony and Sarah

Where's a good place to stay?

Our efforts to find a single hotel where everyone can stay have failed to bear fruit. There are several great options within convenient walking distance from the venue, each with beautiful views of the Portland Harbor. The problem that we are finding is that since we are getting married in the middle of prime tourist season, the hotels aren't really into cutting deals. They know they won't have any problem filling up all their rooms, so we really have nothing to offer them. We are going to keep working on it, but it isn't looking good. You may want to try to find something on your own. In the light of what I said about tourist season, you may not want to wait too long, either. Also, several people have found vacation rentals that are much cheaper than hotel rooms, so be creative in your searching.


Back to FAQ list.

Open Bars and Graphic Design

We had a meeting with the caterer today to discuss a few details. She gave us plenty of suggestions of ways that we could save, which we appreciated. She asked that we put together our ideas for the wedding cake so that she could discuss them with her baker. We will get on that as soon as we get the invitations in the mail. Those are on their way to the printer and ought to go out next week sometime.

Yes, I will be able to attend.

We are so excited that you will be able to make it. Please post a comment with your full name and the number of people in your party. You do not have to create a Google account; you may post as anonymous and simply "sign" your name in the body of your post. Check out the FAQ for more details.

Note for Maine locals: We are avoiding the traditional "Plus One" restrictions because we know that many of you Mainers have children that might like to see some superheroes in person. That being said, we have a limited budget for the reception, so we can't guarantee that there will be food for everyone. You may want to grab them some chicken nuggets on the way.

Update: So you may have noticed that the official RSVP deadline has come and gone. Does this mean that you have missed out on your chance to attend the most awesome wedding the world has ever known? Of course not. We would love for you to be there. But be aware, we are giving the caterer the numbers we have as of today. Late RSVPers may want to eat dinner beforehand.

No, I will not be able to attend.

We are so sorry that you will not be able to join us, but we certainly understand. Please post a comment with your name so we can cross you off the guest list.

RSVP

In our ongoing effort to cut costs wherever possible, we have decided to save money on return postage by having guests RSVP via the website. Simply click the appropriate link below and post a comment with your name, the names of those in your party, and whether you intend to bring a guest. Please make your final decision by June 1st. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you in August.

Yes, I plan to attend.

No, I will not be able to attend.

Money to Burn

Well the expenses are starting to pile up. We have officially selected a caterer and finalized discussion wit the costumer. As is always the case, both were more expensive than I anticipated. In any event, we are very excited to be working with both. The costumes ough to look wicked awesome and the food will be simple delicious fare.

You Are What You Eat

We started talking to caterers this week, and we have discovered that we are far simpler folk than we had suspected. The menus that are being prepared for us sound as though they have sprung from the minds of culinary Rembrandt's. It turns out Sarah and I are more of the Bob Ross mentality. I find myself longing for happy little chicken fingers.