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September-October 2010
Elisha Smith Beginnings Island commuters: The daily trek across the water
Spring-Summer Home & Garden 2010
Harmony on the plains A sense of belonging Emily Post, in her garden Your Vineyard Home A backyard symphony Getting rid of skunk smell Dr. Seussland on Martha’s Vineyard Inside a pro’s wine cellar
Martha’s Vineyard Island Weddings & Celebrations 2010
Photographer Randi Baird captured this joyful moment near the Edgartown Lighthouse during Monica Becerra and Bernard Baez’s nuptials on May 31, 2009.A Jaws-themed wedding
If you want a truly Vineyard Wedding, skip the black labs and pink whales, and invite a twenty-five-foot-long shark with teeth the size of shot glasses. Jaws has been the running gag on the Island with visitors and Vineyarders alike for three decades, so why not embrace it on the happiest day of your life? Kate Ferguson did just that when she married Martin Reilly in June of 2008.
Kate’s parents have owned a home on the Island since 1989, and Jaws became a family favorite to the point of naming their golden retriever Brody, after the film’s police chief.
So when the time came to plan the big day, it seemed natural to toss in a few Jaws-y touches, like plastic-shark squeak-toys for place cards, and gummy sharks on the cupcakes. But as the planning went on, the addictive little touches kept coming: a blow-up shark in the pool, homemade shark lollipops, Quint quotes (from the movie’s crusty fisherman) on the menu cards, a guy in a shark costume rampaging through the reception, and “Show Me the Way to Go Home” sung by the bride and groom.
“My husband and I wanted to throw a party that no one would forget,” says Kate. “The Jaws touches lightened the mood and let people know we were there to laugh and share our happiness.”
Jaws is also a unique part of our Island culture. “I am not exactly sure where our family obsession started,” says Kate, “but we have loved Martha’s Vineyard since the first time we visited, and Jaws was our reminder of the Island when we weren’t able to be there.” K –JIM MILLER
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM KATE & MARTIN'S WEDDING
PHOTO ALBUM: A Jaws-themed wedding
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