Annisquam Yacht Club

Jeffrey & Rachel's Wedding

Squam Rock Land Trust - Lighthouse Beach

Ceremony

Reception

We are so excited for you to join us for our wedding!   Rachel's family has been coming to Annisquam in the summers for many generations, and she was thrilled that Jeff fell in love with the village, too. We have spent many wonderful weekends here lounging at the beach, sitting on the porch, and bickering over board games, and we can't wait to add our wedding weekend to the long list of fond memories.

Photo Credits: <a href="https://kylashattuck.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kyla Shattuck Photography</a>

Our Wedding

Like many of our friends, we met on Hinge! In January 2020, a lucky swipe matched Rachel with Jeff, and we exchanged a few messages as we headed out for the weekend. A few days later, we met up for drinks for a four-hour date that left us both excited to see where this relationship could go. Despite basically planning a second date during their first date, Rachel was convinced Jeff wasn’t interested (who ends a text with a period instead of an exclamation point?!), but she was, thankfully, very wrong about that. He arranged an ice skating date at a local rink, since Rachel skated for much of her childhood. All it took was Rachel helping a little girl up after a nasty fall, and Jeff knew he had found the one. This was confirmed when, a few days later, Rachel beat Jeff at Mario Kart at their local (b)arcade, which was endearing, but also made him a little hesitant to get in a car with her. Unable to keep anything secret, Jeff shared that he could feel himself falling in love with Rachel, and that he had already told his mom and family about his new relationship. At this point, Rachel would have told you that she didnt even have Jeff’s number saved in her phone. Neither has let the other live down that conversation yet. After just a few weeks of dating, the COVID pandemic set in. Overnight, our dates went from breweries, arcades, and restaurants, to "Want to come over and watch Great British Bake Off?" During an otherwise scary and lonely time, Rachel and Jeff spent the weekends making pizzas, doing crosswords (a longstanding Langer family pastime), and finding new places to take the dog. Over the course of months of lazy weekends, home-cooked meals, and many hikes at the Middlesex Fells Reservation, Jeff and Rachel (and Duffy) fell in love. And, Rachel finally saved Jeff’s number in her phone! Life looks a little different on the other side of a global pandemic, but we look back fondly on those early months of getting to know each other in such a unique setting. Heres to a lifetime of kitchen dance parties, cooking weekend fancy breakfasts, and many, many more miles hiked with Duffy!

Our Story

Photos

Kate Fiori

Kevin Hylan

Sarah Langer

Jake Frank

Grace Voges

Dan Santacroce

Rachel Fichtenbaum

Wedding Party

Annisquam is, first and foremost, a residential village, and we ask for your cooperation in making sure our wedding is not disruptive to the community. Given the limited public parking options, we are asking that guests do not plan on driving to the ceremony and reception. Guest buses will leave the I4C2 Gloucester City Lot at 3:00 and 3:15pm and leave from the reception at 9:00pm and 10:00pm. Guests should be sure to leave ample time to catch and Uber or cab (there aren't many!), walk to the pickup spot, or use one of the city-owned 10-hour lots located along Rogers Street downtown. If you have any questions about the buses or transport, please let us know!

Bus to ceremony!

The closest airport is Logan in Boston, which is an hour drive to the Gloucester area. Cabs will typically not take passengers from Logan to Annisquam, so we recommend a rental car or booking a car service. The Newbury/Rockport line of the MBTA Commuter Rail runs from Boston to Gloucester, too.

Boston Logan International Airport

Located on the rocky shores of Cape Ann and just a short drive to downtown, the Ocean House Hotel at Bass Rocks is a boutique style hotel and historic landmark in scenic Gloucester. All guestrooms feature picture-perfect views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Ann shoreline. You call the hotel for reservations at any time or use this link to book online: <a href="https://reservations.travelclick.com/102189?groupID=4036859" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://reservations.travelclick.com/102189?groupID=4036859</a> This block rate (more than a 10% savings) expires on April 8, 2024. If you are interested in staying here, just make sure to book your room by then! We can only block 5 rooms at a time; if you try to book a room and the block is full, please let us know so we can ask for additional rooms!

Ocean House Hotel at Bass Rocks

The Beauport is located right in the heart of downtown Gloucester, with easy access to lots of sites and restaurants! With a picturesque oceanfront location, upscale amenities and unforgettable hospitality, the Beauport offers the peak Cape Ann experience.&nbsp; They do not allow blocks for offsite weddings, so guests interested in staying at the Beauport should call (978) 282-0008 to book their room and share that they are with an offsite wedding party. Please note that there will be onsite weddings at the Beauport, so you may hear some celebrations throughout the weekend!

Beauport Hotel Gloucester

Please check back in November 2023 for 2024 rates! Atlantis Oceanfront Inn hotel in Gloucester MA features spectacular ocean views from every hotel room. Located less than one mile away from Good Harbor Beach, you’ll wake up to breathtaking sunrises and wind down with picture-perfect sunsets from your hotel room’s ocean-view terrace. Please note: The hotel is designed to intentionally provide guests with an enhanced “solitary” experience. As such, the rooms come equipped with some basic electronics, but there is no Room Service in the traditional sense, only daily housekeeping at the discretion or request of guests.&nbsp;There are no elevators at the hotel and there are no ADA-compliant Accessible Rooms at this location.

Atlantis Oceanfront Inn Hotel & Breakfast Café In Gloucester, MA

Travel

Beachgoers must make a reservation for a parking spot at the beach. Reservations can be made up 10 days in advance on the <a href="https://gloucester.blinkay.app/login" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blinkay mobile app or Blinkay website</a>. Reservations are required for non-resident parking at Good Harbor Beach, Wingaersheek Beach, and Stage Fort Park starting Memorial Day Weekend.

Good Harbor Beach

Wingaersheek Beach

Accessed through Halibut Point State Park, at Halibut Point Reservation, bird watchers get an eyeful from this low coastal shelf overlooking dramatic surf. The state park adjacent to the reservation surrounds the former Babson Farm Quarry, where granite was quarried at the turn of the 20th century and used to build thousands of streets, bridges, tunnels, monuments, warehouses, and buildings. Today, the quarry is filled with ground water.&nbsp;Tidal pools harbor snails, hermit crabs, and sea stars. Weather-beaten bluffs make up a low rocky coastal shelf covered in bayberry, greenbriar, and shadbush, and during storms, waves crash over the rocky shore.

Halibut Point State Park

Cape Ann Museum is an art and historical museum located in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Its collection and programming focuses on the artists and art colonies of Cape Ann, including the Rocky Neck Art Colony and the Folly Cove Designers.

Cape Ann Museum

About a 30-45 minute drive from Gloucester, but well worth the trip, the Peabody Essex Museum collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem and the Essex Institute. At over 200 years old, PEM is one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the United States and holds one of the major collections of Asian art in the United States. One of the top-ranked museums in North America, the PEM holds more than 840,000 works of historical and cultural art covering maritime, American, Asian, Oceanic and African art, Asian export art, and two large libraries with over 400,000 books and manuscripts.

Peabody Essex Museum

Tour the gorgeous Crane Estate, including&nbsp;the 59-room Stuart-style mansion, the Great House, which sits on Castle Hill at the the center of the 3,500-acre estate. The Crane family bequeathed the property to the MA Trustees of Reservations, who now steward 2,100 acres of the family’s 3,500 acres. <a href="https://thetrustees.org/content/passes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Advance passes</a> for grounds admission to Castle Hill are suggested but not required. Having an advance grounds admission guarantees grounds admission for the day and time of your visit.

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

About a 10-minute drive from Gloucester, the Rocky Neck Artist Colony one of the oldest continuously operating art colonies in the United States. Dozens of working artists from painters, potters and textile designers to photographers and jewelry makers, display their work in Rocky Neck galleries during the summer months. A variety of restaurants are available to suit every taste with live entertainment enhancing the ambiance in restaurants and bars on weekends. Experience an eclectic mixture of history and culture and a great place to stroll on a lazy summer day, to include in a day trip to the beach, or to enjoy a memorable meal.

The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck

Located a block from downtown Gloucester, Stacy Boulevard parallels the Atlantic coastline and provides easy, scenic access to Stage Fort Park and its many top beaches. Walking the length of the half-mile promenade, you’ll pass Gloucester’s iconic Fisherman’s Monument (otherwise known as the “Man at the Wheel”) and cenotaph, as well as the Fisherman’s Wives Memorial statue. Cross over the working drawbridge, or simply watch marine craft such as lobster boats and sailboats make their way out to sea. Once you have finished exploring Stacy Boulevard, sample local culture and cuisine in downtown Gloucester, which is just a few minutes’ walk away. Metered street parking available.

Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial

Gloucester is America's oldest seaport, and you won't make it very far without seeing evidence of the pride in and respect for those lost at sea. If you're looking to catch up on Gloucester history (or if you're a fan of early 2000's&nbsp;George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, or John C. Reilly), we'd be remiss if we didn't recommend Sebastian Junger's 1997 book The Perfect Storm, and the 2000 movie of the same name. Afterwards, you can visit the real Crow's Nest, which is a beloved watering hole for fisherman and tourists alike!

Crow's Nest

A favorite, iconic spot for fried clams!

Woodman's of Essex

Great Marsh Brewing Company

True North Ale Company

RiverWalk Brewing Co.

Don’t be fooled by the Dunkin across the street - these are the best bagels and donuts in town!

Jim's Bagel & Bake Shoppe

Oak to Ember

Destino's Subs & Catering

Run by a friend of the family, and a great spot for breakfast, sandwiches, and baked goods!

Rachel & Jeffrey

Rachel & Jeffrey

Wedding Party