Jon and Sarah are getting married

Trinity Episcopal Church

Ceremony

The Inn at Longshore

Celebration

Bon Voyage Breakfast

Our Wedding

Photos

Was it un coup de foudre ? SG : Not sure if I'm one to believe in love at first sight, but the first time I saw Jon, I thought he looked like a lot of fun... and I was right :,)JS : One look was all it took, I fell right under Sarah's spell (and that's where I stay to this day :)). How did you two meet ? Some love stories start with a glance across the room—Jon and Sarah’s began with pickles, a slippery dancefloor, and a hint of scandal.Back in their Princeton swim team days, Jon was a senior, Sarah was a freshman (we know, we know), and one fateful night, she and her partner-in-crime Nikki found themselves ravenous at a party. Enter Jon, gallantly supplying a jar of Mt. Olive pickles. That night, the music's percussives were electric, the synths infectious, and the jigs jumping. In their excitement, Sarah and Nikki promptly sent said pickles flying across the dancefloor.What they did not know? These pickles were not Jon’s to give—they belonged to Wade.The next day, Wade—hungry, betrayed, and pickle-less—faced Jon with a simple yet profound question: Was it worth it? Was impressing some girls at a party worth the ultimate briny sacrifice ?Fast forward, and the answer is obvious: Absolutely. Jon and Sarah are getting married, Nikki is a bridesmaid, and Wade—his pickled pride finally set aside—is the best man.How do you like them pickles? Who made the first move ? Jon did. Ambitiously. Questionably. With mixed results.&nbsp;After gallantly procuring pickles, Jon was completely captivated by Sarah — who took a bit longer to notice him.&nbsp; His first attempt ? A bold approach in broad daylight, upon spotting Sarah with a neuroscience textbook :"Oh wow, is that a neuroscience book? So, like… you like brains and stuff ?”Sarah’s response has been lost to time. Undeterred, Jon pivoted to a new strategy : mild deception. He commandeered a mutual friend’s phone (thank you, Christie !), and called Sarah. When she picked up, expecting Christie, Jon was on the other end, feigning surprise :&nbsp;“Oh, Sarah ? You called ? What a delight to hear from you !”&nbsp; The bit was charming enough that he did this multiple times. Unfortunately, Sarah never actually called him back.&nbsp; Jon, however, was nothing if not persistent. He soon realized that the way to Sarah’s heart wasn’t through pickup lines or prank calls — it was through sheer academic endurance. The only way he could consistently spend time with her ? Accompany her to the library. And so he did. For weeks.&nbsp; Somewhere between studying (him) and loitering (also him), Jon managed to earn his best semester GPA ever. More importantly, he finally built up the courage to ask Sarah to see the Christmas lights. This time, she said yes :)

The first days

It's been quite the adventure these past few years ! After graduating from Princeton, Jon pursued pharmaceutical research, working in the lab at Joslin Diabetes Center within Harvard Medical School. They say opposites attract, and Sarah was definitely on a different track -- spending her final years at Princeton studying global security threat indices, theatre, French, and Latin American Studies -- writing four theses to graduate. Jon would take the Amtrak down from Boston to NYC to see her, and the two would have study dates at the library (some things never change). Jon has always been Sarah's biggest fan -- and still is -- he was the muse behind so many of her plays, the patient sounding board for scatterbrained and developing ideas, and the one who always brought a good laugh when she took things too seriously. When Sarah said she wanted to move back to Paris, Jon made sure that, when the time came, he could go with her. He convinced his new job that the love of his life was moving and, naturally, he had to follow. Jon, ever the charmer, made it work, packed his bags, and headed for France. That was the plan, at least—until Sarah took a small detour (sorry Jon !). She was accepted to Trinity College Dublin for a master’s in philosophy, so the two found themselves long distance once again, Jon in Lyon and Sarah in Dublin. It wasn’t easy, but they trusted the process -- and it paid off :) Sarah graduated from Trinity's Samuel Beckett Centre and started working at the Centre Pompidou in the museum's philosophy branch. Now, at long last, they live together in Paris—eating too much cheese, debating which boulangerie has the best baguette, and which domaine holds the title for best butter in France. La vie est belle -- and it's just the beginning :,)

Since Then

Our Story

Lucy Grinalds

Wade O'Brien

Elizabeth Boeckman

Daniel Arris

Brooks Peterson

Nikki Venema

Emily Downey

Macey Mannion

Stephane Pienaar

Charles Liebson

Rosie Grinalds

Megan Spires

Andrew Grinalds

George Adams

Grace Grinalds

Wedding Party

Some glimpses of Walks through Southport as captured by the bride's dad :)

All photos taken by Drummond Grinalds If you see him, please encourage him to take more of these ! ;)

Southport is a summer town known for its sunny beaches. Here are some of our favorites : - Southport Beach (!!)- Sasco Beach (!!)- Burying Hill- Sherwood Island- Compo Beach

Connecticut Pizza is famous ! Find out why with some of our favorites... - Sally's Apizza (the clam, the pepperoni, the cheese, the potato and rosemary...) - Nauti Dolphin- Frank Pepe's- Colony Grill (especially that salad pizza... it's healthy... right ?)

Other things we like... - The malted chocolate milkshake from Rawley's (with the works hotdog, if you're feeling crazY)- Everything flagels and bagels from Bagel King of Fairfield (trust us...) - Westfair Fish &amp; Chips for their namesake and also a particularly tasty clam chowder, their fried clams, and really anything else on their menu- The breakfast sandwiches at Calises (Andrew Grinalds might recommend the Country Cow instead, but this hasn't been peer reviewed by the committee)- The cones at Garden Catering (with seasoning)- Any sandwich from A&amp;S Deli (the chicken parm, the spicy calabrian, we could go on and on...)- Stew Leonard's (for the experience, but also the soft serve and the Mr. Drummond Grinalds approved Pineapple Dole Whip)

Things to Do

Best way to get to Southport ? Taking the Metro North trainline from Grand Central to Southport Station is easiest (Trinity Church is a three minute walk from this station !), though the train stations Green's Farms, Fairfield, and Westport are not too far either. If you plan to fly in, here are the airports we recommend : - Newark International; JFK International- New Haven Airport- Westchester Airport- Hartford Airport

Delamar Westport

We have blocked rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk for June 27 and June 28.

Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk

We have blocked rooms at the Norwalk Inn for the June 27 and June 28 dates.

Norwalk Inn

The Inn at Fairfield Beach

Guesthouse at Norwalk Inn

Best Western Plus Fairfield Hotel

The Watershed Formerly Hotel Zero Degrees

Red Carpet Inn Norwalk

Courtyard by Marriott Norwalk

Travel and Hotels

Q + A

Newlywed Wishlist

We have curated a registry with Paris store <a href="https://listes.printemps.com/dons/choix-dons/*lrwYchblIDmy5T1iY24hg==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Printemps</a>. Attached below is the link ! <a href="https://listes.printemps.com/dons/choix-dons/*lrwYchblIDmy5T1iY24hg==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://listes.printemps.com/dons/choix-dons/*lrwYchblIDmy5T1iY24hg==</a> Note: In inputting your name and address to Printemps, the United States appears in the section of "E" countries (French translation of États-Unis). However you choose to celebrate with us, we’re so thankful for your kindness and can’t wait to share this special moment with you!&nbsp;

Sarah & Jonathan

Sarah & Jonathan

Photos