Several months ago, my college friend Becca asked me if I’d play cello for her wedding. I gladly agreed, even though the last time I had played for a crowd was at [Jeremy and Angela](http://www.thebiggspicture.org/)’s wedding several years earlier. It gave me the opportunity to dig out the cello, bring my skills back up to snuff, and reacquaint myself with the joys of playing music.
Tools of the trade
Last weekend we traveled up to [Bennington, Vermont](http://www.bennington.com/) to attend her wedding. We left early on Friday, drove up through central Mass and southern Vermont, and arrived to check in at the [Knotty Pine Motel](http://www.knottypinemotel.com/). The Knotty Pine was small and comfortable, and even had a nice play area for Catherine to take advantage of. Friday evening was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, where we got a lesson in [English Country Dance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_country_dance) (to be featured at the wedding reception). We made some new friends at dinner, and had a chance to catch up with our friend Amanda who was one of the bridesmaids.
Catherine and her new friend Tom
On Saturday, we did some exploring of the Bennington area, including the [Bennington Battle Monument](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennington_Battle_Monument). Did you know that the Bennington Battle Monument is the tallest structure in Vermont, and the tallest War Memorial in the world?
Bennington Battle Monument
Becca’s wedding was in the afternoon. The prelude and processionals, which I played with Becca’s friend Lindsey on piano, went extremely well. The ceremony itself was beautiful – Becca sang a solo for Eric during the ceremony, and they recessed to “Sweet Caroline”, a tribute to their Red Sox fanaticism.
Becca and Eric Fiveland
At the reception, we did more English Country Dancing, talked with our friends Kate and Dave, and enjoyed some great food. We danced the night away and headed back to the Knotty Pine for some rest.
We had a great weekend up in Vermont. It’s a truly lovely place with some very friendly people. We wish Becca and Eric well in their new life together in upstate New York!
You can see all of the photos from our weekend [here](http://prwdot.org/gallery2/v/travels/2007/vermont_weekend/).