It all started with the airing of grievances.
Festivus, the holiday invented by Frank Costanza on Seinfeld, has a rich and storied history. Traditions abound: the feats of strength, the aluminum pole (unadorned of course), the airing of grievances. All were being celebrated in full effect at Cassie Bowman and Caitlin Senior's East Side apartment in December 2009.
Samantha Bowman was excited about attending her sister's party and invited one of her coworkers, a young '90s rock radio programmer named Jordan. He accepted immediately, excited to experience the majesty of Festivus for the first time. But little did he know, there was a Festivus scheme afoot; not only did Sam want to show Jordan Festivus, she also wanted to show him her little sister, Cassie.
When the party began, New York was socked in by a blizzard. 1st Avenue was covered under a foot of snow and no cabs were on the street. But thanks to his meteorological schooling, the snow was no match for Jordan. He made it to 27th Street, and when he opened the door the first thing he saw was Cassie. She was in full Festivus attire and handing out homemade baked goods and drinks to her guests.
Immediately, his Festivus grievance changed from "I'm cold" to "I don't have her number."
Cassie & Jordan have gone on to celebrate five more Festivuses (Festivi?) together, and look forward to celebrating many, many, many more.
Thanks for celebrating with us.
FRIDAY, 9.18.15
7p - 9p
Picnic on the lawn at the Parry Mansion
Hosted by Jack & Carol Gremli, parents of the groom
45 S. Main St. New Hope, PA 18938
9p - 11P
After-dinner drinks at Nektar
8 W. Mechanic St. New Hope, PA 18938
SATURDAY, 9.19.15
4p - 5p
Shuttle service from downtown New Hope to the venue
TRIP 1
4:00pm - Pickup at 93 W. Ferry St. (in front of the New Hope library)
For: The Wedgwood Inn
4:05pm - Pickup at 10 W. Ferry St.
For: The Logan Inn, Olivia's Bridge Street Inn, Porches, The Inn of the Hawke, New Hope residents
4:15pm - Dropoff at 440 Lurgan Rd.
TRIP 2
4:30pm - Pickup at Wishing Well
For: Wishing Well, New Hope Lodge
4:35pm - Pickup at corner of Riverstone Circle & Bridge Street
For: Fox & Hound Inn
4:45pm - Final Dropoff at 440 Lurgan Rd.
5p - 10p
Ceremony, Dinner, Drinks, Live Music and Dancing
Cocktail Attire
(Rustic barn floor - stilettos are not advised)
440 Lurgan Rd. New Hope, PA 18938
10p - 2A
Shuttle Service to Downtown New Hope (ends at 11p)
After Party at The Logan Inn
10 W. Ferry St. New Hope, PA 18938
SUNDAY, 9.20.15
11A - 1P
Celebratory Brunch in New Hope
At the home of Ernie and Dee Dee Bowman, parents of the bride
116 New St. New Hope, PA 18938
All guests are invited to attend all events during the weekend, please click here to RSVP.
Thank you for making the trip!
Getting to New Hope
Air: The closest major airport is the Philadelphia International Airport (about an hour drive), however New Hope is also a reasonable drive from Newark Liberty International Airport as well (about 90 minutes). Trenton/Mercer Airport (served by Frontier Airlines) is about a half hour away.
Car: Renting a car from the airport is probably the easiest mode of transportation to and from New Hope. Taxi service or Uber will cost about $150-200 from Philadelphia. A taxi from Trenton/Mercer will cost about $50-$60.
There are also public transportation options from New York and Trenton:
Train: NJ Transit offers frequent train service from New York Penn Station and Newark Penn Station to Trenton, NJ, which is about a 20-30 minute drive to New Hope. Taxis are also available from Trenton and will cost about $50-$60.
Bus: Transbridge Lines offers frequent bus service from New York Port Authority Bus Terminal to Lambertville, NJ, which is walking distance from most of the inns on our list (5-20 minutes). There is also infrequent Transbridge service from Newark Airport. Check the schedule carefully. The New Hope stop is NOT within easy walking distance, so it is advised to get off at the Lambertville stop.
Event Transportation
Friday Night: The Parry Mansion is located in downtown New Hope at the corner of Main and Ferry Streets. It is across the street from the Logan Inn, and walking distance from most inns.
Saturday: We will be providing a shuttle from downtown New Hope to the venue starting at 4pm, and returning to New Hope beginning at 9pm. There is also ample free parking on site.
Sunday Brunch: The Bowmans live right in town, within walking distance of most of the inns. If you do drive to brunch, however, be aware that parking can be limited and is metered.
See "The Party" section of this website for exact addresses of all venues for the weekend.
The Lodging
We encourage guests to stay in New Hope or Lambertville, NJ, which are both walking distance from the shuttle pick-up and drop-off locations. We will be hosting festivities for all guests on Friday night, so we encourage guests to arrive on Friday and stay two nights (please note: most inns require a 2 night minimum stay).
Accommodations in New Hope are limited. Below is a list of accommodations. When booking, please mention you are part of the Bowman/Gremli wedding. Reservations can only be made over the phone.
(215) 862-2570 - New Hope
(215) 862-5082 - New Hope
(215) 693-1592 - New Hope
(215) 862-2300 - New Hope
(215) 431-6674 - New Hope
(609) 397-9555 - Lambertville
(215) 862-2737 - New Hope
215-862-5221 - New Hope (not walking distance from shuttle)
New Hope, Pennsylvania & Lambertville, New Jersey
We'll be doing a LOT of celebrating this weekend, but during the downtime there's so much to do in Bucks County. Here are just a few suggestions:
Day Time Activities:
The Golden Nugget - A cool flea market that has vintage furniture, plates, silverware, jewelry, you name it! Open Saturday and Sunday mornings.
~5 minute drive from Lambertville on Route 29.
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve (no relation) - Great place for a hike or a guided tour. Beautiful flowers in the summer and a great place to go on a nice day. You can hike up to the tower as well with nice views, lots of great bird watching!
~5 minute drive from New Hope on Route 32 (aka River Rd.).
Bucks County Play House - Check the schedule to see what's playing.
ShoppinG:
The People's Store (Lambertville) - Great antique store, 3 or 4 floors of antiques, jewelry, vintage everything.
Mill Crest Vintage (Lambertville) - Vintage dress shop.
There are also tons of shops on Main Street (in New Hope) and Bridge Street (in Lambertville). Go wander!
Sweets:
Pierre's Chocolates (New Hope) - Best chocolate in Bucks County
Nina's Waffles and Ice Cream (New Hope) - Belgian waffles and ice cream! So good!
OwowCow (Lambertville) - Worth the 5 minute trek across the bridge to New Jersey for this ice cream.
HAPPY HOUR SPOTS:
The Landing (New Hope) - Right on the river with a great outdoor bar. Say hi to Elliot (the manager/bartender) if you go!
The Boat House (Lambertville) - A hidden gem; this is a renovated old barn that's been turned into a bar.
Martine's River House (New Hope) - Great spot on the river.
Bars:
Karla's (New Hope) - Fun, low key spot.
John & Peters (New Hope) - Total dive bar, and a very eclectic crowd (lots of New Hope characters here usually). Live music here often.
Triumph Brewery (New Hope) - Live music here as well, usually quite crowded but great beer selection.
Cassie
Beautiful New Hope, Pennsylvania is a great place to get married, and it's an even better place to grow up. Cassie was born to Ernie and Dee Dee Bowman, three-decade residents of Bucks County and artistic, historical, and botanical pillars of the community. During her formative years, Cassie carved out her own pillar as a star field hockey player and elite math nerd. After attending Lehigh University she moved to New York City and now works as a Senior Manager of Product & Strategy / Right Midfielder on the soccer team at Tapad. She is also an award-winning baker and cook and runs the food blog Cassie's Kitchen.
CAssie's team
- Samantha Bowman, Maid of Honor - Cassie's sister, primary confidante, publicist, interior designer, & best friend
- Ana Gremli - Jordan's little sister and Official Wedding Snapchat Selfie-Taker
- Catherine Blanchard - Lifelong family friends, currently in Houston by way of Russia by way of New York City. Quite possibly the only person Cassie will go see a movie in the theater with
- Cordelia Blanchard - Stylish and artistic, this Yankee gal found her calling in the buzzing, music-filled town of Austin, TX. She's slowly luring all of her family members back to the south
Lydia Blanchard - Purveyor of Sweet Lydia's, Lowell Massachusetts' premier provider of deliciousness. The original DIY gal
- Teresa Hill - Bama-bred bourbon enthusiast, will likely become best friends with the band
Jordan
He was born to two of the most musical parents this side of 42nd Street - Jack and Carol, life-long musicians & performers, and co-directors of every Nanuet High School musical since the Grunge Era - so it's no surprise that music has been a major part of Jordan's life. He was handed a cello at age 2 (approximate) and hasn't stopped playing and listening to music since. He now works at Spotify as the Head of Artist Insights, where he combines his love of stats, lists, and music into a job where compiling a Top Ten Tracks of the Week playlist is part of the job description. He also runs the company softball team.
jordan's team
- Steve DeNero, Best Man - Introduced himself to Jordan at a fraternity party by sharing his thoughts about a deep cut on The Strokes' third, critically panned album First Impressions of Earth. Ten years and a college radio show later, here we are
- Vijay Vachani - Has so many brilliant ideas that we're pretty sure he's running a tech incubator out of his apartment
- Peter Marler - Ever see someone sing Carmina Burana while winning a tennis match 6-0, 6-0? Want to?
- Chris Tynan - Possibly imported from England to be the star striker on Jordan & Cassie's soccer team Money Ca$h Goals
- Taylor Mulherin - Jordan's "little" fraternity brother; enthusiastic supporter of 'Cuse basketball, the Yankees, and smiles
- Andy Ivanovich - His yearly ski trip has become a hallmark in Jordan & Cassie's relationship and he will probably end up at karaoke at some point during the weekend
Brody, Best Dog
Raised on the mean streets of Brooklyn and adopted by Cassie from Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue in Queens, Brody has not left the couple's side since 2010. Especially when they are eating.
