A Backyard Bash
The couple: Erika Wood, a civil-rights lawyer, and Clayton Harding, the president and owner of a test-preparation company
Where and when: Erika's parents' home in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, on July 2, 2000
Why they chose an at-home wedding: 'As soon as Clay and I got engaged we both knew we wanted the wedding to be at my parents' 18th-century farmhouse, where I grew up and Clay and I have spent a lot of long weekends,' says Erika, who lives with her husband in Brooklyn, New York . 'My mom is an amazing gardener, and the grounds are beautiful. It's peaceful, happy and comfortable. all things we wanted our wedding to be.'
Their first step: 'Planning an outdoor wedding is a huge undertaking, since you have to bring in everything from tents to tables, chairs, plates and silverware, even a dance floor and kitchen equipment. Fortunately, we found an excellent caterer in the area, Guy Abelson, of Guy Abelson Caterers in Providence, Rhode Island , who not only helped us establish a food-and-drink menu but arranged for all those rentals, too.'
Their toughest challenge: 'Parking was our biggest headache, because there was no place to put all the cars. My dad came up with the brilliant idea of asking guests to leave their cars at a nearby park-and-ride, then having shuttles transport everyone to the house and back. For this, our caterer helped us rent trolleys that are used for tours around Newport .
The restroom issue was another big conc
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