A Fun Wedding Weekend in Carlisle PA

A couple of weekends ago, one of my best friends and a groomsman of mine, Jon, got married to a woman, Alison, who has become one of my friends as well. Some of my favorite parts of weddings include seeing people I care about being happy, the hotel stay (if applicable) for the change of scenery and of course the food and booze because of my love for a good meal. At this wedding, I got all of that and the benefit of good company as a groomsman.

With that being said, let’s dive in… business card style.

Country Inn and Suites Carlisle PABeth and I stayed at the Country Inn and Suites by Carlson, which was the recommended hotel. I had requested a king sized bed room, but they didn’t have any at the time, so we were reserved for two queens instead.

However, we got upgraded to a king suite free of charge, which was great. The room was nice & clean, but the bathroom door was too close to the room door. The result? I put a bolt-sized hole in the bathroom door because it wasn’t closed fully. Whoops.

Rillo's RestaurantAfter checking in, we went to the rehearsal dinner at Rillo’s Restaurant. It was an Italian place that had some good food between the bread & butter, salad, Chicken Katie (grilled chicken breast with sauteed seasonal vegetables in a lemon-butter sauce) I chose from their fixed menu and dessert consisting of a variety of good treats.

This was the first step towards my diet flying out the window for the weekend.

Whispering Pines Banquet HallNow, it’s time for the main event: the wedding ceremony and reception. I loved the space they chose, which was Whispering Pines Banquet Hall. It consisted of a good-sized room for the dance floor, tables that weren’t cramped in and the bar & cocktail hour food.

The ceremony was outdoors in a pretty little nook to the side of the building. There were so many gnats flying around during the rehearsal and when we were taking photos, but none of them were in our way (or in my ears) during the ceremony. I almost fell walking up and down the narrow stairway during the ceremony, but I managed not to make an ass out of myself.

The reception was also fun, with dancing, good company, food and booze. The seating was comfortable also, which is a key factor in my mealtime enjoyment. During the cocktail hour, they offered vegetables, cheese & crackers, meatballs & Italian bread and buffalo chicken dip. For the meal, they had bread & butter, a salad and vanilla & chocolate wedding cake.

The dinner I wanted to note separately since I ordered the chicken parmesan over the roast beef and chicken cordon bleu. When it arrived to the table, it was breaded chicken cutlets with vodka sauce on top. I know that other areas in the country do Italian a bit differently than the NY/NJ area, but it was still good nonetheless. It came with a side of mixed veggies, which I also enjoyed.

Other highlights of the weekend include taking Beth and one of my good friends Jerry to experience Sheetz (the best convenience store I know) for the first time, the after party at a local pub and Whispering Pines having a nice collection of business cards from recommended vendors right at the entrance, which I snagged. Yoink.

Tell me about your experience at these places in the comments below or on Twitter @ChrisKeuling!