The trouble with marrying a foreigner is that the wedding, no matter how small, is challenging to organize. Inevitably, many guests aren’t able to attend destination weddings and the same was true for my wedding in Paris almost three years ago (three!!!). It was a small wedding with a ceremony at the Mairie du XIème followed by an elegant cocktail/buffet reception. I always thought we’d end up doing a traditional ceremony in the States with an aisle, bridesmaids and best men (with or without the ivory princess dress). But that was when I assumed our Paris wedding wouldn’t feel like the real deal; wouldn’t feel official. What I realized after was that it was exactly what I hoped it would be. It was the right size for us and the ceremony at the city hall was far more poignant than I ever expected.

Still, so many of the important people in my life were unable to attend so I knew I would want to throw some kind of party in the States. For a number of situational reasons, it has taken us three years to organize a second celebration but after eight months of planning, the day is finally upon us. Tomorrow we leave for Philadelphia and Saturday, June 25th, my entire family and US-based friends will meet my in-laws and for some, it will be the first time they’ll meet C. I’ve been planning the party with an event-planner friend in Philadelphia, Angela Malicki, who has made the process of putting together an event from abroad much smoother.

I’m particularly grateful that my 92 year old grandfather, who has never met C, will be able to attend. He has been quite unwell in recent months and I was concerned he wouldn’t have the strength to make the trip but he’s got his suit and dancing shoes ready.

Since it is the first time my in-laws will have ever touched American soil, it’s only natural that they’d want to visit NYC. After the reception we’ll take the Bolt Bus and spend 3.5 days touring the city, undoubtedly amid throngs of other tourists. Of course I’m most interested in the food since it’s a city literally brimming with international cuisine. I’ve gotten lists of the best bagel shops, sandwich stops and brunch hot spots from friends but with so much choice, we’ll see how much we manage to try. Any affordable dinner recommendations in Manhattan?

My Franco File Friday series will continue during my trip and hopefully I’ll get a post or two up (maybe even with some wedding photos) in between. That said, please feel free to follow my photos on Instagram (search for my account LostNCheeseland or click HERE for web version) and my tweets (wi-fi, permitting) while I’m away.

Homeland, here we come.