Ryan and I got married on September 12 behind our house in Camp Alley (one of the few remaining brick alleys in Newark). Then we headed upstairs for afternoon tea with our guests, including food, drink, dancing, a cheesy poem contest, cupcakes, and fun. To celebrate even more, we hosted a celebratory bicycle ride.

We grabbed our tandem (purchased off Craigslist for $35 and fixed up complete with a sparkly “Just Married” sign), about 20 friends and family grabbed their bicycles, and the photographer hopped in front of the tricycle. We all met outside 407 Mulberry at 4pm. The ride departed at 4:30pm, heading across McCarter Highway and into the Ironbound. After a quick stop at the Murphy’s Varnish Building (a gorgeous yet contaminated building that is being torn down), we headed around the lot with the chickens (show chickens and roosters) and down Ferry Street (where it smelled of bbq-ed meat). We continued under Penn Station (ring ring ring) and rounded the corner of Market and Broad up towards Washington Park. Then past the cute abandon of Halsey Street and turned right up Hill Street. We should have been forewarned that Hill Street is named thus for a reason – as this is where the tandem’s chain could not hold both a bride and groom. Stopped in front of the beautiful Kruger-Scott mansion (the man who built it built one of Newark’s velodromes!) on MLK Boulevard with chain snapped in half, we decided to half-roll/half-hitch a ride home. Thanks Mike Christoff for the ride on the trike!

Overall, a super fun ride with lots of bell ringing and celebration. Lots of people on the streets and in cars turning their heads wondering “What is going on?” then cheering when they found out. No flat tires, a broken chain (luckily, close to home), and, after nap time, an after-party. Why is it that bicycle rides are so great for celebrating?

The mapped route can be found here.