FAQ
Hi. Join our WhatsApp for the wedding weekend.
Wedding
How optional is “black tie optional”? Do I need to wear a tux/gown?
Actually optional. If you’re like Stevie and love a good excuse to wear your tux, we’re excited to see it. But please don’t go out of your way to rent/buy something extra formal; suits, cocktail-length or midi dresses, formal jumpsuits, and colors outside the black-to-navy spectrum are all more than welcome. We’re just trying to keep it dressy. Think “summer formal” (and then be glad we didn’t write that on the invitation).
Will the wedding be outside?
Yes (or no) and yes/no and no.
The ceremony will be outside (on grass) in partial shade—unless it rains, in which case it’ll be indoors (but on gravel).
Dinner will be on grass, but under a tent.
The reception will be fully indoors. Unless you choose to go outdoors.
Will you live stream the ceremony?
Yes, we’ll share the live stream for folks that can’t join us and post a link here on the day. [Edit: We weren't able to set this up - if you couldn't make it, we can share our ceremony video with you as soon as we have it!]
What should we call you after 4:30pm on September 1st?
Same as always! Alicia’s a McElhone, Steve’s a McClain, and we’ll stick with that until someone finds a better combination than McClone. If you’re ever looking for a casual simplification, you can follow the lead of Alicia’s family and call us the Mc2s (like “McTwo”).
What’s for dinner?
Sunday’s dinner will be served family style, with plenty of veggies and meat to go around. We’ll do our best to take all dietary restrictions and allergies into account.
Travel & LBI
What should I do while I’m in town?
We have a long list of recommendations for food and activities—check out the highlights here. Many restaurants require reservations, and only a few places deliver, so we’ve included lots of options and context.
How do I get to LBI?
The best airports to fly into are Newark and Philly. Check out the Travel page for information on everything from buses to carpools to private car services. And start mentally preparing for the rite of passage that is Jersey shore traffic. Have you tried meditation?
Where should I stay?
Our top picks are Surf City Hotel (3-night minimum), Drifting Sands, or VRLBI (a better, local, no-fee alternative to Airbnb). The sooner you can book, the better!
We have a Sunday-only room block at the Mainland Holiday Inn with code MMW, and a room block at the Sea Horse Motel, which you can book by calling (609) 494-5392 and mentioning our names.
What should I know about LBI beaches?
There are a lot of strictly enforced beach rules in Surf City. The most important ones are: no alcohol (they’ll kick you off the beach without a warning and require a court appearance); only swim between the flags, which are near the lifeguards, on the even-numbered streets; and no digging holes deeper than a foot. It’s fun, we promise…
Badges are required through Labor Day for ages 12–65. They’re provided by many rentals and some hotels, or you can buy them from badge checkers on the beach with cash ($10 daily). Weekly badges ($20) run from Saturday–Saturday and won’t be necessary after Monday, so we recommend sticking with the daily option.
Badges are only good for the town in which you buy them. We'll plan to be in Surf City, but Ship Bottom has a mobile app for their badges, which can also be purchased at their office (read more here).
Lifeguards are posted roughly every two blocks. Lifeguard stands will display high/low tide times and water temperatures. Swimming conditions can be very rough at times, with deadly currents, so please pay attention to the flags. 🟢 = good to go, 🟡 = confident swimmers for shorter periods of time, 🔴 = serious risk (don’t swim), 🔵 = dangerous marine life.
General
I need more reading material. Where can I go with my many, many other questions?
We made a WhatsApp community for wedding updates, day-of coordination, and questions & answers. Join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ba46Mxs6AotIveQjqafzVn (Let us know if the link doesn’t work for you and we’ll add you by name.)