About the Wedding

About Allison

Allison Rosania was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. She was raised by her parents, Catherine and Tom, as well as their miniature schnauzers, Truffles and Moonlight. Allison’s interest in conservation and urban planning led her to the geography program at Clark University in Worcester, MA, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2009. She is currently working for the Appalachian Mountain Club in downtown Boston. Allison loves DC Sports teams (she is an avid Washington Redskins and Washington Capitals fan), Disney and Star Wars movies (the old ones), and laying on Caribbean beaches (or any beach really, or lake, or other swimmable body of water).

About Zan

Alexander Hecht was born at a young age, and grew up in Los Angeles, CA. There were too many “Alexander”s and “Alexandra”s in his first grade class and all the popular nicknames were taken, so he settled on taking “Zan” from the middle (he doesn’t spell it “Xan” because Xs are scary to pronounce). He is not a fan of hot weather, and since his parents Barbara and Michael both grew up in the Boston area, it was only natural that he would move to Massachusetts for college. Zan earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2006, spent a few years working for a scientific instrument manufacturer in a 200-year-old barn in rural New Hampshire, and is currently working for L-3 Communications building space telescopes. His favorite activities include building robots, correcting people on the internet, and fixing things that aren’t broken. As all engineers do, Zan has a love for all things shiny.

About Zan and Allison

Zan and Allison first met on March 17th, 2006 through a mutual friend, Russ Grossman, who had transferred across town from Worcester Polytechnic Institute to Clark University. They had their first date a couple of months later on May 2nd at One Eleven Chop House, minutes after Zan turned in the last assignment he needed to earn his degree, and committed the faux pas of planning their second date before the first one was over. Although Allison returned to the DC area over the summer, they maintained the relationship long-distance, visiting each other whenever possible. They fell in love and continued dating as Allison returned to Clark University and Zan moved an hour away to Wilton, NH, visiting each other most weekends. After Allison graduated from Clark University in 2009 they moved to Billerica, MA, and a few years later moved to Wilmington, MA where they now live. Zan and Allison like to travel whenever than can do so inexpensively, have visited theme parks across North America, cruised the Caribbean, and spent time at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Three Mile Island camp every summer since 2007.

In 2008, while Allison was still in college and Zan was working in New Hampshire, Zan wanted to make some sort of romantic gesture in between Valentine’s Day and their dating anniversary in May. He discovered that on April 1st of that year they would’ve been dating for exactly 100 weeks. As an April Fool’s Day “joke”, he took a day off of work and drove down from New Hampshire to surprise Allison in her dorm room with flowers. It became a tradition, and every year while Allison was in college, Zan would show up in the middle of the week on April Fools Day (the only time that they would see each other outside of the weekends). When Zan decided to propose, he decided that the best way to make sure that Allison would be surprised after all these years was to resurrect the tradition.

On April 1st, 2015, Zan showed up unexpectedly at Allison’s office at the Appalachian Mountain Club with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. After catching his breath (he had to climb Beacon Hill and then summit five flights of stairs to the accounting department), and after several attempts to find a spot that wasn’t in anyone’s way, Zan and Allison retreated to her boss’s empty office. There, overlooking the Charles River, Zan reminded Allison how he had first visited her on April 1st to celebrate 100 weeks and talked about the 365 wonderful weeks they had had together since then. He then asked Allison if they could spend the rest of their weeks together, presenting her with an heirloom ring that had been in Allison’s family for generations.

Maid of Honor: Colleen Rosania

Colleen is Allison’s younger sister. Allison has always known that Colleen would be her Maid of Honor when she got married, and Colleen was the first person that Allison called to tell after the proposal. She currently lives in Palo Alto, CA and is studying for her Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. Like Zan, Colleen is an engineer with a love for all things shiny.

Bridesmaids

Allison’s other bridesmaids are a mixture of family and friends:

• Ryanne Berkowitz – Allison’s friend and three-time college roommate. She and Allison met their freshman year at Clark and quickly bonded over their mutual love of peanut butter.
• Amy Grossman – Allison’s friend and former housemate. She is married to the best man Russ Grossman.
• Elizabeth Hecht – Zan’s sister and Allison’s future sister-in-law.
• Aimee Temple – Allison’s friend. Allison met her when she started dating her now husband, groomsman John Temple.

Best Man: Russ Grossman

Without Russ, there would likely be no “Zan and Allison”. Russ met Zan when they were both at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and then met Allison when he transferred to Clark University, quickly becoming close friends with both of them. Russ introduced Allison and Zan, and worked behind the scenes to make sure they asked each other out. Russ is married to bridesmaid Amy Grossman, and they live in Peabody, MA with their two dogs, Scout and Odo.

Groomsmen

Zan’s other groomsmen are also a mixture of family and friends:

• Jason Berkowitz – Zan’s friend, who he met through Clark University Hillel. Jason and his now wife, Ryanne Berkowitz, were present during most of Zan and Allison’s first date.
• Jeremy Blaustein – Zan’s first cousin.
• Seth Blaustein – Zan’s first cousin.
• John Temple – Zan’s friend. John and Zan lived in the same suite in college and bonded over a mutual appreciation of Star Trek. John introduced Zan and Russ.

The wedding venue is located in Beverly, Massachusetts, which is in the “North Shore” region north of Boston. This area is served by two airports, Logan Airport to the south in downtown Boston and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to the north in Manchester, NH. Both are a little over an hour from Beverly, MA.

The average high temperature in Massachusetts in the third week of October is 59°F and the average low is 44°F. However, the weather in Massachusetts in October is extremely variable, and the high temperatures can change almost 20°F from one day to the next.

About the North Shore

Beverly is located in the middle of the region known as the “North Shore”, which extends along the cost from the town of Revere to the New Hampshire border. Mid-October is peak travel season to the region, both for the fall foliage and for the Halloween events that occur all month in the town of Salem (for this reason, it is very important to book any hotel rooms early, see the Hotel Details page for more information).

Other than our wedding, popular travel destinations in the North Shore area include the sea-side towns of Salem, Gloucester, and Rockport:

• Salem was the site of the famous Salem Witch Trials, and has a number of museums, including the Peabody Essex Art Museum, and a lots of good restaurants. Throughout all of October, Salem is taken over by the Haunted Happenings event, featuring carnivals, haunted houses, side-shows, ghost tours, and thousands and thousands tourists (many in costume). Salem is located just south of Beverly.
• Gloucester is a fishing town (home of Gorton’s Seafood) with a scenic harbor, a cute downtown, and plenty of places to get seafood.
• Rockport is the home of a bunch of art galleries, boutique shops, and a beautiful concert hall. If you are driving to Rockport, Halibut Point state park is absolutely stunning.

If you visit these towns dress warmly, because the weather can be unpredictable and breezy.

About Boston

Boston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States, founded in 1630 by Puritan colonists from England. The Boston area was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s “midnight ride”, the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston.

This is just a small sample of things to do in Boston. Keep in mind that the weather in Boston in October can be cold, so many outdoor activities may not be possible.

Attractions:

• Faneuil Hall Marketplace – A collection of shops and restaurants located downtown near Long Wharf and the North End.
• The North End – The oldest residential neighborhood in the country, the North End is filled with high end Italian restaurants and shops. Some of the more famous locations include Mike’s Pastry for cannolis and the original Regina Pizza (which is much better than their food-court locations).
• The Freedom Trail – A 2.5-mile walking trail through some of the most historic sites in Boston dating back to before the Revolutionary War. The walk is considerably shorter if you skip the parts in Charlestown. The weather may or may not be conducive to walking in later October (expect highs ranging from the 30s to the 70s).
• The Prudential Center – A series of interconnected malls located within some of the tallest buildings in Boston. You can visit the Skywalk Observatory on the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower for panoramic views of the city. Located near Copley Square, home of the Boston Library and the Boston Marathon finish line.

Museums:

• New England Aquarium – Located on the waterfront near Fanueil Hall, the aquarium is known for their large collection of penguins and the newly-renovated 3-story-tall Giant Ocean Tank.
• Boston Museum of Science – Located on a bridge between Boston and Cambridge, the Museum of Science features over 700 interactive exhibits, a number of live presentations (including the largest Van de Graaff lightning generator in the world), and shows at the Charles Hayden Planetarium and the Mugar Omni Theater, the only domed IMAX screen in New England.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – One of the most comprehensive art museums in the world; the collection encompasses nearly 450000 works of art.
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – One of the most unique art museums in the world, the Gardner museum features a collection of international art located inside the former home of collector and philanthropist Isabella Stewart Gardner.
• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum – The presidential library and museum of President John F. Kennedy. It is located on the water in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston next to UMass Boston.
• Mary Baker Eddy Library – This library and museum devoted to the founder of the Christian Science movement is located in the Christian Science complex that also houses the Christian Science “Mother Church” and the Christian Science Monitor. It’s located near Copley Square and the Prudential Center. The highlight of the library for those not interested in Christian Science is the Mapparium, a 30-foot diameter stained-glass globe of the earth that you can walk inside of.

Tours:

• Boston Duck Tours – View the city from both land and the Charles River on a WWI amphibious vehicle. Each tour guide has their own character that they play, and the tours are always entertaining and funny for kids and adults alike. There are tours departing from the Museum of Science, the Prudential Center, and the Aquarium, although the Aquarium tours are shorter and see less of the city.
• New England Aquarium Whale Watch – A three-hour tour to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a rich feeding ground for whales, dolphins, sea birds and other marine life. Dress warmly, as it can get very cold on the ocean in October.
• Old Town Trolley Tours – A Hop-On Hop-Off bus that runs throughout downtown Boston, the seaport district, and parts of Cambridge. They stop at the cruise terminal on days when ships are in port. Each tour includes the second day free as well as your choice of admission to the Boston Tea Party Ships or a 45-minute Harbor Cruise.
• Upper Deck Trolley Tours – Another Hop-On Hop-Off bus that runs through downtown Boston, the seaport district, and parts of Cambridge. Their buses are higher (hence the name). They sell packages that include “Super Duck Tours” that go in Boston Harbor (the “Super Duck” is not to be confused with the “Boston Duck Tours”, which have much more entertaining drivers and covers more of the city but only go in the Charles River, not the harbor).

Eat and Drink:

• Faneuil Hall Marketplace and the The North End have way more restaurants then I could possibly list here. Highlights include Mike’s Pastry, Regina Pizza, Durgin Park, and the large food court at Fanueil Hall.
• The Union Oyster House – the longest running restaurant in the country.
• Legal Seafoods – With several locations throughout downtown (including at the airport, near the Aquarium, and in the Seaport District), this local chain serves fresh seafood straight off the boats, as well as the quintessential New England Clam Chowder.
• Omni Parker House – Located in the Omni Hotel, this restaurant invented Boston Cream Pie and Parker House Rolls, as well as the term “scrod”.
• Cheers Boston – Cheers has two locations — one at the Bull and Finch Pub where the exterior shots for the TV show were filmed, and one in Faneuil Hall. Despite being a tourist trap, Cheers has surprisingly decent food, and might be worth a visit if you were a fan of the show.
• Yankee Lobster – A personal favorite, this tiny seafood shack located near the cruise port offers fresh seafood on paper plates at a fraction of the price of Legal. They were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives for their Lobster Mac and Cheese and their Stuffed Quahogs (Allison’s favorites).
• James Hook + Co. – Located near South Station, James Hook is mostly a lobster wholesaler and retailer, but they also make one of the best lobster rolls in the city.
• Harpoon Brewery – This local brewery, located near the cruise port, offers factory tours that include a free beer-tasting. They also have a large beer hall where you can buy glasses or flights of any of their beers and get home-made soft pretzels (made with leftover grain mash from the brewing process).