You're assuming an awful lot.

But this wedding is going to be some kind of awesome in terms of the experience for all involved (principals and attendees alike) and the stories they will all tell for the rest of their lives.

You can't buy that shit.

You always have the option of declining the invitation :dunno:

Is this a really close friend? Do you really want to go ... ?

I ask because it's easy to feel pressured or bullied into these kinds of things, these days I'm more likely to turn down invitations unless it's of meaningful value.

point taken.

i am obviously extremely misanthropic and shudder that someone would actually choose day of the marathon for such a special day, but i see your point.

Epilogue: Booked Omni Parker House and plan on using Boston Common Parking. Will be a 0.2mi walk to the wedding. My original gripe with this hotel was the valet-only parking. The common parking is half the price and not valet.

I missed the group rate on the Omni, called them and begged to no avail. Then saw a rate close to the group rate on kayak, called them again and they said they can't match web deals. So I booked them from the web (easytobook.com, decent prices and good cancellation policy).

Yep, Boston Common garage is cheap... $11/day on weekends. The entrance/exit is on the Charles St. side of the Common though, so it will be a bit longer of a walk to the Omni Parker. The walk from the Omni Parker to Park St. is very short though.

I priced out the common garage at $22 for my saturday/sunday stay. I noticed it's a bit of a walk, but hey, we'll be traveling light. Thanks! :)

Epi-epi-logue: Garage was great, cheap and convenient to self-park. I even spotted the valets of my hotel whizzing around it, so I guess I found the right place (for cheaper, less wait and hassle and without the worry of giving up my keys).

Hotel: meh, not so much. I couldn't give a crap about its history. Location was awesome as it was a short walk back from the drunken party, but the room/amenities everything else sucked. I guess the 'historic' title doesn't do much for me. Didn't help that we got a really crappy room... And yes, it was completely booked by marathoners making a room upgrade/change impossible.