Thanksgiving burgers.

Since our wedding was the day after Thanksgiving three years ago, Paul and I decided to go low-key and bring our families to a down-and-dirty dive on the eve of our big day. It was a bold move, but we opted out of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce in favor of the pared-down menu at Burger Joint. All nineteen of us—bride included—chowed down on fries, shakes, and cheeseburgers. It was heaven.

This year we're coming together for the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but I'll never forget how fun, silly, and stress-free it was on the night before our wedding. Here's to a wonderfully long weekend full of laughs, great food, and family traditions—whatever they may be.

Photos 2-5 borrowed from BridgeAndTunnelClub.com. Photo #1 not even at the Burger Joint, but taken sometime that weekend. Apparently we did more eating than photo-taking during Thanksgiving '06.