Congratulations on the AERIS and Wavelet! Let me know if you need any help with setup as I've had AERIS + WAVELET for 2 years (I was the first AERIS owner that moved from Xilica 4080 to Wavelet) and am glad to help.
Unboxing: The best way to get the speakers out of the box is in fact to lay the shipping cartons on their side and slide the speakers out (onto sofa cushions as pointed out on the thread or a thick blanket is an excellent idea). No other way to do it; trying to lift the speaker
vertically out of the cradle at the bottom will leave you frustrated....It's safe, I've done it several times with Focus HD, Focus SE and AERIS for unboxing/boxing (in reverse of course, slide them in then get the foam cradle situated, then seal the crate and stand it up) and it works like a charm.
And most importantly....ENJOY!!! After 275-350 hours of break in when the bass drivers and large mid limber up and get tight, you will be even more amazed than the day 1 experience you will have very soon!
Mark