My Best Friend's Wedding, part two

Wedding day!
The ceremony wasn't until 7pm, and so we had all day to get ready. While Emmett napped, I took Theo over to Erin's parents' house so that we could swim, swim, swim, and enjoy a picnic lunch with Erin and her family.

Erin's brother David (thanks to him, my husband, the groom, and one of the groomsmen, I always got an answer when I called out "Dave!!") and I were the only grown-ups in the water, and since both of the flower girls and Theo were a little leary of him, I ended up on the receiving end of hundreds of trips down the slide, jumps from the edge, etc... I couldn't have thought of a better wedding day workout on my own!!

Finally, at about 3:30pm, I started getting ready. I was to meet Erin at the church a little past 5, and I definitely couldn't be late. Erin bought my dress in New York and sent it to me a few months ago. After some slight alterations, beautiful new shoes, and earrings and a hairpiece that were gifts from the bride, this is how I ended up:

If we're being honest here, I was a little freaked out, at first, about this dress. About 2 inches shorter than I would have chosen for myself, and maybe 1/2 a size too small. Thanks to my sister Jessica, I got on the ball and lost about 6 pounds the month before the wedding. I've also been attending a pretty decent strength class at the Y and, come wedding day, I did feel as my husband described me... strong and sexy! The girl in me so loves getting all made- and dressed- up. I'm already looking forward to the next opportunity I'll have to wear this dress!
And, believe it or not, the wedding wasn't actually about me...

Erin was a gorgeous bride. Simple, classic. She found her Vera Wang wedding gown on ebay. It fit her perfectly. She wore tiny earrings, a slight necklace, and my baptism bracelet. A horse drawn carriage carried all of the wedding guests and the bridal party from the church to the reception hall, where the bride changed into a lacey vintage cocktail dress for dancing. Erin, of course, had a few feathery surprises for the photographer (I can't wait to see his pics!!)

The reception was so much fun. The food and the drinks were delectable. The toasts to the bride and groom were heartfelt. The music rocked! We danced and danced and danced. My left foot is still numb!!

My Best Friend's Wedding, part one

Clearly, I have a little explaining to do about the sudden disappearance of my long time (almost three years!!) website, BeingBugsie.com. After this past weekend's events, however, I decided that conversation could be put on hold for a bit longer. I have so much to share about Erin's wedding!
As most of you reading this know, Erin and I have known one another for... ever! She was married this past weekend, and the 3 days that we spent celebrating were phenomenal. The story is, perhaps, best told with photos:

Here is Erin on the day before her big day, rehearsing her hairstyle and trying to relax:

The wedding rehearsal and dinner were on Friday. Erin and David were married at Heritage Hill State Park in the same church that Erin's parents were married in exactly 35 years ago on Monday. The rehearsal dinner was at Z Harvest Cafe. Dave and I had never been there, and the food was to die for (a theme that repeated throughout the weekend!!)

Dave and I on Friday night. Erin's mom, Erin, and me at Heritage Hill.

The rehearsal went wonderfully and pushed me nearly to the edge of excitement/nervousness/anxiety/pure joy over my best friend's wedding. I got my first glimpse of Erin's wedding program on Friday and, opening the front cover, I read:

Understand, I'll slip quietly

away from the noisy crowd

when I see the pale stars rising, blooming, over the oaks.

I'll pursue solitary pathways

through the pale twilit meadows,

with only this one dream:

You come too.

-Rainer Maria Rilke

This little bit was all it took to kickstart the crying. Always a sucker when it comes to weddings, Erin's ranked right up there with my sister Jessica's when it came to (my) tears shed. Erin had so perfectly considered every last detail. I noticed Dave, even, was misty eyed a couple of times throughout.

So, here are a few more pictures from the rehearsal. Erin looked adorable in the sweetest little vintage "bumble bee" dress. The first photo is of Erin holding her new nephew, 7-week-old Charlie, who was an angel all weekend. His mama, Sarah, is Dave's sister. She was the officiant for the wedding ceremony, and she did a beautiful job. The next two photos are just of Erin and Dave during the rehearsal.

This is a picture of Erin reading a page from a 1950's home economics text book on "how to be a good wife." I think I took this when she got to the part about running a dust cloth over the tables before your husband gets home from work so that he feels as though he's reached a "haven of rest and order" or some crap like that. Her future-in-laws (both retired educators) presented the "rules" to her at the rehearsal. If you know Erin, you know we got a good laugh... (I love the flabbergasted look on her face, and the amused, knowing look on his.)