It started out pretty rocky. Morgan - sister - and Ashley - Jimminy Cricket (my conscience/BFF) - piled in the car across the lake, parked, got through security and to our gate with time to spare. But don't worry, it wouldn't be a trip without some adventure so let's start throwing some in here:
Ashley: Alex, is our flight delayed?
Me (Alex): No, why?
Ashley: My mom just got a call from US Air saying our flight wasn't leaving till 3pm. (It is now roughly 130 and our flight is scheduled to leave around 220pm)
Me: Hmmmm. Well, I guess we'll find out. I'm refusing to stress about it.
And stress I did not. That was huge for me, we should all admit. I did get a little nervous when our pilots began to discuss how flights in and out of Atlanta were screwed due to some massive winter storm that somehow escaped all of our knowledge while we were wedding planning. Fascinating.
Long story short: LOTS of turbulence flying above that massive winter storm to Charlotte and a delay flying out due to weather - lots of rain - but we all made it in one piece, with all our luggage AND all our dresses/ wedding finery. Winning!
We got in late though so Thursday was over except for dinner and a celebratory Corona - my celebrating landing safely twice in one day. There were some moments in the air where I freely admit I was wondering whether the wedding would go on if we died in flight. Have I mentioned 2 years in Asia made me a terrible flier?
Friday was wedding-tastic! A bit of a lie-in, lunch with the beautiful bride (my sister in law now - eek!) Then an attempt to find a cardigan for the evening - how I made it to Lexington without a single cardigan I will NEVER know. I own at least 20. My purple one made it, but it didn't match anything in my trousseau for the weekend. Lame. Finding nothing, we booked it back to the hotel to prepare for the rehearsal dinner. All I'll say is hair washing and stockings take way longer than my average prep time.
At the rehearsal, I cried. She cried. He cried. My mom cried. Her mom cried. Pretty sure we all cried at some point. Then dinner - which was wonderful! I love fried chicken. Can I just say that? Also, thanks Mom for putting me in the corner table. Seriously, if you're planning a wedding and your sister/friends are anything like me/our's it doesn't matter if we're near the head table or not. We'd probably rather not be. So much fun! I learned much about this band - One Direction - from my 10 year old cousin who loves ... Liam best. He's from Ireland. And Harry has a pair of doves tattooed on his chest which one of the four grown twenty-something boys at the table knew. Scary, right? I know.
Sometimes living in China was a godsend. Never thought I'd say it, but give me Canto pop over One Direction trivia any day.
Saturday morning dawned bright and early. I overslept and at 720 had to wash my hair - curly hair sucks when it comes to next day styling - and rush out into the frozen tundra to get ready with Michelle - the bride. All went well until I went on an errand for the maid/matron of honor: deliver the wedding band. To Quentin. I accomplished my mission, took one look at my brother and burst into tears. Which the photographer thought was great. Super. Thanks for that buddy. Because while you're taking pictures of me crying on my baby brother's shoulder, all I can think is my mom saying "You're not a pretty crier. None of us are." She did say that. Fact. I couldn't make this stuff up, it totally writes itself. So can't wait for those pictures to come out.
Anywho. They cried saying their vows, I almost started sobbing in the middle of the ceremony, clutching my hankie and my bouquet trying to discreetly not smudge my mascara OR eyeliner. Neither of which are waterproof because I do love a challenge. Barely made it to the reception in one piece. But the eyeliner and mascara: FLAWLESS. NO CLUE how that happened. The reception was awesome: hot chocolate bar: winning! Hung out with some awesome people and ended the night with a dance party featuring Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and naturally Ke$ha.
The after party, though, ya'll made the entire trip. Most fun I have had since I moved back from Macau, that is for sure. Also the most fun I will have in a long time I feel certain. Swimming in the pool, then Mexican, then hanging out in the "Business Center" of an under renovation hotel until 330am. Why? Because we got business. So Ashley, Morgan, Jen, Joe, Emily, Matt, Seth, Eric, Caleb, Michael, Wade: Thanks. Let's do that again, but maybe not in Wilmore. Maybe somewhere nearer the gulf coast.
Thanks for braving the elements: the snow, the rain, the wind, the cold, the 14+ hour drive, the knee surgeries, taking time off work/school, the money. I love everyone who made it to that weekend come hell or high water. Ya'll are the awesomest friends/family ever. I do promise, though, never to get married in a northern state in the middle of winter. None of that snow business for me!
Sometimes you just have the right group of people together at the right time and magic ensues.
The Jameson certainly didn't hurt, though, I can tell you that straight up. At least not in my case!
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