A Wedding Adventure

I am that annoying guest that doesn't make up her mind on whether or not to go until the last minute.  Thus, I didn't RSVP.  And I still brought a +1.  Sorry, Kalie.

I was told once that caterers plan for 7% more people than the number who RSVP.  So, I was indirectly accounted for.  I think.

Keith, Kelli, Jeff, and I departed for the booming metropolis of St. Edward, Nebraska (population: 680), and we were all pretty excited about it.  Small town weddings are always so unique, and none of us had ever been there before.

I didn't take any pictures during the ceremony.  I thought doing so was taboo.  Many other people were taking pictures, but I wasn't comfortable doing so.  What do you think?  Is it OK to take pictures during a wedding ceremony?

Yes?  No?

At the last minute, right before the couple was announced, a bagpiper emerged out of nowhere, playing "Scotland the Brave."  I can only assume that either Kalie or Shawn (or both of them) has a Scottish heritage.  Otherwise, I have no idea why this bagpiper might have been there.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this.  And I figured that nobody would notice me taking a picture seeing as how there was a bagpiper marching around.

Anyway, this is the bridal party after the bride and groom were announced.

I've never seen bridesmaids wear white dresses, but these were actually very cute!  While most couples designate certain colors for their wedding and incorporate them into what the bridesmaids wear, Kalie and Shawn utilized lots of colors!  Each bridesmaid wore a different colored ribbon, and each groomsman had a tie to match.  Kalie's bouquet had flowers of every color.

As we waited outside the church, the bagpiper kept us entertained with more music.  Would you believe that I recognized this bagpiper?  My church has Scottish roots, and every year in April for Heritage Sunday, we invite bagpipers to come and play during worship.  I asked him, just to make sure, and he confirmed that he does, in fact, play at Westminster every April.  Small world!

Also to kill some time, we decided to take pictures with each other.  These were my carpooling peeps.

Soon enough, Shawn and Kalie emerged...

And we showered them with bubbles.

The wedding party boarded this "trolly."

We had a lot of time to kill between the wedding and the reception, so some of the locals recommended that we go hang out at the town bar.

In St. Edward, they paint their parking lines on their sidewalks.  You kind of just have to do your best to align the angle of your vehicle with the lines.  This whole concept was quite puzzling to me.

We weren't exactly sure where the town bar was, but we predicted it would be on Main Street.  It was pretty easy to spot:

We may have overwhelmed the bartender.  She said she is not used to such a crowd at 4:30.  We each had a drink (totaling a mere seven dollars and change) and enjoyed the free popcorn.  We also enjoyed listening to music from the jukebox.

While waiting, we decided to note Kalie and Shawn's special day on the calender that was hanging in the bar.

Also there, I spotted this funny, yet sad sign:

First come, first serve?  For a lost dog?  How sad.

Attention, readers:  Please get your dog micro-chipped.  Or, at least make your dog wear a collar with your contact information on it.  It will prevent your dog from appearing on a sign in a small-town bar and from being given away to the first person interested in him/her.

Soon enough, we headed out to the Whidden farm for Shawn and Kalie's reception.  The first thing that caught my eye was this cake:

Have you ever seen such a bright, fun cake?  It looks like something you would see on Cake Boss!  Also, the cake toppers were bobble-heads!

I also thought the napkins were very clever:

They read, "Eat, Drink, and be Married."

After we finished eating, we found coloring pages and crayons!  Keith and Kelli each colored a picture.

Though they were probably intended for smaller children, there were plenty of supplies, so we didn't really hesitate in taking them.

As they transformed the barn from reception to dance, we stepped outside the barn to get some fresh air.

We headed back in for dancing, but not before saying hello to Kalie's mom's dog, who was dressed for the occasion.  You can't see it well, but it was wearing a multi-colored bandanna to match Kalie's decor.

Keith and Jeff each stood in line for the dollar dance...

And then it was time for us to begin the trek back to Lincoln.  Kelli had places to be, and I'm really no good at driving in the dark.

I can't help but wonder, though, if we had stuck around for one or two more dances if I could've avoided getting pulled over for speeding.  But that is neither here nor there.

Congratulations, Shawn and Kalie! 

Thanks for allowing us to be a part of your special day!

Wedding Weekends

I have had no free weekends in a while.

Why, you ask?

Because of the wedding of my dear friends Ashley and Jeremy and all the events that came along with it.

First, there was a bachelorette party last Friday.  I would post pictures, but I don't have any.  I put my camera batteries in the charger on Friday morning and forgot to take them out of the charger before I left for Omaha on Friday evening.

I will tell you that we enjoyed good company and good fun.  Also, I stayed out way past my bedtime, which was not the best decision I've ever made considering I had class all day on Saturday.

After class on Saturday, I headed back up to Omaha for Ashley and Jeremy's couples' shower.  Mike and Casey Huff hosted the barbecue at their new house.  While Casey and Vanessa spent most of their day cooking, they decided to special order the dessert.

Eileen really knows how to make a good cookie!

After dinner, it was time to open presents!

At first, Jeremy didn't really seem into it.  He was more concerned with checking college football scores than opening gifts:

He eventually got more into it...

In fact, he got so into it that he spilled a drink on Ashley:

He even found time to be a little bit silly:

So, although it was a great Saturday, it was another late night followed by another class on Sunday.

Fast-forward to this weekend.

On Friday, we had the rehearsal with a dinner to follow. 

After the rehearsal dinner, we went to Brewsky's so that we could continue hanging out.  While most people just hung out at a table and watched some football, Ben and Tara played a shooting game in the game room.

This picture is only funny to me because these are two of the most non-threatening, wouldn't-harm-a-fly-kind-of-people that I know.

The Big Day

On Saturday morning, our day started with 9:00 hair appointments:

Then, it was time to get ready:

It took a lot of people to help get Ashley ready.  We bridesmaids didn't want to get too much in the way, so we stood by in case we were needed:

Throughout this wedding-planning process, I have fallen in love with Ashley's nieces and nephew, who were there to provide some comic relief throughout the day.  Meet Maguire, the ring bearer.

He is stinkin' cute, but definitely a handful!

Once Ashley was ready to go, we left the church to go to a nearby park to get our pictures taken.

Although we were behind schedule, once pictures were finished, we headed back to the church to relax a bit as the guests arrived.

The ceremony went really smoothly.  Not only was it beautifully planned and executed, but nearly all of Ashley and Jeremy's closest friends and family memebers were there to celebrate in their special day.

My beautiful bouquet!

Afterward, we went to grab a quick drink before heading to the reception.

Mr. and Mrs. Sevick!

The reception was a blast!

I wish I would've taken more pictures, but I was too busy eating and dancing.

At the end of the night, we watched as Mr. and Mrs. Sevick drove away...

Ashley and Jeremy, I love you both very much, and I was honored to be a part of your special day!  Here's wishing two of my very best friends a lifetime full of love and happiness!