A Dreamy Wedding

What a wonderful, beautiful, adorable, amazing, perfect wedding this weekend. After dating for eight years, Anna and Matt finally got hitched.

Since Anna, Chelsea and I met up in July to find bridesmaids dresses, we have been talking about and preparing for this weekend. All of that anticipation made the drive to Seaside this weekend seem never-ending. To say that all of the waiting paid off is definitely an understatement. Every moment of the weekend was remarkable: from the enchanting cottage, to the quaint town; from the delicious dinners, to the bewitching bride - it was great.

The bridesmaids' cottage was a dream house. Three bedrooms, seven beds, and two pull-out sofas allowed all of the bride's close friends to sleep well and in style.

My favorite part of the house was the rooftop room and porch - pull back the white curtains, and have a 360 degree view of the Gulf and Seaside. We could even see the Chapel!

Thursday evening, some in the bridal party dined at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach. The restaurant has a very intimate feel with candles illuminating, chandeliers hanging, and red lights shining around the ceiling.

With a different menu each day, the daily special was written on a chalk board and brought to the table - I had the shrimp and crawfish pasta and sampled Anna and Chelsea's mahi mahi dishes. A multi-talented four member band played instrumental songs, such as "The Girl from Impanema," on strings and woodwinds. It was great to meet the boys I've heard so much about and reunite with the girls whom I have not seen since the bachelorette party. After dinner, we shared laughs and conversation at the groomsmen's cottage.

Friday, the boys (ahem, MEN) woke up bright and early to play golf, while the girls relaxed. After sleeping in, we had a late breakfast at the Great Southern Cafe, a five minute walk from our cottage. The French toast and Gouda cheese grits were the best orders, in case you are ever in the neighborhood!

While the boys were boys and golfed, we were typical girls.. we shopped! We perused J. Crew and Banana Republic at the outlet malls as well as some local art galleries and jewelry shops in Seaside. After that and a walk to enjoy the weather, it was time to prepare for the Rehearsal and dinner!

The Seaside Chapel is beautiful in its simplicity, and the wedding ceremony followed suit. After the rehearsal (and successful proxy bouquet), dinner followed at the Boat House. Thanks to the Jacksons, the three course meal of a salad, steak and shrimp, and strawberry shortcake filled our appetites and satisfied our taste buds. The slideshow and speeches brought tears to our eyes - this is when I realized it was the wedding and not just a fun weekend. Anna and Matt are a couple to be congratulated; they have given much love and many laughs to their friends and families throughout the years. I think I speak for all of the bridesmaids when I say it is an honor to be a part of their life together.

What a great looking group! Anna knows how to pick them!

After the dinner, the bridal party gathered once again at the groomsmen's cottage, but we were sure to leave before midnight so that our Cinderella Anna wouldn't turn into a pumpkin for her wedding day!

Saturday morning was nice and relaxed - Mrs. Kim and her sisters provided a nice brunch, and we were able to utilize our new robes, a gift from the bride. Soon after our breakfast mimosas, hair dryers, straighteners and make up brushes appeared.. only hours until the moment we have been preparing for since November 2008!

Anna was such a graceful and calm bride, no worries and no stress. The ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. Here are some photos, but neither these nor my words can describe how beautiful the bride was. One thing is for sure, the Dahlems know how to host a beautiful celebration. I could have stayed in this weekend for years. Thanks Mr. Howard and Mrs. Kim!

the first dance.

me and the bride and groom.

the cutting of the cake.

my girls.

I cannot wait to see the more photos from Armosa Studios - Anna and Matt

The Proxy Bouquet

Tonight I finished up a project for the upcoming marriage of my dear friends Anna and Matt. Out of me and my two best friends Anna and Chelsea, I am always dubbed the uncreative one, but when I realized Chelsea left town without the ribbons and Elish was hours away in Baton Rouge, I did what I had to do. Take the ribbons and make the proxy bouquet. 

I believe it is safe to say that every girl in the South (or at least in Mississippi) knows the purpose of a proxy bride bouquet and how it is made. But for the rest of the world... Weddings are a huge deal around here, especially for boys and girls in their twenties, and especially around college graduation time. In the weeks and months before the wedding, groups hold wedding showers for the bride (and groom, more recently than before). At the showers, the bride opens each gift and the bridesmaids typically make notes of who and what was given. They also collect each and every ribbon, which are used to make a bouquet. (No flowers, just ribbons.) The moment a bride walks down the aisle is too special to be rehearsed, so, instead, the bride appoints a proxy to practice walking down the aisle with her dad. [Def. of proxy: a person authorized to act on behalf of another (from Apple).] Ta-da: a proxy bouquet.

All of that to say, I, the uncreative one, volunteered to make a bouquet out of ribbon for a bride that has completed four and a half years of art school. Oh, for the love of a friend. With the help of the ever-creative Faeh, a bouquet was made over two weeks ago, but tonight I had doubts. So I pulled out the hot glue gun and created a second bouquet to allow Anna a choice. After all these years of being the uncreative one, I feel like I must prove myself. I can do art, grrr. So, we'll see how it goes. I'm definitely not promising any pictures at this point..

Blank Page

I feel the need for a blank page before the journey begins: an introduction to get into the spirit, then time for a clear mind, for reflection.

This weekend I visited Starkville, home of Mississippi State University. It was my first time back since moving home from my beloved college apartment, and, although I will forever love my hometown, Starkville still feels like home. The anxiety I have been carrying over the last three months melted away as soon as I entered town. I didn't feel homesick anymore. Aaah. The best way I can describe it is the feeling during meditation/relaxation at the conclusion of yoga classes. The instructor leads us through relaxing different muscle groups and the tension melts away from the neck and shoulders... One more time: aah.

Every moment of the trip was wonderful. I was able to dine at six of my favorite restaurants and visit with twenty five friends - not bad for a two and a half day trip. I shared meals with my sorority family, old classmates, and other dear friends. I shopped with my youth minister, chatted with my sorority house mom and read in a rocking chair that overlooked the Drill Field on campus. I was briefed on the Olympics thanks to a great Tivo driver and received the gift of music from a friend who had an extra iPod. I was counseled on how to travel, where to travel and how to accept that some people don't understand the "why" of travel.

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was celebrating mass at St. Joe's and seeing familiar faces. Community is such an integral part of the Catholic church that friends at mass become more like family, youth ministers become second moms, and priests become faithful therapists. I have missed this tons over the last months, and it was very refreshing to be there in the pew, even though I didn't recognize most faces. [Where did all of these kids come from? I'm glad they're at church, but I've only been gone for two months!] I was also asked to serve as Eucharistic Minister, allowing me to feel even more connected.

It has been hard for me to get comfortable at home when I know I will not be here for much longer. It's true that I begin work in July, but I am home for only twelve weeks until then. I plan to continue walking this thin wire while in limbo, and call my priest and youth minister if I start to lose my balance.

Now I am back at home and looking forward to the trips ahead. Tonight I was so excited about this weekend at Seaside, Florida and my Hawaii trip that is just four weeks away, I packed up most of my winter gear and pulled out summer clothes. Yes, I know it will not be warm this weekend, but let a girl dream. Tearing my closet apart and putting it back together let me relax a little bit, too. Part of the limbo feeling involves not having a "spot" for things. Since most of my stuff is packed away, I am unsettled in this huge room.. I can't find a place for each thing, and there are too many spots for stuff. Oxymoronical but true.

All in all, it is nice to rest in a quiet room (albeit large) and a comfortable bed (that's not quite as perfect as my smaller one), even if it is not in Starkville. At least I'm not paying for the electric!

Introduction

Some girls begin chronicling their lives as soon as they learn to write. Other girls completely refuse to journal on principle or simply disinterest. Still others live in guilt throughout their lifetimes: they make life-inspiring resolutions to begin journaling, spend days, or even weeks, shopping for that perfect diary (which is generally as expensive as a masterpiece novel), all to completely abandon it weeks later. I, unfortunately, fall into the third category - and I have a collection of desolate diaries to prove it.

Now, hopefully with your encouragement, I begin the in vogue diary - a blog.

The next years in my life are crucial to document. If you know me, you realize I have the memory of a goldfish. For the uninformed, goldfish once were thought to have a memory span of three seconds. This, thank goodness for me, has been disproven: turns out they can remember up to three months... Now that I don't live in the same town as my friends, who will remind me of what I have done? [Alex remembers the outfit I wore in 2004, and I cannot remember the event. Chelsea remembers who I took to sorority formals or had a crush on, and I have no idea I thought the boy was cute.] How in the world will I tell my children about the fun I had in Europe, if I can't remember which town was my favorite? How will I recall the best experiences of my life if they are not documented and accessible? Drumroll, please. A blog. I am praying that you keep me accountable, and accept this as my daily (or bi-weekly...) letter to you, personally, to keep you up to date on my life.

I hope to take you on my journey, share my experiences, and maybe even outline some dreams. I offer the perspective of a Southern girl from Mississippi. Single when most are married. Traveling Europe while most are settled comfortably at home. And moving to the city when most are enjoying the South. For the record, it's not that I am against any of the these things. Some proofs:

(1) Anna and Matt are made for each other.

(2) Faeh and Bryan can cook me under the table any day.

(3) My house will probably never look as picture perfect as Alex and Chelsea's.

Nevertheless, I am the one who is expected to tell the good stories that everyone lives vicariously through. I am the girl who is brave (or silly) enough to travel solo. I am the girl who has the misfortunate possibility of witnessing the worst (or best) dates ever known. I am the girl who may fight snow and commuter traffic unlike any seen south of the Mason-Dixon line. So, here goes nothing.

Enjoy!