It’s incredibly easy to get up at the pre-ass crack of dawn (4:15 am, to be exact) when you know you’re headed for the land of sunshine, palm trees, seagulls, an hour’s drive to the beach, family, marriage vows, pictures, and bonding.
Highlights from the trip:
* Spontaneity. Darling and I decided to rent a car when we got to Tallahassee. And then when we got to the hotel we decided it was necessary to take a trip to the Governor’s Mall, you know, to accessorize our outfits for the wedding a bit more. We walked out with jewelry, a jacket (Darling), and sexy black jeans (me).
* Happy Hour. The hotel had a happy hour each evening and my family dominated it each evening. Between photo shoots of all the relatives, introductions to extended family I’ve never met, and just all around fun it was a great way for everyone to reconnect and let loose.
* My Girl Cousins Van & Gummy. (Nicknames, of course.) The last time I saw them was in – gasp- 1998 and 2001 respectively and my how they have grown. Van is a smart, strong, beautiful 25 year old who’s a Sargeant in the Army and it was like we never missed a beat. Gummy, my almost 16 year old cousin is radiant, intelligent and so much fun to be around; I just wish I lived closer to watch her grow up! We were over the top girls: getting ready together, giggling together, staying up entirely too late and having a sleepover in Van’s room the last night we were there. I miss them all so much already and am working on figuring out how to see them in the next six months!
* The Wedding. It was beautiful. Outdoor ceremony with an orchestral trio. Simple. Lovely bridesmaid dresses. Perfect timing (at sunset). I cried for them. I cried for me. I snapped photos. We lingered after the ceremony for more family photos. We enjoyed wine and hors d’oeuvres before the reception. I mingled. I laughed. I smiled.
* The Reception. Lots of dancing, wine, more laughter, cousin dances, slow dances. I caught the bouquet: the first wedding out of 14 weddings I’ve been to and I caught the bouquet. According to wedding myth I have two years from catching the bouquet for the meaning (me getting married) to come true. I was honestly thrilled and shocked when I caught it (ignoring all irony of the timing, of course). I even decided to carry the bouquet with me on the plane home. It made it as far as Atlanta before I decided I was annoyed with it and instead salvaged just a single rose.
* After Parties. After both the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception we partied late into the night. We played Wii. We listened to country music. We screamed lyrics at the top of our lungs. We watched FSU v. Clemson. We just were: family. friends. together.
It’s hard to do a weekend like this justice but suffice to say it was good for the soul and warming to the heart. I just can’t wait to see everyone and feel like that again.
(No pictures since I forgot to get consent from my family. Most of them are on facebook and more will be posted soon!)
Walking with Nora 
Sounds sooo amazing! I loove spending time with family. It makes for the best weekends :)
Okay, I haven’t been to a wedding since I was 7 years old. Ridiculous, no?
Hooray for trips that are good for the soul. I move we only do things that are good for the soul.
What an awesome weekend! Sounds like it was exactly what you needed right now!
The last time i caught the bouquet, I believe I was 14!
It sounds like the perfect therapy: to just be with people who think you’re wonderful, who really know you, and who love you. I hope you’re still basking in the love =)
That sounds like so much fun!
That sounds like so much fun, and your family seems awesome! Glad to hear you had a good weekend away and were able to relax, smile and enjoy your loved ones. :)
It may be damn hard to package up such a full weekend in a blog post, but after reading this, I felt like I was right there with you!
Sounds like so much fun! :)
Sounds like a wonderful trip :)
sound like an awesome trip :)
It sounds like you had a lovely time! I absolutely love weddings. Florida isn’t so bad either (I’m from there)!
I love happy hour and after parties. I’m glad you had a great time. It’s always nice meeting families and relatives and have fun with them :)