I now pronounce you...

Husband and Wife!!

A huge congrats to a couple of our best friends, Derek and Michele! They tied the knot this past weekend in a beautiful wedding in Cincinnati, Ohio. The ceremony was held at Holy Cross Immaculata Church and the reception was at the Hyde Park Country Club. Michele totally outdid herself and impressed us all with her cross-country planning. Everything went off without a hitch and she looked absolutely stunning. Seriously. Like a Barbie doll. :) The best moment was at the end of the night when Michele looked at me with a look of quasi-terror on her face and said, "We're going to be an old married couple now!" Don't worry, Michele, it's really not that bad. ;)

Another plus from the weekend was meeting more of their family and friends. Everyone couldn't have been nicer, more welcoming and more fun. I can honestly say I think we made some connections this weekend that will last longer than just the few days we were there.

Not only were we thrilled to be there as guests, but we felt honored to be a part of the wedding. Rusty stood up with Derek as a groomsman and I helped out in my official role as Program Distributor. It's a skill, people. I'm amazing. Really.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend...

Rehearsal dinner...

The ceremony... (didn't take many pictures. I was too busy being a sap and crying!)

Rusty escorting our new friend, Karen :)

Time to party!

Rusty and the best man, Jason

He cleans up pretty good, eh?

I love the look on Michele's face in this picture. Too cute!

Thanks for everything guys, we had a blast! Best wishes to you both and welcome to the club!! :)

Mandy & Nathan

Sometimes I get really sad that I'm so far away from home - that is, the home where I spent the majority of my "growing up" years. It means I have lost touch with some good friends I made back in Jersey and I usually miss big events because I'm on the other side of the country. So when my one of my oldest and dearest friends, Mandy, told me she was getting married, I was thrilled! But so sad at the same time because I wasn't sure if I would be able to travel to North Carolina for her wedding.

Lucky for me, as a result of a variety of reasons, Mandy and her new husband, Nathan, decided the best locale for their wedding would be Saratoga! Woo! This meant that I didn't have to travel AND I got to stand up with her as a bridesmaid. Their wedding was at the picturesque Hakone Gardens and despite the 100+ degree heat, it was a beautiful ceremony. The scenery was outshone only by the love Mandy and Nathan clearly have for one another. Thankfully, after we got through taking pictures, we were able to escape the dreadful heat to go to the reception at Trevese in Los Gatos. This place was incredible. The food, the wine, the decor... just awesome. I can't wait to go back.

Since I was in the wedding, I wasn't able to take many pictures. Hopefully I'll be able to come back with more pictures later, but for now here are a couple pictures to document the past 2 days.

Mandy and I at the Cielo Terrace - the top of the Hotel Valencia. This is the first time in about seven years we've seen each other in person!

The gorgeous bride! Can you believe she altered the top of her dress from a weird halter to this amazing sweetheart neckline? By herself? Yea. I'm impressed!

Finally! Air conditioning! Us after the ceremony.

The newlyweds cut the cake... and then smash it in each other's faces. :)

Mandy made the programs, seating cards and everything (except the Sensu fan) by hand. This girl is awesome. She kept with the Japanese theme very well and even gave all the girls a card explaining the significance of the Sensu fans in Japanese culture and weddings. Our seating cards all had a different movie quote about love that she picked especially for each of us. Mine was a quote from Moulin Rouge, "Love is a many splendid thing. Love fills us up where we belong. All you need is love!" I love it! :)

Congratulations, Mandy and Nathan!!! I know you've waited a long time for this and I'm so happy you are finally husband and wife! I love you both and wish you all the best. We can't wait to come visit you in Charlotte!

Dan & Sandi

I can't believe I've let it go for so long before putting up a post to congratulate our friends, Dan and Sandi, on their nuptials! They got married at Bass Lake near Yosemite almost a month ago and it was beautiful. Everything from the weather to the scenery to the gorgeous bride. It was a great day and night!

Here are some of the girls hitching a ride to the ceremony from our cabins.

The view of the lake from where Rusty and I sat.
Beautiful bride...Smooch!

Centerpieces

Yummy cake

Us in front of the lake

Congrats and Best Wishes to the happy couple!