The happy couple's first dance
Me and Trinity, the most adorable flower girl ever!
Our West Point counterparts: Elliot, Todd, Gareth and Jeff
Molly, Allie, me, Alex and Lauren before the ceremony
The newlyweds exit the Cadet Chapel under a sabre arch
This past weekend was Dave and Kate's wedding, the event that we've all been waiting for since they announced their engagement nearly a year-and-a-half ago (yikes! I can't believe it was that long ago!). Heading into the weekend, I was excited, to be reunited with the girls, first of all. It has been a strange few weeks of seeing things that remind me of them every day, but having to confide in them via text, Gchat Facebook or phone conversations rather than in person. Luckily, I've had Lauren and a host of other close friends here with me in DC, but I've missed my core group of girlfriends. So when Molly and Alexandra got to my house in Longmeadow on Thursday so that the three of us could drive over to West Point together, we were jumping around, hugging and shrieking when we saw each other (although that was mostly just Molly and I, naturally).
A few hours later, we got to our hotel, and by the end of the evening, most of our reunions were complete. The girls and Kevin went out for dinner, and it was just so nice to all be together. Kate and Kristin were busy with their respective bride and bridesmaid activities throughout the weekend, but it was nice to just be able to enjoy a few hours with everyone without anyone needing to be anywhere. And our insanity that usually only comes out when we're all together was present in full force. This was evidenced by the fact that, when the ice cream place we had been eyeing was closed as we drove home from dinner, we went to a gas station and bought two boxes of ice cream. Claro.
On Friday, there was room for some of the group to go over to the Class of 1949 Lodge (the reception site) to help set up, and then go to the rehearsal ceremony. It was decided that Lauren and I would stay behind at the hotel. After perusing iTunes for about a half-hour trying to find a movie to rent, I was exhausted by the lack of decision-making (although I suspect it was also a lingering effect of a light sleep week), so ended up taking a very out-of-character two-hour nap. I woke up feeling completely rejuvinated and ready to head off to the rehearsal dinner.
The dinner was great- it was at this cute little pub not too far from our hotel, and it was a really nice mix of people. The families of the bride and groom were there (the highlight: Trinity, Kate's 2nd cousin once removed, who is the most precocious and adorable 5 year-old I have ever met. We definitely bonded, and I think she loved all of us in general because we were the cool older girls who doted on her), as well as the Georgetown girls and the West Point guys. And so began the ohsooriginal (not)great social experiment: throw together a bunch of college-aged guys and girls. The result is always guaranteed to be interesting...The guys were great, putting up with our incessant questions about life at West Point and in the Army, because, let's face it, we're all pretty ignorant about what that life is like. In our girl's debriefing session at the end of the weekend, we all remarked at how normal they were, as if we had all expected them to be hulking, gun-toting neanderthals. But they were great, really. Kate and Dave were just glowing, and it was so wonderful to not only be having such a great time with the guys, but also to see how happy they were. Molly and I were saying how unique this wedding was because we know both the bride and groom (given that they were high school sweethearts and we're all friends from college).
On Saturday, the pre-wedding primping began early, and we took a cab over to the lodge to help with our Wedding Elf duties. The Elves consisted of Molly, Alexandra, Allie, Lauren and I, and our job was basically to make sure everything was in its place, especially at the reception site. We arrived at the Lodge to find it locked, so while we waited for the caterer, who had the keys, we had an impromptu little photo session, which we're apt to do in our group. Finally, the very dissheveled caterer arrived and let us in, so we busied ourselves with last minute details like setting out favors, alphabetizing place cards, setting up luminaria outside, and just making sure everything was in its place. The guys looking dashing in their dress blues, arrived to take pictures at the lodge with Dave, and drove us over to the indescribably beautiful Cadet Chapel. We handed out programs and welcomed the guests, and hurried to our seats just in time for the sobfest (I'm not speaking for anyone else but myself). The ceremony was beautiful, short and sweet but still very personal and emotional. For example, Kate's mom did a very touching reading that left me (and I'm sure some others as well) in tears. And Dave's face, as Kate walked down the aisle, was the picture of pure happiness and adoration, a reaction I hope I'm lucky enough to elicit at my own wedding someday. Everything seemed to go off without a hitch (despite the fact that one of the members of the sabre arch was on an assignment for the Army and couldn't be tracked down, so had to be replaced at the last moment), so I'm sure Kate, ever the planner, was thrilled about that.
The reception was really lovely; the rustic-yet-elegant character of the Lodge evoked the down-to-earth nature of Kate and Dave's relationship, and was the perfect size for the intimate crowd of 130ish guests. As usual, the Georgetown group provided the entertainment, thanks in large part to the amazing playlist. I would say that we spent about 75% of the time on the dance floor...CLARO. As usual, it took awhile to get the guys on the dance floor, but once we did, I think it's safe to say that we discovered they're all pretty good dancers. So we didn't have to be dancing just in our little gaggle of girls anymore...not that we're not used to that. It's kind of what happens when you like dancing that much. I guess it also freaks people out when we shriek at the top of our lungs when our song request comes on...
Some highlights from the reception: Kristin's maid of honor speech, which left everyone who knows Kate in absolute stitches. Kristin (I know you'll be reading this eventually!) has the most amazing sense of humor, and the speech was spot-on, a perfect mixture of nostalgia and poking fun. Mr. and Mrs. Weatherby doing a tango (at least I think it was a tango) by themselves on the dance floor was really sweet, especially since taking dance lessons, according to Kate, is one of the things they do together. Kate and Dave's first dance, to an Italian song whose name is slipping my mind right now, was so incredibly sweet; Kate sang the Italian parts of the song to Dave, and, as in any interaction with the two of them, it takes about 5 seconds to realize how madly in love they are. Of course, dancing with little Trinity was so much fun; on Friday, she told us that she didn't like to dance, and we convinced her that we would force her to dance. Not only did she love dancing, but she also had a surprising talent of remembering pop lyrics.
The college-age set decided afterwards to go back to the Holiday Inn, where the West Point guys and a couple of the Georgetown guests were staying for a little afterparty. I'm not going to go into details, but it reached an understandable level of insanity, and I was more than a little pleased with how that night, and the extended weekend in general, worked out for me ;) I was so grateful that I got to be there to witness that beautiful ceremony that so beautifully showcased Kate and Dave's love for each other. I'm so glad it provided the opportunity to reunite with the best group of friends a girl could ask for, as well as an opportunity to meet some really wonderful new people. This wedding was light years better than any of the family weddings I had been to- there's really something to be said for being at a wedding with close friends and other people your age!!! And I can't wait to hopefully visit the newlyweds in Georgia!!!
