The Wedding of a Best Friend

My best friend got married last weekend. She had been dating the guy for 4 years, just under 4 years from their first date, in fact, to the time when he finally proposed. And we had known him for probably two years before that. It was an interesting way that they got together and I won’t go into that, but I’ll tell you that even up to and within the last year, when she was talking about when he was going to propose, I was not sure about him…I had my reasons, and no, they weren’t that he was taking my best friend away. I want her to be happy, and happy for her is having a baby, she would be incredibly unhappy if that wasn’t an option for her (not that she couldn’t have one without being married) and I definitely don’t want her to be unhappy. But there were things about him that reminded me somewhat of her ex, at least on one occasion, and another time with things she was saying about him…so I was leery…but I made a point to get to know him better in the past year and, actually think he made a better effort toward getting to know me as well, and we’ve come to an understanding and as long as he makes her happy, that’s all that matters to me now.

Their engagement was in June, and as I said, she wants a baby, they might be trying even as I type this (although she’s supposed to wait till end of the month because we are going to a wine tasting), so they didn’t want a long engagement. As they started looking, it’s also a little cheaper, at least in MN, to get married in the winter as well. So they picked a ceremony spot (put link) and a reception spot (put link) and the date was set for January 31st because the ceremony spot was changing over from poinsettias to orchids and the orchid show was the weekend they originally wanted. That weekend was also one of the coldest of the year and the weekend they had hit almost 40….but I digress. I was at their engagement party. I went in July to help find wedding dresses, and was asked to be a maid of honor that day…in August we looked at bridesmaid dresses…and found dresses that we loved (there were three of us, myself, her sister and sister-in-law) and even got our shoes that night…and went to dinner at the place that they got engaged. Her fiancée even came and met up with us for a drink. In December we planned out and had her bachelorette party, which was the perfect thing…8 of us in total that were out, ended with 3 of us at the hotel, hit some nicer bars, dressed up, did dinner, karaoke and had pizza before passing out…what more did we need? Early January was a bridal shower…and then the wedding week. I had offered any help she needed, so the night before the grooms dinner we were supposed to work on programs, but unfortunately something wasn’t printing right, but we had time on Friday night to do them. Friday I left work a little early to meet at the ceremony place to look around and figure out with them how they were going to stand and what was going to happen…she kept saying 10 minutes start to finish (I didn’t time it but I bet she was close). We left and went to the hotel where they were staying (I was staying with her that evening), the groom’s dinner was there and was quite nice, had some beer then went back to her room and her fiancée joined us along with her sister-in-law and we put the programs together. A little talking and we went to sleep…I woke early the next day but was careful (practicing my speech, trying to be able to get through it without crying) not to wake the bride…she woke up around 9, I got her coffee made, took a quick shower and the girl came to do our hair. The bride was paying for it and a friend of her and the groom’s did the hair (she was also at the wedding and reception). Mine was done and I helped out doing a few things, moved things to my own room (just down the hall from her and the room they were going to share that night) and then the photographer was there and we started getting her dressed.


Limo was supposed to be there at 2:30, it didn’t get there till 3, so we were late getting to the ceremony site for pictures, but it worked out fine due to some policies at the place they were getting married at…anyway, when the limo got there we took her down and got her into the limo, the Vulcans were out (a winter carnival thing) and saw her and suggested they should steal her! Then when we got to the ceremony site, it was so nice and still warm enough that we had some pictures outside, then when it opened up for them to go inside we had pictures done inside…finally 5:30 arrived and it was time for them to get married…short ceremony, they were husband and wife and we all got back into the limo (hummer stretch I might add) and started pouring the champagne I had brought…we did some toasts and wished them well while we headed to the reception site. Pictures, attempt at bustling her dress and so much confusion and couldn’t find some button hooks and we finally gave up so they could do the toasts (I gave a speech, managed to NOT cry and had a lot of complements on it after, including the groom thanking me very much for it, and I told him I meant every word of it, I had been worried, trying to write it, since, as I said, I had been skeptical, but he’s grown on me, he really has, and now I have another brother in my mind), had a nice dinner, talked to people, had drinks, I talked to my parents and sister, introduced them to another friend (yes, my parents know my friend enough to be invited) and then they took off, got caught up with another person I hadn’t seen in a long time…managed to avoid the dancing…had cake…embarrassed myself getting on the shuttle back to the hotel by asking about my brown bag and where it might be when it was hanging on my arm (let’s just say I had had a little champagne that night!). We got back to the hotel and moved stuff into people’s rooms to store…somehow all the booze left over from the wedding (they could bring in their own) ended up in my room…we only had one more after leaving the bar along with the top of the cake, yes, that would’ve been a good snack if I was a bad maid of honor!! Anyway, after stuff was dropped we went back to the bar and had some drinks, chatted more and saw a local TV news personality that we talked to and had our picture taken with. Then it was time to call it a night. Two other friends crashed in my room with me…we ordered pizza but it was taking so long to come that I finally dropped off to sleep and when it did show up, I just ignored it and kept on sleeping…it had been a long day and I hadn’t eaten enough.


Next morning I wasn’t feeling too bad…we had a knock on the door from the bride and groom at 9…he had woken her up at 6 and she had gotten up (she normally sleeps in and he’s up early!) and they were out saying hi to people. I had a little snack from things I had brought to have while we were getting ready, then got stuff together and left with the bride…since I had the cake topper yet. I was going to swing it by their house but she had to drop a tux so met her there and we got a smoothie at Caribou, said our good byes, I had things she had asked me to return for her in my car since they left on the honeymoon the next day and wouldn’t have time to do it before they left…I gladly did it, after all, I had to help out however I could…she thanked me again for all I had done to help out and I drove home for a much needed nap before watching the Superbowl and she went home to be with her new hubby…and now they are in Hawaii…and it’s below 0 again here…I kind of hate them now!