Erika & Nick Tie the Knot

Two weeks after my quick jaunt home for the surprise bridal shower appearance was Erika's big day. And a big day for me too, since it was the first time I ever donned a uniform bridesmaid dress (Alfred Angelo floor-length champagne chiffon..I'll totes wear it again). It was truly an honor to be chosen by my childhood friend to stand at her side when she promised to love Nick forever. Being in Erika's wedding was even more special to me because when we were in middle school, we used to was write out our life plans to entertain ourselves. They went something like this: Graduate from Creek with full scholarship to CU, work at the Sink, meet husband (TBD), get married, have kids, buy houses next door to each other, etc. We also would write out our wedding plans, complete with colors, flowers, bridal party members, dress designs and cake flavors. The grooms were generally interchangeable celebrities or faceless placeholders. As Erika planned her real-life grown up wedding, I was so happy to be able to offer my help where I could with my previous wedding planning experience, by helping her name her signature cocktail (the glass slipper) and calling her planner about feeding her vendors.  The weekend came and went in a flash- here's what I mostly remember..

Thursday night: Arrived in Denver with Guy. Had dinner at home with family, followed by plans to meet friends for drinks at a bar I heard was really cool. Turns out that bar isn't the best for groups, as they require a reservation and are strict with the number of people who can fit into a booth. It was mostly a disaster, but we did get to see most of my Denver peeps (including Kate who also came home for the wedding).

2013 was the year of seeing Adrienne!

Friday: Went to a late lunch downtown with the parents.  It was a perfect afternoon to enjoy the rooftop patios in LoDo. Afterwards we checked out a couple of other spots in the Highlands, mainly the rooftop bar at Linger which was worth the hype. Friday night was the rehearsal dinner at the Johnson's house. It felt like a holiday party but with more people and rented tables and chairs. Early to bed for a 7:30 a.m. wake-up call to get a ride downtown with the Mother of the Bride and Maid of Honor.

Saturday: 

The Johnsons are notorious for punctuality, and their daughter's wedding day was no exception. Even though we were there by 8 am and photos didn't start until 3 pm, the whole day flew by as we hung out  in the bridal suite getting ready, taking turns having our hair and make-up (fake eyelashes for everyone!) done. The tv was off, the radio was on and the mimosas flowed. Erika gave us all matching necklaces and champagne flutes with a silhouette of our dress and initial on them. My glass broke (of course) but I at least got a picture of it.  Erika looked incredible- like a Barbie + Holly Madision (in a good way) + Disney princess. Her dress perfectly accentuated her body, and she chose to wear flats which might be the smartest thing she's ever done. Luckily for us, champagne chiffon is surprisingly flattering, and all 9 of us bridesmaids looked pretty dang good!
When getting ready time was over, we went outside for our photo shoot. It was really fun! The weather was perfect- slightly overcast, breezy, and not too hot for the first day of summer. We went to the courthouse around the corner from the hotel that has these great white pillars and her photos turned out awesome!

Once we returned, we had to do a quick walk-through of the ceremony since they chose not to do one the night before. Good thing we did or nobody would have had any clue where to stand. I feel like the wedding planner could've done a better job of herding people but that's just my (semi-professional) opinion. By now my family and Guy had arrived, and the boys definitely took care of the pre-gaming (read: stank of gin). When the music started and we were all queued up, I was suddenly so nervous! Why? I have no idea! I made it down the aisle without tripping- maybe that's what I was nervous about? Who knows. When I saw Dr. J walking Erika down the aisle, it took all I had to not bawl my eyes out. He has always been the sweetest dad, and he looked so happy and proud to have his oldest girl on his arm. I told him I needed him to keep it together or I was going to lose it if he shed any tears. He was cool, calm and collected the whole time. And maybe medicated?  The ceremony was more religious than I expected, but it didn't drag on, and before I knew it they were kissing. The walk back up the aisle was more fun because it felt like I had my own cheering section when I walked past my family and extended family of friends all sitting near each other. Another perk of being a bridesmaid is you get to cocktail hour first, and you can cut the line at the bar, so I was getting drinks for anyone who needed one. The glass slippers (greyhound with a sugar rim) were delicious! After cocktail hour, the wedding party reconvened for our grand entrance. I was too shy to do anything crazy so I just danced into the reception while others did cartwheels and were carried on each other's shoulders. Dinner was tasty, the toasts were sweet, and the DJ kept everyone on the dance floor until the lights came on. You know a wedding was fun when you're soaked with sweat and exhausted from dancing and drinking all night. I loved seeing my parents party with all of their BFFs too, as I danced the night away with Erika, Kate, Guy and Michael. She certainly set that bar high!

Christmas Card?

The following Sunday morning we went back to the Johnson's for brunch, but were late and missed all of the gift-opening (which reminds me, I still owe them a present..whatever, I have 6 more months according to Emily Post..) and then we had to head to the airport. Luckily we would return to the glorious rectangle the following Sunday for a week-long vacation so it was easy to say goodbye.