Baby Isaac 2008!

Rachel and Tim had a baby boy! Look how cute Isaac is! Congratulations!

Tim, Rachel, and Isaac

Christina and Dan's Wedding 2008

Congratulations to Dan and Christina! Dan and Christina met in 2005, and things got serious right away. I could tell from the way Christina talked about him that she really liked him, but more than that, I could tell I really liked him. He treated Christina the way every woman wants to be treated, and you could tell how much he loved her. I didn't meet him until 2007 when I had dinner with both them in New York. He was very quiet and seemed to be the yin to her yang. Christina is not quiet. She is the life of the party and a force of laughter and positivity. At their wedding though, it occurred to me that I might not have Dan totally figured out, and he was actually even more like Christina than I might have suspected. He partied like a man who knew he had a lot to celebrate.

Christina and Dan- the real deal

Christina's mom and bridesmaid Pam helping her get ready

The ceremony and reception was at a pretty hotel in New Jersey. Christina's bridesmaids were her two best friends from childhood Nikki and Pam, and her two teenage cousins. Dan's groomsmen were his two best friends from Texas.

Christina's dad walking her down the aisle

View from the back of the ceremony- Most of the GW gang is in the back row

Married and about to start partying!

Super awesome wedding party

The cocktail hour was super fancy with multiple signature cocktails and a monogrammed ice luge for chilling the cocktails, but also mainly for decorative purposes. The reception was even nicer with monogram lights, beautiful centerpieces, a gorgeous cake, and a band that was not afraid to play Gnarls Barkley.

Martini luge

First dance

Dan about to reveal his true self

 

Our table- look how seriously amazing that centerpiece is

Cutting the beautiful cake

One of the best parts of the wedding was the guest list. I am super close with my college friends, and we try to get together as a group at least once a year. But individually we see each other a lot more than that even though we're split up between New York and DC. More than that though, I love Christina's parents. They're the kind of parents that are just constantly supportive of Christina. I have never heard her complain about them in the slightest way in the 16 years I've known her, and I have a long memory. Christina's friends from growing up are great people, and I feel like I've gotten to know them better over the years. And her coworkers are New York City school teachers so that automatically makes them both best people and the hardest mofos you will ever meet. Suffice to say, people partied hard at this wedding. And there was a photo booth to prove it. I will spare you the worst of the evidence from the photo booth.

With some of my best friends in the whole world

Christina's proud parents

This party don't stop.

This is many of my favorite people in the world in one 

photo booth- I am in there too, being trampled

Proof that I was in there

Jon and Becky's Wedding 2008

Congratulations to Jon and Becky! They met in college, almost 15 years ago, and this weekend they had one of the loveliest weddings we've attended. The location in Upstate New York was beautiful, Becky looked stunning, and Jon looked incredibly happy.

The lovely views of the Tarrytown House

They planned to be married outside under a chuppah, but it rained. Even so, the indoor ceremony location was beautiful with large windows overlooking the gardens, and an unusual T-shape arrangement for the chairs that allowed everyone a closer and more varied view of the ceremony. We sat near the front so that Kevin could bring Jon the ring.

Becky walking down the aisle with her father

Kevin with yarmulke bringing Jon the ring.

Breaking the glass- Mazel tov!

Married!

If it were a competition, Jon and Becky would win a lot of awards in the best of weddings. For example, they had one of the best photographers I have seen. In fact, I loved their wedding photos so much that I tried to hire them for our wedding even though it would have involved them traveling from New York to Cape Cod, but their photographers were actually an engaged couple and they got married on the same weekend we were married, so they were understandably unavailable. But look at how amazing this photo is- it's not just wedding photography, it's pure art.

Swan princess

Jon knows Kevin from high school so we had a wonderful time at the cocktail hour and at the reception with Kevin's friends from his youth. Sadly, Eric is missing from this photo. Since Kevin and Jon were so close as children, Kevin's mom was also invited to the wedding, and she's also missing from this picture, possibly because she took it.

Victoria, Casey, Becky, Jon, me, Kevin, Sunny, and Trey

Another place where they might easily scoop up a hypothetical wedding award was the first dance. It was really great! I did take video of it, but the video actually fails to capture the real experience of the dance as well as the photos do. It's strange, but again, that'sprobably due to the amazing photographers. Their song was Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You," and they started out dancing slowly and romantically with dips and spins, but when Otis got to the part where he begs, "Please don't make me stop now!" Jon surprised Becky by dropping to his knees and begging her. It was hilarious, entertaining, and romantic all at the same time. Then he scooped her up and twirled her lightly like they were professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars.

Jon sings Otis to Becky

End of their first dance

Of course, since they had a Jewish wedding there were all sorts of celebratory Jewish dances including the Horah. This was followed a delicious dinner, and more fun dancing. They even had a fun little after-party in the bar of the Tarrytown House.

Dancing the Horah

 

Jon gets some serious air

Kevin dancing with his mom

Sunny and Trey dancing

Erik and his girlfriend

Emerald Isle, NC 2008

For the week between the end of finals and law school graduation, twelve of us went to Sarah's beach house on Emerald Isle. We ate BBQ, played Go-Karts, played Wii, played on the beach and had an excellent relaxing time before graduation. Sarah and I got there first and ending up riding out a tornado warning in her basement.


Our friends having breakfast on the deck
View from deck

McKenzie relaxing in the sun

Enjoying our coffee

Katy pointing out a lizard


Sarah and Donald rocking the beach

Big Oak BBQ- I'm back! Enjoying our BBQ
Loving the food at Big Oaks BBQ

  At the Go-Kart place

Go Karts! My best chance to drive Julie catching up!

Walking to the pier

Great beach Bring a beer! Blue!
View from pier- Goodbye Emerald Isle!

Janice and Darren's Wedding 2008

My best friend Janice married Darren, who therefore became my best-friend-in-law. That's how it works right? Janice first met Darren at her first job after we graduated college back in 2001. They were friends for almost 5 years before they started dating-- 5 long years where I had to listen to how cute and funny her friend Darren was. No one was surprised when they got engaged a year after they started dating.

Janice and Darren dancing at their wedding May 3, 2008

The wedding was one of my favorites ever. It took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the pilgrims once also started a pretty great adventure. The bridesmaids had different dresses in different coordinating pastel colors that matched the pastel-colored candy bar (more on that later).

Janice's sister Laurie, Janice, Ash, and me (I am the blue fairy Merryweather)

Janice and Darren saw each other for the first time before the wedding ceremony and they got a pretty great photos of the moment.

Janice is radiant!

Darren sees Janice for the first time on their wedding day; 

his groomsman Paul looks pretty impressed too

Their wedding ceremony was supposed to take place outside, but the weather didn't cooperate. There is no better setting though than surrounded by the family and friends that love and adore you. It was lovely that Janice's godmother Joyce officiated the wedding. 

Married!

The bride and groom went straight from the ceremony to the cocktail hour, where Janice was the first person to get to the bar. That's how it should always be done! Our little group of friends took a picture at cocktail hour, unfortunately Darren and Janice were busy greeting guests and receiving congratulations so we didn't get them with us. They also had a great Irish traditional music band at their cocktail hour. This transitioned us nicely to our Irish-locations-themed tables at the reception.

Jamie, Emily, Laurie, Ash, Dan, Christina, me, Kevin, Megan, Ed, and Stephanie

The lucky couple has three beautiful sets of parents!

Inside, we were treated to Janice and Darren's first dance. Below is one of my favorite pictures of Janice and Darren ever. It shows what's great about them individually and in their marriage. They have laughter, and they are cute as hell.

Janice and Darren's first dance!

Those of you who know them personally, know that Darren is a bike fanatic. Like a radical bike fanatic. Seriously. And Janice is as passionate, or possibly more passionate, about marshmallow desserts. Her key focus is on consumption of Fluff and Peeps, though she has been known to dabble in Mallomars. Their cake topper was the perfect marriage of their interests: two Peeps riding a tandem bike.

Wedding cake with biking Peep bride and groom

After they cut the cake, but she doesn't look like she's going to share

Besides having three flavors of cake, they had a super awesome candy bar as the wedding favor. Guests could fill up containers with self-serve candy combinations. My favorite part was that Janice and Darren kept all the leftovers at home until they and all their visitors finished eating all of it. Yum!

"Life is sure sweet, Great Family, friends, and kisses,

Please enjoy these treats, From the new Mr. and Mrs."

Finally, the party itself was crazy and fun. Janice's family can really throw down. Darren's family might have been a bit scared. Especially when some aunt-type person from Janice's side started break dancing. I am not making that up.

Me and Christina rocking out

Janice's grandmother stealing the show

 Darren, if you wanted sister wives, you should have put more rings on it

The two of you being together make everyone who loves you happy. If you only even knew how happy it makes us. Obviously, you like it too.