David and Sarah's Wedding Extravaganza

Date: June 24th-June 26th

I get to the airport at about 4am...and see THIS. 


Line at airport

 Are you KIDDING ME?  I do NOT have patience for this type of crap, but fortunately I had coffee before I left and was mildly sedated on caffeine and 2 hrs of sleep.  (I should also mention at this point, I have two checked bags and a huge carryon with me.  Excessive yes, but a girls' gotta have clothes!)

I fly into Fort Lauderdale at 1:15pm and by the time I pick up the rental car (A REALLY NICE ALTIMA!!) it's about 2:15.  Emily, a friend of the bride's, (and someone whom I've never met) is flying in at 3:30pm and we're driving up to Stuart, FL.  We'll check into this awesome hotel, shower and get ready for the rehearsal dinner.  Perfect, right? 

Not if you're in south Florida during the summertime!

Emily's plane circled Ft. Lauderdale, but couldn't land because of the thunderstorm.  So they diverted to W. Palm Beach, but couldn't land and had to circle some more.  I found this out by CALLING the airlines because no one at the terminal knew jack.  So, poor Emily, stuck on the plane, is about to hurl, and I don't know anything.

She finally calls me about 5pm, because her flight had to land to refuel.  We decide that she can get off the plane, borrow some of my clothes and makeup, so that we can make the rehearsal dinner.  We'll get her bag in Ft. Lauderdale the next day.  I start driving up to W. Palm and finally get her about 6:45pm. 

The rehearsal dinner is lovely, and there is tons to eat and tons to drink.  Clearly, the makings of an amazing night.  What more can you want, right?  I also met the third hotel roommate, David, a groomsman, and he was super nice.

Emily and me at the rehearsal dinner

 We get back around 10pm from the rehearsal dinner, and throw on some pajamas.  We aren't super tired and get this wild hair to drive to Ft. Lauderdale to get the suitcase THEN, so that we'll be able to sleep in and go to the beach all day on Saturday.  Well, we hit ANOTHER storm, but still made it back in great time. 

On Saturday, we sleep in, and make our way down to the beach.  Let me mention again that we're on a private island.  Kind of awesome.

We come back to the hotel about 3, order some room service, and start getting ready for the wedding.  A little mouse told us that there would be an open bar starting at 6pm, and since we're ladies, we didn't want to be intoxicated before the wedding started!  Just cause we're ladies.  Ha.

Em and me in the bathroom before the wedding

There indeed was an open bar before the wedding, along with waiters with appetizers.  The wedding was gorgeous, and the perfect length.  Afterwards, we were ushered out to an air conditioned tent to have more appetizers, including a sushi bar, and a mashed potato bar (!!!).  About 8pm we went in to the main hall (all at the temple) to have the salad, and dance before they introduced the bride and groom.  10pm was the main course (filet mignon over a portabello mushroom and sea bass with veggies), and more dancing.  11pm the toasts were made, the cake was cut, and we were sent back out to the tent for the desserts (about 7 different kinds/stations).  12am ish was OUR turn to eat the wedding cake and by 1:45 am, we were done for the night.  Over the whole course of the evening, there was a 15ish piece band, with four singers, and we danced and danced.  There was never a shortage of food, drink, or fun.

The next morning, we crawled out of bed, and made our way to the brunch.  All you can eat/drink again!  Mingled a bit with everyone, said our goodbyes, and went to check out of the hotel.   I was going up to Daytona to hang out with Kristina for the week, and Emily was leaving for Michigan.  We drove up together to Daytona, and then Em drove the car back to Ft. Lauderdale for her flight the next morning.

View from our hotel room

First half of Summer '11

Howdy Ho!  So, apparently, it has been really hot in Kansas City since I've left.  I'm so glad I missed it, because we all know how cranky I get when I get hot... :)

Hmmm, let's see where to begin!

June 24th: I fly into Ft. Lauderdale, pick up our rental car, drive to W. Palm Beach to get Emily, and drive up to Stuart (Florida) and check in at our hotel.  Sounds simple, right?  Well, after hours of delays, I finally get Emily in W. Palm Beach.  She was supposed to meet me in Ft. Lauderdale.  Have I mentioned that I've never met her?  She, and another guy, David, and I are all rooming together for our mutual friend's wedding in Stuart.  Hey- it's cheaper, and we're only REALLY gonna be in the room to sleep.  We all became instant, inseparable friends.  It was a three day EXTRAVAGANZA with dinners, crazy, amazing, incredible wedding festivities, and brunches galore!  Oh, and did I mention, our hotel was on a PRIVATE ISLAND???

A few days later, I drive up to Daytona to spend five days with Kristina (our new principal oboist) and her boyfriend, Phil.  We go to Disney World, on a crazy kayak trip (that almost got us killed, not exaggerating at all), shopping trips, movies, and many arcade adventures.

The next weekend, July 1st, I fly from Orlando to Rhode Island to see my friend Lauren (and her lovely husband Joe) get married in Providence on the 2nd!  I also got to see a few friends from college, and a former professor...along with meeting more of her friends and family.  It was a beautiful wedding and a super fun brunch. 

Then my mama meets me in Providence on the 3rd, and we set out on an eleven day CRAZY trip into Canada.

July 3-5th: Providence and surrounding area

Drive to Montreal on the 5th, through Mass., New Hampshire and Vermont.

Stay in Montreal the 6th and 7th.

On July 8th, we drive to Toronto, and stay the 9th and 10th.

July 11th, we drive to Niagara Falls, and also see Hamilton and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We drive BACK to Providence on the 12th, through New York State, stopping in towns along the way, and going to Howe's Caverns outside of Albany.

The 13th (today) we both fly home, completely exhausted but having had fun.

I'll go into more depth about the events tomorrow, in their separate posts with pictures.

XOXO