The Bride Wore White

...And Various Other Adventures in High Tops

$8 beers at the airport are always a must. Just one beer, maybe two--can cure the airport jitters. Notice how I say "airport" and not "airplane." Once I step onto the plane, I'm fine. It's the checking-in, taking off my shoes, pulling my laptop out of my bag, and then waiting. Just waiting to get to my destination. Don't listen to all the rumors you hear about alcohol causing "dehydration." Last Thursday, David and Stephanie and I had our $8 beers and two plates of fries (hey, it was made twice by mistake), as we sat in Newark airport to go to Carrie and Keaton's wedding in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Oh, and David was going to meet my parents for the first time. eek. I wasn't nervous at all. Well, the beer helped.

When my mom stepped out the car at Charlotte Douglas, she was wearing this little teeny navy blue polo dress. We both screamed and waved our arms around hugging. She has lost a little over 20lbs since I had last seen her in January, and she looked a-mazing. We had each bought this dress about six years ago while on vacation--and there she was wearing it for the first time. Apparently, she and my dad had been doing a little remodeling too. The office where my dad had worked for years finally had been completely cleaned out, my room was re-painted, there was new carpet upstairs, new furniture in living room...I think the arrival of my guest had inspired something in them.

My dad was pleased I was home and expressed it the way he always has-- with food. There is no better cook (sorry, mom) than my father. He has this uncanny ability to turn the simplest food into gourmet fare. He had whipped up a frittata with crab, roasted red peppers (from a jar), spaghetti noodles, Vidalia onions, and spinach. It was perfect at room temperature with a glass of Riesling. Ah, home.

The next morning, Steph, Justin, and David and I drove to Hendersonville under a perfect Carolina blue sky. Breakfast wasn't quite "gourmet," but Chic-Fil-A is something I constantly crave. Mmm...fried chicken on a buttery biscuit and a side of greasy hash browns.

Below is the Inn where most of the wedding party stayed.

Carrie and Keaton thought of every last detail. There was a care package with food, water, and a map of Hendersonville.

Okay, so maybe this tie matched my blue bridesmaid dress.

The bridesmaid brunch was at 1:00 p.m. on Friday in the dining area of the Inn on Church. All the bridesmaids had a blue robe monogrammed with their name sitting on their chair.

Mmm. I love brunch. I had the seafood quiche and a glass of white wine. I might have been drinking a Mimosa as well. Possibly.

...and then a raspberry sorbet, which was incredibly fresh, light, and tangy. Sassy.

The wedding was at the Cliffs at Glassy in Landrum, South Carolina, and the view was breathtaking. This is the church the night of the rehearsal.

David, standing behind the church looking pensive. Well, from what I can tell from behind at least:)

The head table....how fancy. Wedding food is an interesting thing. Sit down dinner? Buffet? Heavy hors de' oeuvres? Carrie and Keaton chose to have a memorable spread of mini crab cakes, boiled shrimp, Oysters Rockefeller, beef tenderloin, grilled vegetables, salmon, stuffed mushrooms, and lamb, and more. There was a separate table with the bride and groom's favorite desserts. Keaton's was an enormous pan of yellow, creamy goodness--Banana Pudding. Where would Nilla Wafers be without Banana Pudding? Carrie's dessert was s'mores. The chocolate fountain is always such a nice touch at a wedding, but this was the most creative way I have ever seen it used. The marshmallows were on skewers and dusted with cocoa powder, which was not only an great way to dip them, but gave this traditional camping fare a little twist. Mashed between two graham crackers, the chocolate slathered marshmallow was the perfect compliment to my cosmo.

Stephanie is a designer for Converse (Yay, the men's line at Target--tell your friends!), and Carrie thought down to the last detail and hung a white pair (high tops, of course) of Converse (our dancin' shoes) on the back of every bridesmaid's chair, and a black pair on the back of every grooms men's chair.

And the cake. the cake the cake the cake. It was a chocolate and vanilla layer cake with a cream frosting. You cannot be mad about wedding cake.

Weddings bring everyone together. Whether it's a traditional wedding or a non-traditional wedding, they still provide a great excuse to get back on the dance floor, raise a glass, and make new friends at the same time. Oh. And something ridiculous always happens. I can usually count on it. The night of the rehearsal dinner happened to coincide with the opening of the Sex and the City movie, so of course, all the girls went. There we were traipsing through the theater in our dresses, warm with wine, nostalgic from the (it's a must) slide show, and ready to be there for our Carrie on her wedding day--and that's what it's about. Remembering that no matter where you go, or who you love, or what your job is, or how much money you make...your friends seem to always keep things in perspective. Cheers to Carrie and Keaton -- you are an amazing couple and fantastic friends. And as Carrie (Bradshaw) says to Miranda...."It's not logic...it's love."