Memphis, There and Back Again

This past weekend I journeyed down to Memphis for one of my best friend's wedding.

Courtney and I actually met in the summer of 2002 at Mississippi Governor's School, but our friendship was cemented by watching Anne of Green Gables our freshman year at Millsaps.  I transferred schools; she visited.  She went to graduate school in Wyoming; I visited.  I moved to Vermont; she visited.  She was in Pittsburgh; I visited.

So wedding...yup, going to be there.  

Plus, I was in it!

Thursday night I drove to Pittsburgh (2 1/2 hours) and spent the night with the other bridesmaid, Beth Ann (also a college friend).  We got up at 4 a.m. on Friday to begin our 12 hour drive to Memphis for the rehearsal.  We made it just in time (with a truck stop to change clothes, cause we're classy that way) for the rehearsal!

Afterward, we went to The Majestic Grille for the rehearsal dinner, which was yummy!  Even though I had a big wedding (and loved it), I enjoy being a part of small weddings.  We all fit at one (albeit long) table at the rehearsal dinner.  I loved getting to talk to everyone that night.

Courtney and I have a history of taking really bad pictures together.  Part of it is that even though we both have really nice cameras, neither one of us remember often to take people pictures.  Right now Courtney is into dog and nature pictures.  I'm a Jack and food picture taker all the way.  So we don't have much to work with, and what we do has not turned out great.  We tried to remedy that this weekend.  Here's an iphone photo--I thought it turned out cute!

Saturday was wedding day!  We got up that morning and hit the ground running.  Courtney is Orthodox, and I really enjoyed being a part of an Orthodox wedding.  Very different from a Presbyterian wedding, but still very, very beautiful.  I stole this picture from Courtney's blog, and I LOVE it.  Courtney's dress was absolutely perfect and Jared looked quite dashing in his suit!

Afterward, we had a wonderful time at the reception.  Near the end of the night, we started just being silly and putting on old school songs and karaoke-ing.  Definitely not part of Courtney's plans, but I think something that will always be a fun memory and story!

The reception was at the hotel we were staying at, which was good, because Beth Ann and I left at 6 a.m.  I made it back home (to a tired husband and a croup-y 2 year old) at 10:45 that night.  Calling it a long day would be an understatement!

Finally, I need to give a little shout out to the Red Cup.

Thank you, Red Cup, for keeping me going this past weekend.  I couldn't have done it without you.

Starbucks should be paying me for this.  Seriously.

It really was a long weekend, but so worth it.  I loved being a part of Courtney and Jared's wedding...what an honor!