Today is rough. Rough in the same way returning from Florida was rough…and a little saddening. I’m not ready for a Monday filled with emails and commuting and thinking about real things. Mondays can be hard enough as it is, but it’s always more difficult to go from an amazing, fun-filled weekend back to the daily grind. Someone please bring me back to the days filled with dancing and singing and drinking wine and taking in beautiful scenery.
On Friday afternoon, Brendan and I headed to the Poconos in Pennsylvania for the wedding of our good friends Erin and Ben. After quickly changing at our hotel, we headed straight to the rehearsal dinner – Brendan was one of Ben’s groomsmen. All the wedding activities took place at the Skytop Lodge, a gorgeous resort tucked away in the Pocono Mountains, right on a beautiful little lake.
I put heels on for the occasion so you know it’s a big deal.
It was a fantastic night with drinks on the Skytop patio, a delicious dinner, some heart-felt speeches, and a little late-night-Rangers-watching. (We’re ignoring the fact that the Rangers lost, BOO.)
The next morning I went for a run but it was pretty brutal. Brutal in a “so boring” kind of way. At one point, I remember looking at the clock and noting it was 11:11 am. The next time I went to check the time, I remember thinking “I have to have been running at LEAST 30 minutes since the last time I checked.” I truly believed that. But when I checked again, it was 11:19. EIGHT. MINUTES. I was baffled. Why was time dragging so much?! I kept looking at my Garmin thinking “there’s no way this is correct.” I wanted to stop so badly – not because I was in pain or super tired, I was just so bored. I don’t know what my deal was. Somehow I didn’t quit and finished eight super slow miles.
And then…wedding time!
Ben proposed at Cinderella on Broadway using a fake Playbill, so this was their wedding day program. So cute I can’t even handle it.
I borrowed this photo from Skytop’s webpage, but this is pretty much what the ceremony looked like. Except with rose petals scattered down the aisle! Absolutely gorgeous.
I creepily took this photo during cocktail hour. I love the curtains and want these at my wedding now.
This was without a doubt one of the most fun, most beautiful weddings I’ve ever been to and am just a little envious that I’m not getting married there. (But still love our venue!) Every little detail was perfect and I’m pretty sure the entire evening my jaw continued to drop open in amazement.
The backstory: When I first started dating Brendan 5.5 years ago, Ben was his roommate and coworker. (Well, my coworker too, but I never really saw them at work.) We all hung out often and spent holidays together. I always referred to us as “The Three Musketeers.”
Here we are in 2011 on our “spontaneous day of fun”. Yes, that’s what we called it.
Eventually Ben moved in with Brendan, myself, and our other roommate Aaron. Ben’s family would come to visit from Kentucky every once in awhile and we’d all spend lots of time together. And THENNNN Ben met Erin and moved out (wahh!) but she’s truly the most wonderful, perfect girl for him and overall an amazing person. I couldn’t be more thrilled for the two of them. I definitely shed more than a few tears of happiness throughout the evening, including one particular point in time on the dance floor when Ben came over to hug Brendan and me and we were dancing in this little circle and I started hysterically crying. Sigh. I can’t help myself.
It’s hard to put into words how thankful I am for Ben and Erin’s friendship and the wonderful example they set when it comes to love: love for each other, their families, even their adorable Goldendoodle Louie.
We babysat Louie a few weeks ago and anytime I stepped outside, he’d be watching in the window. So cute.
Their wedding day was filled with love. You could see it through their relationships with their families and friends (and how welcoming and fun they all are), and the speeches we heard at the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception.
Each pair in the bridal party had their own entance song. Amazing.
I’m so glad I was there to celebrate with them and be surrounded by that kind of joy (which sounds a little cheesy typing out, but whatever, it’s true!) I think my favorite part was when, at the end of the ceremony, a bag-piper began walking down the aisle toward the bride and groom. Erin’s face was priceless, she had absolutely no idea he was coming; Ben surprised her because her family is Irish and she loves bagpipes. She put her face in her hands and started crying and hugging Ben, and my heart just swelled with happiness. (Annnnnd now I’m crying again.)
The happy couple!
After big events and time spent doing anything BUT work, I always start reflecting. And lucky you, you get to read my rambling thoughts!
I’ve realized I very easily get caught up in the day-to-day. Over the past 6 months, I’ve really gotten into a solid routine. Mainly because I HAVE to. Every moment of my week is planned out. With my commute, my quest for cleaner eating, and my fitness goals, I feel like I spend so much time prepping and packing and planning and am so focused on the little things that I miss out on the big picture. I dimiss friend time because I don’t want to get behind on whatever’s waiting for me at the moment. The dishes. The laundry. Cooking. Or because I have no money. Because I need to get to sleep on time. When I finish the work day, I always just want to work out then go home and relax before I have to do it all over again. Socializing can seem daunting, which I hate saying. But in moments like this, I want to smack myself as a reminder that the people in my life are most important, and I can’t let these little things get in the way of my relationships.
Being surrounded by such wonderful, welcoming people (some who I only met this weekend) made me so, so genuinely happy. Well, that and the time spent perfecting my dance moves. (Dancing at weddings is probably my most favorite thing ever.) This weekend (and last weekend) reminded me how great it feels to get away from my routine. To be surrounded by friends. To dress up. (I did my hair and put on a dress and high heels…TWICE. Crazy.)
Me and my handsome husband-to-be!
Weddings are seriously the best. Congratulations again, Ben & Erin!
