Sandy and Ross's Wedding Weekend!

My friend Sandy got married last weekend and it was honestly so much more beautiful and surreal than I ever could have imagined.

We got to Chicago Thursday for the rehearsal dinner, which was fun. We ate a lot of pizza and hung out in Sandy's room at the hotel playing drinking games with the bridal party and groomsmen (because why not?!) Tom and I left at 10 and immediately passed out at my mom's place on the comfiest air mattress I have ever experienced.

Friday I got up at the crack of dawn and left with my mom to go to Sandy's hotel room (my mom did some of the hair!) We stopped at Starbucks first to get some coffee, and I couldn't leave without one of these:

I felt elated on Friday. I played the Pandora wedding station while my mom did Sandy's hair and I had way, way too much caffeine. I was seriously giddy and excited and way more awake than I should have been.

After Sandy's hair, my mom and I had some time to ourselves while Sandy had her makeup done at the salon with the other bridesmaids and my mom did my hair. I talked about how crazy it was that I was with Sandy before her first date with Ross five years ago, and how I still couldn't believe that was her wedding day! After I was done, I headed down the road to the salon to get makeup done. My makeup artist, Gwen, was awesome. But there was another lady there, caked in bright blue eye shadow, who some of the other bridesmaids had the ...pleasure?...of working with.

Her name was Jersey, she was probably just shy of 70, and as she mentioned over and over again, SHE LOVES COLOR!!!

Yikes. So those girls had to remove some of the hot pink lipstick, but it all worked out fine.

The hour before the wedding started felt like an eternity. I was terrified so I can only imagine how Sandy felt. I was convinced I would fall or have to pee really bad mid-ceremony or something. But everyone walked down the aisle, no one fell, and it was beautiful!

It was so strange to watch someone I'm so close to get married. I think it makes it stranger that I'm engaged. So I was watching them and trying to wrap my head around the magnitude of their promise to each other, and occasionally I would think, "Hey! I'm going to do this next year in front of a bunch of people too! Is that exciting or terrifying? Both? Let's go with both."

I kept trying to remind myself that it was all real and Sandy and Ross are MARRIED now, but it was still so surreal! I have no idea why, but it felt like a dream.

So after the ceremony came the reception, and I was very wary of the reception, because that meant I'd have to give a speech.

Sandy asked me if I'd like to give a speech a few months back, and I pretty much started on it immediately. (I am usually the ultimate procrastinator, so this was very out of character for me.)

I created six different versions of this minute-and-a-half long speech throughout the summer, printed out two versions of it, folded one up and hid it in my dress, gave the other copy to Tom, and then I was ready.

I also tried to drink a lot of champagne. Not enough to slur my words, but enough to take the edge off. Turns out I don't really like champagne, so I had a lot of water, and that didn't help. I was completely sober when I had to give that speech, AND I had to go after Ross's brother's amazing speech. So. That was a scary moment. But I did it and I lived to tell the tale! And people said they liked it!

Me trying to down champagne prior to the ceremony... Love Sandy's sister's face here haha

Liza and the beautiful bride

 It was an exhausting, beautiful day. But there was a second wedding! The next day was the Indian ceremony.

We had henna done, and mine is still on my hand currently. I love it.

So we started the day with henna and bagels, and then my mom did my hair. I slept with my fake eyelashes on the night before, so at least part of my makeup was done. I wore a red and gold sari.

The ceremony was so cool. It was about four hours, and there was tons of color steps and even GAMES involved. I got to see Sandy and Ross dump giant bowls of rice on each other and fish out a gold ring from a pot filled with water. It was amazing.

I loved that I got to be a part of that. It was brand new to me (and Sandy, actually. She had never been to an Indian wedding herself) and it was neat to see that wedding the day after the Catholic ceremony.

And now they are off to medical school! Whew, those crazy kids. I miss them already.

Happy Monday!