Bitch du Jour

I promise to stop gushing after this post. We do still have 3 more weddings this year and I know they will be as wonderful as the first 2 we have been to! Here’s what made last weekend’s super special:

• Radiant bride and groom – it is great to see two people in love seal the deal. And it always reminds me of Shane’s and my special day.
• Church conveniently located near the reception – I could have stumbled from the Dunes Church to the Meadow Club…but thanks to Jorge I didn’t have to!
• Elvis!! I said ELVIS! The King came out to perform a couple of songs towards the end of the night but Elvis mania did not end there…the waiters had trays of Elvis glasses for all of the guests to wear! I LOVED this!! Kind of unbelievable that I never came up with that idea for either of my weddings….maybe for our vow renewals, Shane….
• Drinks – plentiful and easy. I can honestly say that I have never been to an event where it was easier to get a drink than at the rehearsal dinner and wedding this weekend. My glass was never empty, never full. Just the way I like it!
• Lobster salad, part deux. Oh hell yeah they had more lobster salad hors d’oeuvres. My new favorite thing.
• Great band, times two. There was some sort of Navy Jazz band for the cocktail hour, and then a Motown band for the reception. Both excellent.
• Unique Table cards – each table was named for a place special to the bride and groom and included the exotic (New Zealand, Capri!) along with locales that are more familiar to me (West Village, Virginia). We were so excited to be seated at the Costa Rica table, along with Brother and Sister-in-law of the bride, who were recently married at a fabulous wedding in Costa Rica. We were surrounded by other couples who were married in Charleston, like Shane and me! And that was by design! The amount of time and thought that went into the seating and the bride’s narration on the cards at each table was amazing and touching.
• More great toasts. No wedding for this girl could be complete without a walk down “bad boyfriend” memory lane…as told by her older brother. I was just disappointed that he left out the ballerina. He did hit upon the college boyfriend, the gambler and the movie producer. GOOD STUFF.
• New dance move – no window dancing this weekend, but there was plenty of slam-prep-step. I literally hurt myself banging into Shane as he flung me around the dance floor. Hopefully the videographer was not too close when Shane lifted my arm up and dumped my champagne on my head, or when I repeatedly begged him to stop hurting me. (In a good way).
• Flip flops. Oh hell yeah they brought out baskets of flip flops at the end of the night. Brilliant!
• Family – it breaks my heart that the bride lost her Dad just a few weeks ago. His presence was felt through every moment of this special weekend. He was especially present in the faces of his two beautiful children as they smiled (big wide grins just like their dad’s!) and spoke of his love and affection. Mom hung in like a champ too. Truly one of the nicest people I have ever met, I will always remember hanging out with AM in the driveway of our sorority house, and how proud he was of his girl. Big big heart hands.   

But what I really want to know is….did the bride wear her new “I love Frat Boys” thong that we gave her at her bachelorette party? My money says yes!!

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We are so honored and grateful to have been included (along with the other wedding guests) in the rehearsal dinner at last weekend’s celebration of love. Here are all of the elements for a perfect rehearsal dinner:

• Great town – Southampton
• Historic venue – Y’all know I am a golf fanatic and I was SO PSYCHED to be at Shinnecock! It is lovely.
• Beautiful summer weather – the wrath that Mother Nature unleashed on us last night was totally worth the trade off for perfect weather all weekend. The hot pink sunset at the end of the cocktail hour was stunning. So appropriate as the sun set on the era of MSM’s single life!
• Signature drink – Southsides rocked the house. They are like a mojito yummy yummy.
• Mix and match seating – Husbands and wives were purposely seated at separate tables so that we could all meet more of the fun guests. Making new friends was almost as much fun as watching my old friends freak out about who they would be seated with.
• Attire: “summer chic” – elegant and fun, and apparently includes a parrot dress (me), polka dot pants (the groom), and tapestry slippers for more than one male guest! Shane and I coordinated our outfits, which I LOVED!
• Open mic for toasting – I am so glad that Kimmers and I got to give a spontaneous shout out to the bride and groom. It was from the heart. Shane even got a mention in my “good sport” story. My favorite toast included an analogy that I may need to steal, from a former short-order cook. You know the food references are right up my alley! The gist of it is, in a relationship, there are those who are involved and those who are committed. Like eggs and bacon - the chicken is involved but the pig is committed. Congrats to the two little piggies! 
• Theme food – The menu gave a nod to the Southern heritage of the bride, and did not disappoint! Fried chicken, ham, baked beans, tater salad, and capri salad…buffet style…and you know I love a buffet!!! 
• Great band – blue grass! Those guys were great!
• Lobster salad sandwiches- my fave hors d’oeuvre during the cocktail hour were little lobster salad sandwiches that were divine. I want some more right now.
• Slide show – the groom is a professional photographer and it was fitting that there were tons of photos of the happy couple throughout their lives. I also LOVED the photos and story that groomsman SN shared for his toast.
• Kids. Yes, I said kids. Maybe it’s the Southsides (still) talking. One of our dear sorority sisters brought her 3 daughters (including tiny baby!) and they were priceless…during the toasts, one of them yelled “Mommy, I forgot to flush!!” and then later the other one, hearing the bride described as beautiful, fun-loving, and brilliant, announced to the crowd, “Just like me!” HILARIOUS! 
• Surprise dessert – after the toasts, the waiters brought out baskets of icecream sandwiches and drumsticks and other awesome mart-icecream.
• Designated driver – Lilybugs gets a whole separate post, they are SO AWESOME. They may just be Bitch du Jour’s business of the year for 2008!
• Old friends and new – it was like a miniature (better) UVA reunion, and I got to see people I had not seen in 15 years! Plus I met so many cool spouses too. Bitch du Jour matchbooks were discreetly handed out with the plea, “Please do not disgrace Shinnecock by leaving these out for people to see”. Hi new friends!
• Family – the parents and siblings of the groom were such proud and gracious hosts. Thanks so much for including us in such a special night!

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