Wedding fabulousness (or: the biggest smiles EVER)

Hi there. Sandra here, filling in for the fabulous Alissa, who is happily honeymooning with her brand-new HUSBAND, the equally fabulous Evan.

I had the supreme pleasure of attending -- and participating in -- Alissa and Evan's wedding this past weekend, and it was (as you'd guess) amazing. The incredibly happy couple was surrounded by their incredibly supportive and happy families, who very clearly adore each other and are more cohesive already than some families who've been 'together' for decades (I spent a lot of the weekend being amazed at how well the in-laws all got along -- all of the four kids are married -- and how well everyone knew one another), and their friends -- or urban family members, depending on how you want to look at it -- and were so relaxed, happy and excited about the weekend that it put everyone else in an equally good frame of mind.

Couple that with gorgeous colors, courtesy of Fall in Northern Michigan, fantastic food and drinks, well-designed everything (yay, Evan!) and impeccable planning (I'll give that 'yay' to Alissa, who should really organize everyone's life) and a lack of worry about stuff that just doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, and you get a pretty friggin' perfect weekend -- which is exactly what I wanted for one of my best friends, who I love and adore more than I can possibly express, and her amazingly fabulous husband. As I said on Saturday, may both of them continue to cherish, respect and love every single part of each other, and continue to grow both their biological and urban families; we're all so happy to be a part of their lives. <virtual cheers!>

A few photos (I took almost none at the reception, due to the dancing and talking being a bit distracting, but this should give you a taste)...

View from the bridal/honeymoon suite

Walking into the rehearsal dinner (check out the sign above the door) and showing off their wedding tats at the dinner.

The night before the wedding, chilling in the room with Kerri -- and us cheering in the room, just before we left for breakfast on the wedding day.

Breakfast, the morning of the wedding (she was a GREAT bride and ate all her oatmeal)

Alissa and her fabulous new mother-in-law, and the bride (and Momma S! and hairdresser) during various hairdo stages.

The gang, getting ready in the bridal suite -- and the bride, diving into her dress with the help of the Jens (sister and bridesmaid)

The back of the dress, and a pic taken right before we went downstairs for the ceremony; Alissa saw Evan from the balcony (he couldn't see her) and this is how happy it made her...which is somehow making me tear up right now.

This is how happy both of them were all weekend (seriously, I thought Evan was going to break his face, he was smiling so widely!)

All in all, an absolutely amazing weekend which I was absolutely honored and thrilled to be a part of. Congratulations, Evan and Alissa, and I'm excited to hear all about the honeymoon when you get back in two weeks!!!

xxoo

Comments

[Jen]

All Beautiful indeed!

[ER]

Yeah to to big smiles! Love the pics!

[Michelle]

Congratulations Alissa! You both look so extremely happy - and the dress is beautiful!

[Neil]

Everything looks so beautiful. Mazel tov!

[Elaine]

Congrats!!

[Sara]

So many happy congrats!!!!

[Molly]

This was so sweet. Congratulations, Alissa!!!!

[sizzle]

i want to cry just reading this. thanks so much for posting! i'm so incredibly thrilled for both of them.

[jdub]

"break his face" smiles - yep, that pretty much summed up both of them. And by Katie's count, Alissa did at least six spontaneous jigs before the wedding.