The Prize at the End

I survived! The wedding was beautiful and everything was perfect! I don't have a lot of photos myself, but my brother and father took well over 1200 photos between the two of them and I'll post some later. But for now, here's a few tidbits about the details.

I was really worried about my toast. For months I couldn't think about what to say or what little memories to bring up about my childhood with Jaclyn. Then one day I was sitting in my room and looked up and sitting on the top shelf of my bookshelf was Herman. And I knew I had gotten the most amazing idea ever for a toast. So here goes...

I'd like to sincerely thank all of you for being here today. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Elise and I am Jaclyn's cousin. Throughout my life she has been the big sister I never had and I am honored to be here to help her with her special day.

There is barely a memory that I possess that doesn't include Jaclyn. Growing up we all spent a lot of time together just playing around the house. Back in the day, we were all about the scavenger hunts and let me be the first to say that Jaclyn can put together a mean scavenger hunt, she sent us on a different wild goose chase every time.

One thing that was always constant though, was the prize at the end. My sister Julianne had a plastic turtle named Herman. I'm not sure when it started, but Herman became an integral part to every scavenger hunt. He stood sentry over the prize at the end. We'd find clues like "Herman is flying!" and he'd be attached to a chandelier, or "Herman is drying!" and he'd be sitting on top of the dryer in the basement. My all time favorite, was "Herman is crying," and we found him and our prize in a tissue box.

Obviously, we’ve come a long way from the days of scouring the house for Herman but Jaclyn is still a kid at heart and it doesn’t surprise me that she’s found someone as fun as Andy to share her life with. And that is why, I feel it is only right, that Herman should be passed over to Andy today. Andy, you are certainly the prize at the end of Jaclyn's scavenger hunt. And today, Herman is dying to celebrate!


From there I went on a little further with a more traditional, we love Andy, he's awesome and perfect for Jaclyn...welcome to the family celebratory toast. But Herman was pretty much the guest of honor at the wedding.

What's even weirder is that Jaclyn apparently had a dream two nights prior to the wedding where someone gave her a turtle and she was carrying it around on her big day.

Apparently she's psychic!

Jaclyn & Andy

All I can say is the wedding was wonderful. I mentioned that my brother and father took about 5GB worth of photos, but we still haven't sorted through them all. So here's a few I snapped throughout the day with my little Cannon Elph.

Jaclyn & Andy are the biggest Disney fanatics you will ever meet.
They go multiple times a year...it's borderline ridiculous!

Helping the bride get into her shoes.

Mother and daughter. Check out their
awesomely beautiful Kettubah in the background.

Jade, Julibean and Jessy
(jeeze Stacey and I were the only non-Js in the bridal party!)
watching the reveal.

They are simply adorable together!

After the ceremony and photos, Jaclyn needed something to eat.
So to protect her dress they put an entire table cloth over her.
I thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.

Dan and our Mom cutting a rug.

After the wedding we went back to my Aunt's house,
where Jason and my Dad got some quality snuggle time in.

The Wee Wee Hours of the Morning

I knew going into this wedding that since it was a Sunday morning affair we would have to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn just to get our hair done. So here's a run-down of that exciting time in my life.

4:30am Wake up, almost trip over Jason's things piled in room because it is still pitch black out and I cannot turn the light on without waking my companion.
4:33am Somehow make it downstairs only to find Nanny already awake and asking if I'll make her coffee since she doesn't know how to use Mom's Mr. Coffee.
4:37am Shower, somehow managing to do so half asleep.
4:45am Wake up sister.
4:47am Mindlessly dress in clothes I carefully laid out the night before knowing I wouldn't be able to function and somehow get contacts in.
4:50am Finish packing back-pack o'shit to bring with me for the day.
5:00am Double check back-pack o'shit to make sure I truly have everything for the day.
5:05am Rummage through basement to find little Playmate cooler and leave note on it (and the fridge) for someone for the love of God to remember to bring the personal pan cheesecakes in the fridge with them when they leave for the ceremony and give them to the Matradee, since Jaclyn is allergic to her own wedding cake.
5:10am Pack car.
5:15am Accidentally run red light. Glad that the traffic cams aren't up and running at that intersection yet.
5:20am Pick up Stacey from her parent's house.
5:25am Arrive at Jaclyn's condo, juggling three floor length dresses in plastic wrap.
5:30-5:45am Pack limo and get all of Jaclyn's things together without creating a panicked atmosphere.
5:50am Step out so Jaclyn can take a breather. Jade, on hydration and panic attack control, is the only bridesmaid left inside.
5:57am Leave Jaclyn's condo to go pick up Aunt Nancy a few blocks away. Giggle that Jaclyn and Jade are the only two who put seat belts on in the entire limo.
6:05am See my Uncle in his glasses and not his contacts for the first time in my entire life. It was odd.
6:07am Find out my Great Aunt Doris is now on a ventilator and since a few cousins are not coming to the reception think of anyone in town who I can invite to the wedding as a seat filler.
6:08am Realize I have no friends to call to act as seat fillers.
6:40am Arrive at Essa Salon.
6:55am Am asked if I'd like some caffeine. Answer: "For the love of God yes!"
6:57am See Emmy and automatically take a photo of Jessy, the actress bridesmaid, with it.
7:00-7:45am Enjoy my cappuccino complete with complimentary milano cookie and nibble on some fruit while everyone else gets their hair done.
8:00-8:45am Continue to sit while everyone else gets their hair done.
9:00am Finally get called over to a chair and tell my quiet man that I'd like it to be big and ridiculous.
10:00am Realize my hair dresser has delivered.
10:05am Hair dresser gives me one last spray of hair spray and exclaims: "You are my masterpiece today!"
10:10am Rushed to get make-up on, convinced I will never look as good as I imagined.
10:20am Lock myself in dressing room and try to shimmy into my dress.
10:21am Half way in dress Julibean is at the door with Jason on the phone saying there is a suit disaster happening at home and I panic slightly.
10:23am Get dress entirely on without harming the anchorwoman hair.
10:27am Call Jason back only to find out he's a moron and when I said his suit was hanging in the closet with everyone else's wedding clothes in it, he didn't even look in that closet.
10:30am Consider beating Jason with my helmet hair.
10:45am Assist Julianne in make-up.
10:57am Pass over a painful amount of money to the salon. Seriously, I've never spent so much on my hair in my entire life!
11:00am Pack everything back into the limo.
11:10am Pull out of the salon only 10 minutes behind schedule.
11:11am Realize that through a mis-communication where I was supposed to pay Julibean's tip, she actually did not wind up tipping her hair stylist.
11:12am Feel a little bit better about the amount of time and money spent on my hair knowing they didn't get $10 more from me.
11:15am Realize that there is absolutely no way to keep the girls under control and inside the dress completely for the day.
11:16am Julibean starts making anchorwoman references about my hair.
11:17am Decide that for the rest of the day Elise will be on vacation and reading the news in her place will be Tits McGee.

The Wedding Date

A few weeks ago, my good friend Matt asked me if I would go to a wedding with him. I love weddings and even though I knew I was a replacement date I couldn't have been more thrilled to go. It actually isn't the first time a friend of mine had a date cancel at the last minute and I love meeting families and seeing the different traditions people incorporate into weddings.

Matt and I have been friends since freshman year of college. We met at an a cappella workshop before classes even started and I wound up going to Six Flags with his family later that week on a whim. Since Matt's family lived in the area I got to see them frequently and always enjoyed the time spent with my surrogate family. Also, I had met the bride on a few occasions prior to the wedding so I didn't feel too awkward going.

The ceremony was wonderful. It was short and sweet, outdoors by a little stream, and the Appel Inn in Altamon is just adorable. I love small weddings. I think sharing the moment with the people who matter most and not throwing a party for your cousin's boyfriend's vegetarian yoga instructor is the way to go.

The reception was intimate and the ceiling of the "Gathering Space" is goregous!

Most importantly Beth and Dan looked so happy and the day was simply fantastic.