A Wedding Weekend to Remember

A few weeks ago, we had an extra special weekend. It involved some favorite visitors, the wedding of two of our favorite people, and naturally, the creation of some favorite memories. 

The plans we had lined up for babysitting ended up not working out, so we were wracking our brains for who could swoop in and save the day. And it ended up being this guy... 

All the way from Kansas City, Uncle Ryan made the drive up to Minneapolis to watch the girls over the course of the weekend. What a fella!! We are so thankful! Gramma Kathy and Papa were also in town visiting and to attend the wedding.

Not surprisingly, the girls had fun with all the visitors. And no shortage of opportunities to monkey around in front of them!

Uncle Ry and Kendall have always been quite the duo!

The wedding festivities for Katie and Luke began on Friday with the bridal luncheon, followed by a trip to the nail salon for manis and pedis. Quite a luxurious day for this mama!

I've known Katie since our freshman year at Iowa State when we both joined Gamma Phi Beta sorority and lived near each other in the dorms. Starting in those early days, Katie has been always been a loyal and dear friend (and maid of honor in our wedding). It was a privilege to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

The fun continued Friday night with the rehearsal at the church and then dinner. 

Luke and Michael have become fast friends through Katie and me. They have probably had just as many laughs as Katie and I, which is certainly saying something! It was an honor for Michael to be asked to serve as an usher for the wedding. We have never both been in the same wedding party before so it was really fun! The rehearsal dinner was filled with sentiment and memories of the relationships Katie and Luke have with their family members and friends. Such a special evening that served as a fabulous segue to the big wedding on Saturday!

Saturday started bright and early for me as all the bridesmaids met at Katie's hotel room for hair and make-up. Talk about fun! After we got prettied up, we went to the church to get in our dresses and begin pictures before the ceremony. The dresses were navy and beautiful! And, I might add, the most comfortable, easy-to-wear dress I think I've ever worn. But how about this knockout bride?!

Katie was radiant, present, and so calm and collected. She was simply thrilled to officially be married to Luke and of course enjoy the biggest party of her life! Understandably :)

My parents were some of the first guests to arrive because I wasn't exactly sure how long it would take them to get there so we allowed plenty of time. Meanwhile, Ryan held down the fort with the girls.

Michael and I may or may not have been this dressed up since our own wedding almost 9 years ago! Ha! (No, really :)

The wedding ceremony was a Catholic mass and it was beautiful from start to end. Katie and Luke even got to share their own vows that they wrote for each other in addition to the traditional vows. 

Following the wedding and exit, the entire wedding party piled into a huge limo and the champagne started flowing to celebrate Mr. and Mrs.! 

We drove around the amazing Minneapolis lakes as the newly married couple got their pictures taken. We made our way to the incredible reception site - The Minikahda Club - overlooking Lake Calhoun near Uptown for more pictures and to join in the cocktail hour. (See downtown Minneapolis in the background of this picture.) The weather was absolutely perfect!

The wedding party made their entrance and immediately Katie and Luke shared their first dance...

Later was the father/daughter dance which is always so special. 

Dinner was delicious, the speeches were heartfelt tear-jerkers, and before we knew it the party on the dance floor was well underway. It was about this time that we got a text from Ryan that both girls were in their beds asleep by 7:30. That's when he earned his nickname "the child whisperer." :) We had a great time dancing the night away! Weddings with my parents are so fun!

Beth and I with the stunning bride! 

It was about this time that we got a text from Ryan that Kendall decided to wake up at 9:30 - guess she just wanted a nap and then wanted to play with Uncle Ryan again! Oye.

Gamma Phi sisters from across the country joined in the celebration of Katie and Luke. It was so fun to be reunited and we even serenaded Luke with our traditional sorority wedding song! Can you believe we remembered the words after 10+ years?!

Just when hunger pangs started to strike after all the dancing, guess what was wheeled into the reception by the dozens? McDonalds cheeseburgers and french fries!! Are you kidding me?! No, I am not. It was awesome.

Katie and Luke's wedding weekend was such an authentic reflection of the immeasurable value of family, friends, and love. We are so fortunate to have been a part of it all and even more blessed by the friendship we share with Katie and Luke.

And I'd say with all the hands-on-deck at our own house over the course of the weekend, we too, felt the immeasurable value of family and love as well. It takes a village. And I'm ever so grateful for ours.