Dress: LOFT; Heels: Ann Taylor (on sale! Available in other colors)
About a month ago, my oldest friend (we met in first grade), called me and said she was going to elope and was there any way I could get officiated, travel up to Bellingham, and marry she and her brand-new-fiance in exactly one month. There was no way I was going to miss the marrying off of someone I've been through all manner of life experiences with. Ben asked for a weekend off, we booked a hotel, and slated the four hour drive for the calendar - July 11th. A week ago, she let me know she'd invited a few other people to the elopement and the elopement was no longer; it was a surprise wedding. The guests thought they were attending a pot-luck. By Saturday morning, there were 30-40 attendees and I was all of a sudden actually officiating an intimate wedding.
On the morning of, we got to my friend's house and spent some time with her little family (fiance, puggle, and foster baby) and watched the rain sprinkling on and off over the tall evergreens of Bellingham. Rain is good luck on your wedding day (says everyone trying to calm a bride) and despite the wedding being outside in a park on the bay and susceptible to a downpour, my friend was calm and the show just proceeded as planned. When she arrived at the park and everyone was asked to gather near a little point on the water, the rain let up and a break in the clouds allowed for us to perform a short and sweet (and very emotional) ceremony.
The surprise was apparent on everyone's faces (spontaneous tears and shock), and it was clear that my friend has found a wonderful family in her fiance's family. Everyone was elated to see them together and spoke of how great they were as a team. There's little that makes you happier than seeing someone you've known and wished the best for (for 21 years) find someone that makes her happy and whole.
P.S. This is the dress I wore to officiate. But with some flat sandals as it was a surprise pot-luck, after all.
Surprise weddings sound like such a great idea! A friend of mine did this as well as it sounds like it turned out amazing. Love the dress you're wearing as well!
ReplyDeleteSo amazing!!!! So glad you had fun and you looked beautiful!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to your friend on the wedding! You look absolutely stunning in this dress, it's print is so chic and unique!
ReplyDeletehttp://lartoffashion.com
I didn't know anything about surprise weddings before, but it sounds good! You're beautiful as always!
ReplyDeletexx, Flora
http://lapapillonnoire.blogspot.com
What a cool story! That sounds so lovely - also, this dress looks stunning on you.
ReplyDeleteI seriously saw this dress in a store window this weekend and drooled over it, wishing I weren't pregnant! So cute! You look fabulous in it. And, how fun to be such a big part of a special day. Congrats to your friends!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the idea of a surprise wedding! Glad the rain held off for the occasion.
ReplyDeleteHow fun! It seems like this would be difficult to pull off without people finding out. But I like the idea! Sounds like this one went well. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful day! And we had rain on our wedding and are still going strong 7 years later. :)
ReplyDeleteLove this look... especially the shoes!
ReplyDelete-Karen
What an amazing thing! A surprise wedding is such a great idea and makes for such a special day. So glad you were able to officiate!
ReplyDeleteIt must be so fun to officiate a wedding, what a lovely surprise for everyone.
ReplyDeletexo
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