Congrats Allison and John!

Last Saturday I was in blue velvet… and this Saturday in citrus green taffeta, oh the things we do for our friends…!! I’m just joking, really, it was one of the most elegant and fun weddings I’ve ever been to, and I was honored to be a part of it.

Allison was one of the first people I met when I moved into a dorm on the campus of Bowling Green State University as a scared eighteen year old. She was in the room directly across the hall; eventually we both had trouble with our roommates and moved to a different floor to live together.

When I met her she was dating my now good friend Brandon; John, her new husband, was Brandon’s best friend. A dramatic love triangle indeed! Of course there were hard times, but they are all now great friends and I applaud their maturity. In fact, John and Allison “fought” over whose side Brandon would stand on during the wedding. Allison won and had both a male and female “honor attendant” standing with her. Brandon endured all too many gender jokes throughout the whole process but I more than applaud, I stand up and cheer for Allison’s unconventional choice.

I must admit, I’m not a very good bridesmaid… this was the first bridal party I’ve been in since I was seven and I didn’t quite know all the “rules,” nor am I emotional enough for this kind of work! All the other women we tearing up during the rehearsal as I partook in the excessive amount of candy Allison’s mom stocks in her home. Additionally, after a week at Miss Ohio, in which every contestant should be focusing on herself and her competition, it was odd to me to have to wear the same clothing, jewelry and hairstyle as other women! Not to mention the minimal makeup and Mary Kay lady telling us we’re just “accessories!” [If the last paragraph didn’t make you laugh, go back and insert my sarcastic tone. While it was all true, I endured without trouble and again, it was all very beautiful.]

[Above on the right, Allison and I at the rehearsal dinner; below on the left, Allison during her bachellorette party at Put-in-Bay; ]

Oh, and a note to any brides-to-be, Allison gave each bridesmaid a very large LL Bean tote bag with our names embroidered on them in her wedding color, filled with our wedding jewelry and a few other small gifts. It was a perfect gift, giving us something to carry all our wedding day stuff and will be forever useful.

Again, congratulations and best of luck to Allison and John!