"Say no more. I will be there. With bells on. Well, maybe not the bells part but I will be there."
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Jenna and I met at Frisbee back in college. I thought she was a year older because she seemed like she had her shit together so much more than the rest of our dazed and confused freshman bunch. Somehow she managed to avoid all the drama but was still there for all the cool stuff.
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| Kweezy Ultimate! |
Sophomore year was tough, in part because I was a hot mess on all levels but also in part because my three best buddies all went abroad at the same time, leaving me with only myself to blame for my terrible decisions. When Jenna got back form Ireland, we decided to start living together and we have been pretty inseparable since.
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| With Danielle, another awesome girl from Frisbee. |
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| With Jess, our housemate and partner in crime. |
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| Celebrating Jenna's 22nd birthday in style |
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| For some reason, they decided to give us diplomas. |
When I got accepted to Teach For America and they asked me where I would like to be placed, my first choice was DC because that's where Jenna was going to be. Baltimore was my second choice only because of its proximity to DC (and that one time we visited with the band in 10th grade). Only a short train or car ride down the road and we could continue our college hijinks into adulthood!
So when Jenna asked if I could make it, there was only one option, other responsibilities be damned! I had to cancel two classes, miss the Gaelic Football finals in Paris and shell out a small fortune, but there was no way I was going to miss my best friend's wedding.
I was home in November for Steven and Ashley's blizzard wedding and was able to swing by David's Bridal to get my bridesmaid dress. Thank God Jenna is a reasonable person and just said "get any dress in mint" because otherwise, I may have been out of luck. I had 20 minutes to grab something off the rack and hope that it fit. Mission 1 accomplished.
I left Bordeaux on Thursday morning and landed in DC later that evening. Jenna was able to scoop me up from the airport, bring me back to her and Ben's newly purchased home in Arlington and then they took me out for barbecue. (If there's one thing they're really missing out on in France, it's good ol' American BBQ.)
On Friday, we had work to do, (after bagels, mimosas, and mani pedis of course). There were lights to be strung, decorations to assemble and display, Spotify DJ playlists to create. The wedding was being held at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, and while it is beautiful and natural and all that good stuff, it's not necessarily set up for having a wedding. That's why we had a lot to do to get the place looking like a party hall.
After a long day of work, we were treated to an excellent rehearsal dinner, catered by the Baltimore-based restaurant Clementine (the same place where we asked Paul and Ama if they would be our witnesses in our little wedding). They were also doing the food for the reception and I can honestly say it was the best wedding food I have ever had. Hands down.
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| Sunset at the CBEC |
After the dinner, we went back to the hotel and met up with a couple of old friends from DC. This is where the bad decisions began. We got beers and shots at the local VFW, where we were the youngest patrons by a good 50 years, climbed on the tank out front and then went back to the hotel for a parking lot party. We may have shotgunned beers in the trunk of Will's car. None of this was really planned but old habits with old friends die hard. And they worry about the groom getting ripped up the night before the wedding... At least we looked good doing it.
I'm not sure any of us were feeling 100% on the morning of the wedding but at least Jenna could blame it on nerves. Ashly and I were just hungover. But that's nothing a little make-up and some Excedrine can't fix!
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| Game face |
The wedding was beautiful but I didn't take a single picture because I was too busy dancing like a fool and stuffing my face with delicious food. The weather cooperated for most of the day, only deciding to bring on a torrential downpour during dinner when we were all inside anyway. The catering team had to scramble and move everything inside but it ended up working out perfectly. There is something really magical about being a part of such a special day in the life of someone you love. Jenna and Ben seemed so happy. Just look at those faces!
We partied late into the night, eventually ending up back in the hotel to finish off a few beers but all of us were pretty much done at that point. Raging is hard when you're old!
Sunday was clean up day and everyone went home with a bunch of leftover booze. No one complained. It's insane to think of how much work goes into a wedding, only for it to be over in a couple of hours. Totally worth it, though.
We headed back to Arlington and decided to go see if our old Ithaca/Ultimate friend Jon was working at the local bar. Indeed he was and it was a glorious reunion!
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| Nawshus Ultimate! I love these people. |
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| The name the dorm where Jon and I lived freshman year is also the name of the bar where he now works. |
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| Obligatory BFF selfie. Rocking our Kweezy hoodies. |
On Monday, it was time to go back to France. We grabbed some tasty tacos on the way to the airport, completing my list of all the things I wanted to do in America: eat BBQ, eat bagels, eat tacos, drink good beers, and hang out with the people I love. Check and check. It was a whirlwind weekend but I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. Being able to see Jenna marry her best friend was absolutely priceless and if I was able to contribute to that moment in any small way, it was all worth it. Congratulations, Jenna and Ben! Here's to a lifetime of adventures and delicious craft beers. I love you guys!!
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