Pretty Woman

She's married. Married to her new best friend. I've now been demoted to best girlfriend, which is fine with me. It's the natural progression in life and I actually took everything really well. I didn't even cry nearly as much as I thought I would. I've been known to cry when I'm driving down the road and I see an ambulance go by. (Yes, I'm that pathetic.) So the fact that I was so happy and excited without crying for almost the entire wedding was a huge mile stone for me.

The only time I cried was during the luncheon and her mom said some wonderful words about my friend's dad saying how he was there in spirit that day and that she knew he was excited for his daughter. I didn't even know her dad that well before he died, but I know how much Alisa had always wanted him to be there at her wedding and especially how she would now miss out on the daddy-daughter dance. So I obviously cried in sympathy for my friend, and I had to follow that speech. So I was crying before I started, not good for my goal of making it through the day not crying. I felt like it was a pretty good speech on my part, I cried when I shouldn't have still but I ended with some great words I stole from a movie. I'll post them at the end.

Her hubby made me stand in the reception line too. I told him that when I get married I'll make him stand in my line and he'll be the only one there. HA! See how he likes greeting all my guests. He said he would, but I couldn't commit him to wearing one of the bridesmaid dresses so a cummerbund will have to do. The line wasn't as bad as I thought it would be though. But that might be because I was at the end of the line. They didn't have to wait awkwardly for someone to move so that they could shake the next person's hand and sometimes they just skipped me entirely. People kept asking me if I was her sister, and I'd say best friend, and her mom would say I was the closest thing she had to a sister since all she grew up with were brothers. Which is very accurate really. In high school people thought we were twins. You wouldn't think that now, but a lot of people still thought we looked like sisters at least. Even the photographer said so.

I got a lot of compliments on my dress standing in the line too. And can I say that just made me glow with pride? I finished sewing the hem at 3 A.M. the day of the wedding. (So I'm surprised I didn't cry more with only 5 hours of sleep because normally I'd bawl more easily.) I have to say the bodice is my favorite part. I love all the ruffles and gathers that made the dress look so much better than the average homemade dress. I didn't think it looked homemade at all really. (Unless you looked at the hem. I did it as fast and crapily as possible!) I even sewed the jacket for it, but I technically sewed the jacket in high school.

I have to say, with the tailoring I've done in the past 5 months, I've grown incredibly as a seamstress. I sewed the Mary Poppins coat of course, and now a bridesmaid dress. The dress was sooooo much easier. Especially since it didn't have sleeves and nitty-gritty tailoring to make it fitted like the coat did. And as much as I love sewing and making these gorgeous creations, I'm never ever going to sew a wedding dress. Nuh-uh. Too much work. Another prom dress or amazing Halloween costume might tempt me though. But for now, I am taking a long sewing break! All my free time will now be devoted to homework, reading books, and watching Castle. Enjoy the pictures! I'll post more if I get some from the actual wedding.

Pictures taken by my sister Becki

May you have enough happiness to keep you sweet
Enough trials to keep you strong
Enough hope to keep you happy
Enough friends to give you comfort
And enough determination to make each day
A better day than yesterday
(The Wedding Planner, Best Man Speech)

(This one is my favorite)