Audra and Rob's Wedding 2008

It was lovely white wedding with snow! Audra and Rob got married while Audra is still attending law school with me at UVA, but they plan to live in North Carolina together after she graduates so they can start their married life there. We will always remember Audra's wedding ceremony, not only because one of the groomsmen locked his knees and took a tumble, but also because their ceremony was very personalized for them. The minister talked in terms of both religion and life practicalities, Audra's stepfather sang during the ceremony, and Audra and Rob read their own vows to each other. After Rob lifted Audra's veil and kissed her, their first married act was to pray together. And you don't need me to tell you because you can see for yourself in the pictures, but Audra was a beautiful and stunning bride.

Coming down the aisle together after getting married

A bunch of our friends from law school traveled to the wedding together. It was at the end of our law school Spring Break so we spent the whole week in North Carolina relaxing and looking forward to the event.

Roger, Brian, Kevin, me, Audra, Sarah, Donald, Katy, and Josh

We had a lot of fun at their wedding reception. After the first dance, Rob danced with his mother, and Audra danced with her stepfather who sang to her as well. She has the same sort of close relationship with her stepfather that I had with mine, which is to say that they are our real fathers.

Rob and Audra's first dance

 

Father-daughter dance

After dinner we had two flavors of cake, a white cake with strawberry coulis, and a groom's cake made of chocolate. I enjoyed the groom's cake so much that I dubbed it my birthday cake.

Wedding cake and groom cake decorated just for Rob

I like that the strawberry is dressed up

We spent the rest of the evening hitting the dance floor with Audra and Rob's friends and family. I spent a little time dancing with Audra's California friends who are as awesome as they are beautiful, and some time photographing and chatting with Audra and Rob's Charlottesville friends, who I already knew a little because of pre-wedding events. Brian made friends with every last person at the wedding and led a few line dances. I am not talking about the electric slide because it was already 2008-- I'm talking more along the lines of Cupid Shuffle and the Cha Cha Slide. There was even a conga line that basically the entire wedding got in. Even Donald!

Slide to the left, slide to the right!

Conga line with everyone!

Dancing!

Roger spinning Katy

Sarah and Donald being super cute

Megan and Ed's Wedding 2007

Megan and Ed got married! The wedding was in Florida where Ed is from, and Ed's mom helped with a lot of the arrangements. In Florida, there's always a threat of rain, so they kept the ceremony short and sweet. Thanks to their strategizing we were all inside right as it started raining outside.

Megan and her dad

Megan's mom doing a reading

Vows during the ceremony

The first thing we did before cocktail hour was take a big group photo of everyone at the wedding. I'd never seen that before and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Kevin and I copied that and the style of their invitations for our wedding. Suffice to say, I like their style. The cocktail hour was really fun in part because Megan and Ed actually attended their own cocktail hour. Again, it was the first time I had seen that, and Kevin and I copied that too.

Awesome group photo. 

Darren and Janice with the bride and groom during cocktail hour

It's been five years but I still remember that the reception was beautiful, and the dinner was delicious, and they had an amazing cordial bar (with chocolate and coffee liquors) and a chocolate fountain. I loved that bar. And we all had a wonderful time celebrating and dancing together. It was really fun.

Laurie, Jamie, and Janice

 

Fake table photo missing Laurie (I think she was dancing?)

The beautiful cake

We were all so happy for the two of them. By the time they got married I had known Megan for 10 years. I had seen her be very happy before, enjoying herself with her friends, but since she met Ed, it seemed like she was permanently in that state of happy. When I met Ed in 2005, I thought he was great anyway. The reason I thought they were great together was that Megan was her best self with Ed. And all that beaming back and forth they did- wow. In five years, you can just look at them and see they haven't lost the magic. In many ways, they're even better now. They even run marathons together and have an amazing baby boy William.

Even though this picture is from far away, I think you can see how happy they are.

Casey and Victoria's Wedding 2007

Casey and Victoria got married on the beach in Cape Cod!

 

Casey and Victoria's wedding on the beach

Casey and Victoria met seven years ago on her birthday in September of 2005. He was performing in his band, and she was there to see the show. That's a pretty cool beginning. Two years later, they were married on the beach in Cape Cod not too far from where Casey grew up with Kevin. Victoria walked down a sandy aisle to Casey, where they were married right in front of the ocean.

Quartet on the beach

Walking down an aisle of soft sand

Casey's best man was his brother, Victoria's maid of honor was her best friend, and their dog Toby was there for both of them. The ceremony was small and very warm and intimate, with readings by friends and a speech by Casey's dad.

A friend giving a reading

A long romantic kiss

Casey and his ushers, Kevin and Jon

The reception was in a restaurant right off the beach. It started with their first dance a champagne toast. And oh do I love a cake-cutting, since it means yummy cake is on the way!

First dancce (you can see me taking the photo in the mirror- ha ha!)

The beachy cake

Cutting the cake

Jon, Becky, me, and Kevin enjoying the reception

One of my favorite parts of the reception was that they had close friends perform wonderful live music. Such a nice personal touch, and even nicer than hiring a band.

Jesse and Irene performing at the reception

Casey's cousins


Us with Casey and Victoria

Pete and Adrienne's Wedding 2007

Pete and Adrienne got married! Kevin and Pete became good friends when they attended Iowa Writers' Workshop together. This is the first wedding Kevin and I attended as a couple. We road-tripped from Charlottesville to Chicago (12 hours each way!) to see them get married at the very cool Architectural Artifacts Building in Chicago.

Adrienne and Pete right after they got married

They had a lovely ceremony with great nontraditional readings. The had a cocktail hour on the roof, and the reception inside with all the student artwork on display in both places.  They had a super awesome wedding favor: pins of their faces. We all wore them during the reception.

Friends playing music


Pete's family. For reference, Pete's Dad is 6 feet tall.


With some of Kevin's friends from grad school in 2007

Dance floor from above


Me and Kevin wearing our Pete and Adrienne pins

Rachel and Tim's Wedding 2006

I missed the wedding of these two wonderful people because I couldn't figure out a way to get to Pennsylvania for the wedding. I managed to get hold of these pictures though, and I think you can see that they are lovely- inside and out- and very much in love!

Rachel and Tim's wedding in August 2006

Her dad walking her down the aisle of the church

Getting married!

The bride with her parents and sisters

Tim and Rachel with Rachel's family

Tim and Rachel with Rachel's family

Cutting the cake!

Rachel and Matthew are both crazy

Cheers!

Joseph and Ana's Wedding 2006

Joe and Ana had such a beautiful wedding! It was at the Queen Anne Marina, in Stevensville, Maryland.

Ana and Joe- married!

Cathy has been friends with Joe for a long time and I met him through her, but I've probably known Joe now almost as long as I've known Cathy now- about 5 years. I've never seen Joe as happy as he is with Ana! And she's obviously gorgeous and so sweet. I'm so excited for them! Congratulations!

Just perfect!

Me and Cathy appropriating the perfect setting

Group picture is missing Cathy, bride, and groom

Wedding cake


Beautiful sunset view during first dance

Best wedding favor ever! Cultural and fun.

With the groom!

Joseph's friend Chris, me, Cathy, and Cathy's childhood friend Larry