The First One
A close friend of mine got married in Reno last Saturday. I, along with three other girls, was a bridesmaid. She's the first in our group to go, which is why this wedding was so special.
Our girl group formed during our last year of high school. We all grew up together, knew eachother on and off, and hung around different crowds throughout intermediate school and high school. Then, in the last year before most of us would head off to different colleges, we became sisters. It's funny how afterwards, we became closer, always met up during breaks and visited eachother at our different schools throughout college. When college ended, and we eventually went our own separate ways (one off to Nor. Cal and Reno, one off to Paris, me off to NY, and the other two in various So. Cal places), time always stood still for our friendship. On the rare occasions where we were all together again, we'd pick up right where we'd left off.
The day of the wedding started off bright and early at 8AM where two of the bridesmaids and I, along with the bride's mother and the sister of one of the bridesmaids, drove from the house we stayed at in Lake Tahoe to the Montreux Golf Club in Reno. We arrived at around 9AM, and had a half hour to spare before the hairstylist arrived to twist buns weaved with baby's breath into all of our heads. The morning was filled with bride and bridesmaid wedding preparations (hair, makeup, wedding scene adjustments).
By 2PM, the photographer arrived and started to take pictures as we zipped and buttoned the bride into her wedding gown. The bride looked gorgeous in her satin, strapless gown which flowed into a luxurious train studded with beads over just the right amount of poof. The final touch, a tiara, completed her transformation into a princess.
We moved over to a balcony overlooking the golf course to pose for more pictures. The weather was perfect-rain and thunder from the night before had cleared the skies and left behind cottony, white clouds against a bright blue backdrop.
By 4PM, the bride, groom and their party lined up behind the golf course to make their entrance down the isle. The bride's grandmother walked out first with the bride's brother in arm. The groom's parents followed next. And then each bridesmaid walked out with a groomsman in arm and lined up along the altar.
Finally, the bride would make her entrance. The bride took great care in ensuring that the groom would see her wedding gown for the first time only as she walked down the aisle. Arm in arm with her mother, the bride made her way down. At the first sight of his beautiful bride in her gown, the groom stood frozen in awe. Looks of admiration, happiness and love swept over the groom's face, prompting the bride to tear up halfway down the aisle.
After a very nice, 20 minute ceremony followed by a passionate kiss (officiant's orders), the bride and groom walked as husband and wife down the aisle as the guests waived streamers to see them off.
After another photo session on the golf course, we headed off to the reception under a tent overlooking the golf course where we dined on filet mignon, salmon, mashed potatoes and asparagus spears followed by a scrumptuous three layer wedding cake. The first layer was grand marnier, the second amaretto and the last chocolate hazelnut. Mmmm! Of course the bride barely got a chance to eat, as she and her new husband were busy greeting and chatting with their 130+ guests. They also changed a few times during the reception-once into traditional Korean clothing to bow and pay respects to their parents, then back into their wedding gown and tuxedo for their first dance, and then into more comfortable clothes to dance the night away.
By 11PM, the party dwindled down to a few remaining guests and the wedding party. We stayed a bit to clean up and then said our goodbyes, wishing the bride and groom a happy honeymoon before heading back to the house in Tahoe.
Our girl group formed during our last year of high school. We all grew up together, knew eachother on and off, and hung around different crowds throughout intermediate school and high school. Then, in the last year before most of us would head off to different colleges, we became sisters. It's funny how afterwards, we became closer, always met up during breaks and visited eachother at our different schools throughout college. When college ended, and we eventually went our own separate ways (one off to Nor. Cal and Reno, one off to Paris, me off to NY, and the other two in various So. Cal places), time always stood still for our friendship. On the rare occasions where we were all together again, we'd pick up right where we'd left off.
The day of the wedding started off bright and early at 8AM where two of the bridesmaids and I, along with the bride's mother and the sister of one of the bridesmaids, drove from the house we stayed at in Lake Tahoe to the Montreux Golf Club in Reno. We arrived at around 9AM, and had a half hour to spare before the hairstylist arrived to twist buns weaved with baby's breath into all of our heads. The morning was filled with bride and bridesmaid wedding preparations (hair, makeup, wedding scene adjustments).
By 2PM, the photographer arrived and started to take pictures as we zipped and buttoned the bride into her wedding gown. The bride looked gorgeous in her satin, strapless gown which flowed into a luxurious train studded with beads over just the right amount of poof. The final touch, a tiara, completed her transformation into a princess.
We moved over to a balcony overlooking the golf course to pose for more pictures. The weather was perfect-rain and thunder from the night before had cleared the skies and left behind cottony, white clouds against a bright blue backdrop.
By 4PM, the bride, groom and their party lined up behind the golf course to make their entrance down the isle. The bride's grandmother walked out first with the bride's brother in arm. The groom's parents followed next. And then each bridesmaid walked out with a groomsman in arm and lined up along the altar.
Finally, the bride would make her entrance. The bride took great care in ensuring that the groom would see her wedding gown for the first time only as she walked down the aisle. Arm in arm with her mother, the bride made her way down. At the first sight of his beautiful bride in her gown, the groom stood frozen in awe. Looks of admiration, happiness and love swept over the groom's face, prompting the bride to tear up halfway down the aisle.
After a very nice, 20 minute ceremony followed by a passionate kiss (officiant's orders), the bride and groom walked as husband and wife down the aisle as the guests waived streamers to see them off.
After another photo session on the golf course, we headed off to the reception under a tent overlooking the golf course where we dined on filet mignon, salmon, mashed potatoes and asparagus spears followed by a scrumptuous three layer wedding cake. The first layer was grand marnier, the second amaretto and the last chocolate hazelnut. Mmmm! Of course the bride barely got a chance to eat, as she and her new husband were busy greeting and chatting with their 130+ guests. They also changed a few times during the reception-once into traditional Korean clothing to bow and pay respects to their parents, then back into their wedding gown and tuxedo for their first dance, and then into more comfortable clothes to dance the night away.
By 11PM, the party dwindled down to a few remaining guests and the wedding party. We stayed a bit to clean up and then said our goodbyes, wishing the bride and groom a happy honeymoon before heading back to the house in Tahoe.
posted by LANYTransplant at 8:35 PM
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