The Joining of Jill and Wes- AKA Jes

I just returned from a whirlwind weekend of love and fun in San Diego for my older sister, Jill's wedding! It was such a fun time and wonderful to see how happy Wes and Jill are and then of course get to see all of our family for this wonderful celebration. I arrived Thursday afternoon around 5:30pm and Tadd picked me up and took me right over to Tom Ham's Lighthouse which is where the rehearsal dinner was! All of our extended family and Wes's family was there also. It was a beautiful pre-wedding setting and it was fun to catch up and see everyone. There were some touching moments such as when Jill and Wes read the poems that they ahd written to their parents and had placed them on hankies as a keepsake. And then Wes's father gave some kind remarks as well as Elizabeth, Jill's sister in law now! The food was delicious...we all had salad and then there was three options for the main course...chicken, steak and fish. I got the steak and it was yummy. Then there was your very own creme brulee which is my favorite. After dinner we were able to chat some more with family and friends and then everyone dispersed after one big group photo! We all headed home and got organized for the next day....the BIG wedding DAY! Friday, all the girls, (Mom, Jill, Katie, and the bridesmaids and Mother of the Groom) gathered in the room my parents were staying in that had an attached hospitality suite wth chairs and couches and a large table which was perfect for getting ready! Everyone gathered around adn the hair and makeup extravaganza began. One at a time the wedding line got ready and we just hung out, listened to music, snacked and chatted. It was a very nice day...relaxing and fun...a perfect precursor to the evening ahead.

Once everyone was beautified, we put our dresses on and headed to the venue, Bride and Dress in tote. We arrived and snuck around the groom and groomsmen as they were taking photos...and we arrived safely in a tiny room that was extremely HOT....and we stayed there and sweated for a good two hours until the wedding started. We did get to come out and take photos of all the girls and the beaming Bride! It was so pretty overlooking the ocean and the weather was warm with a breeze. It was slightly humid though, so my hair got a nice frizz to it...not cute! But who cares...it was not about me, and Jill looking stunning! She looked so beautiful...her hair was perfect, her makeup flawless and her dress was gorgeous! Everything fit and looked amazing! After we took photos, we returned to the room and danced to some music, took more photos, had a champagne toast and fanned each other until it was time to walk! We made our way to the walkway and off we went to walk the aisle. My dad and Jill made a grand entrance at the top of a set of stairs and that is when the tears started flowing...I composed myself before she made it all the way to the front which was good because I had to hold it together for Jill who is normally the crier. Everyone made it through the ceremony...and at one point Wes got a little too excited and before all the vows he basically shouted "I DO" which was adorable because it showed how much he wanted to marry her and he was ready and any point to say those words!

After the ceremony, all the guests headed to cocktail hour while the bridal party headed down to the beach for some additional photos...after ALL the photos, we stopped by the cocktail hour to try and grab some snacks before the grand introductions...and then the first dance, father -daughter dance, mother-son dance and onto speeches! Jill did a great job holding it together for her speech and then even my Dad pulled it together and limited the tears...then Katie and I proceeded to give our speech which went really well and then the best man Austin topped it off. Overall, the speeches were successful with limited crying which is amazing. Then dinner was served and we enjoyed another delicious meal. I enjoyed fish this evening and it was perfectly crusted and seasoned...yum! After eating, we got onto the dance floor and showed off some moves which is always my favorite part of weddings!

Once we started dancing, we then were able to partake in the bouquet toss, the garter toss as well as the cake cutting! I then enjoyed some red velvet cake and danced some more...Tadd and I were able to mingle with lots of family and friends and enjoy everyone's company at the wedding.

Once it hit about 9:45 things started wrapping up as the venue was no longer available after 10pm...so everyone packed it up and headed to the Sheraton hotel for the after party at the hotel bar. We all gathered there and sat around tables continuing converations and enjoying pizza that my boss bought for us to eat! Aroun 12:30am everyone began to fade and there was last call at the bar...everyone headed home safely at that time.

We got back to the hotel we were staying at and I showered the frizz out of my hair and the sweat off my body and went right to sleep...Unti arising at 8:30 to get slightly pulled together for another family gathering at Einsteins for breakfast. We said our goodbyes and thank you's to our family for making the trip and the wedding so special. Then the five of us...Tadd, me, Katie, Mom and Dad went to the mall just to shop around during the few hours we had before a few more errands on the weekend. We then headed to Jill's house to pick up a few things before they left on their honeymoon and then went out to dinner with our grandparents to enjoy our last evening together. Sunday morning, Tadd and I packed up and Jeff and Karyn, Tadd's aunt and uncle picked us up to spend some time with them and go to church before my flight on Sunday evening. We had a lovely time with them and enjoyed more delicious food and then I made it home around midnight...unpacked and hit the sack! The end! It was a wonderful and special weekend...and we are sooooo excited for Jill and Wes...or better know as their celebrity name Jes. They are currently in the Bahamas for the honeymoon and will return in about one week! We love them so much!!! More pictures will be posted in the near future...stay tuned!