Jules: Ellie, friend test.
Ellie: Fine, I’ll come.
Bobby: Friend test?
Jules: Yeah. It’s when you call your entire friendship into question and force them into doing something. I came up with it.
Trav: Sounds like you. -Cougar Town

Last Thursday was Monica & Chandler’s wedding and it was so beautiful. The ceremony was small and not everyone was invited (Match and I were among the few friends invited, we felt very VIP). The ceremony was at a family friend’s house that was absolutely stunning. I really wish I lived in this house. I didn’t get very many pictures because I was playing videographer/gopher/bridal party assistant all day. I figured I owed it to Monica because she helped me with everything when it was my big day. It was also my sneaky way to be a part of the behind the scenes action, which I loved.

One moment I was able to capture was by complete accident. It was of Match helping one of the bride’s younger family friends tie his tie. Isn’t this just the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen? This is the snapshot of the video I took of them. Match is going to be such a good daddy someday. Le Sigh.

My favorite part of a wedding ceremony is the groom when he first sees his bride and Chandler’s expression was priceless. His eyes sparkled like blue diamonds as he teared up when he saw Monica walking down the aisle. I tried to keep the tears at bay but the minute I looked over and saw that not only was the groom crying but every one of the groomsmen I just couldn’t keep it together.

After the ceremony Match and I went with Tahoe Girl’s parents and decorated M&C’s hotel room with balloons and rose petals. Then it was on to the reception! The reception was at a winery in beautiful wine country. Ladies you need to come visit me here. This is why I love Northern California. And yes there are always beautiful women dancing at wineries. It’s standard.

Her decorations were so pretty and so Monica. I loved the flowers and floating candles.

The boys have this picture tradition, that started at our wedding. It’s the butt pose and they do at every wedding now. I think it’s adorable. Some of those boys really know how to stick out their booties!

The girls went for the classic jumping in the air pose. This would have turned out great if I hadn’t jumped too soon. Notice how I’m the only one way up in the air here?

yeah, so for the official photo, I’m the only one with my legs firmly planted on the ground. I look like I didn’t even try! I kept telling them it’s because I’m short so I hit the ground faster.

Dinner was delicious and the toasts were both funny and heartwarming. The bride and groom danced to “The Way You Look Tonight” and looked so incredibly happy. Notice awkward me trying to get video and maneuver around one of the groomsmen.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this but Monica and Chandler have been together for almost 10 years. They were high school sweethearts and have survived a major long distance relationship. She’s lives in Scotland for vet school and has been there for the last two years! So to see them finally married, and finally he will be moving with her so they can truly be together is the stuff of storybooks.

Another very memorable moment of the night was when Tahoe Guy came up to me and pointed out that 6 of our best friends have gotten married within the year, and not to people outside our group but to each other (Token Gay Couple, Me and Match, and now Monica and Chandler). That is pretty incredible. I was also so touched that he included me in that grouping of 6. At first I was really slow on the uptake. 6? Ohh you mean me and Match too? Lol! I’ve never been a true part of a group before, and this crew has known each other since high school. The fact that I’m counted as one of their best friends is a great feeling.

We danced for hours and got a lot of people out there on that dance floor. I got some classic footage of the bride and groom dancing with their moms, and some hilarious shots of Chandler and his patented noodle arms dance moves. We ended the night with a 2 hour ride on the party bus, where I drank champagne straight out of the bottle. The bride also tossed her bouquet on the bus, and I screamed “Crawl for it bitches!” because I’m classy like that. The night ended as you know, with me curled up on the dog bed at the in-laws.It was a great night and I’m so happy for Mr. & Mrs. Monica and Chandler!

I just danced with a wonderfully large woman. And three other girls made eyes at me over the buffet. Oh, I’m not saying it’s something I wanna pursue, but it’s nice to know I have options. -Mrs. Green, Friends

Saturday was the long awaited wedding of our good friend Token Gay Couple. Some may not agree with a gay wedding, but I’m a firm believer that everyone should be allowed to be happy, and to know TGC is to know these two were meant for each other.

We got ready in the morning, said a rushed goodbye to Match’s parents, then headed over to Tahoe Girl’s parent’s house to finish getting ready with the rest of the group. We were laughing because it was like prom all over again. The girls were all crammed into the bathroom primping while the boys sat around in the living room watching sports.

The minute I got there I made a beeline to the room where Monica was getting ready. I hadn’t seen her since New Year’s eve so we were both really excited to hang out. There were also friends from Santa Cruz that Match hadn’t seen since his college days. The girls helped makeup and hair clueless me get glamorous. We decided that almost all the girls wanted curls. It was pretty adorable that we all matched. Tomboy was in the wedding party and she, along with Token’s little sis, wore tuxes. She looked so cute!

Kind of a funny fun fact: out of our group, Token Gay Couple, the least traditional of all the couples, are the only couple so far to get married in a church. The ceremony was actually very traditional in many ways. It was sweet and simple and I cried the entire time. I rarely cry sad tears but I’m a sucker for happy moments. When Token said his vows, and the way the two gazed at each other…it was just pure love.

I like to think Match and I clean up nice. How cute is he in his purple shirt?

All the boys took this picture, without prompting from any of us girls. They took this same picture back at our wedding last year, and they announced that the butt pose is a new wedding tradition. I love it!

Then we piled into our cars and headed to the reception site. We staked out our table that was directly in front of the bar.  I made friends with the bartenders right away. I think they got a kick out of this short, loud little spitfire hustling up to them and saying we’d be bbfs by the end of the night. They remembered my fondness for chardonnay and by the end of the night each time I’d wiggle my way to the bar my drink would be waiting for me.

Token GC had over 200 guests at their wedding, and as such they couldn’t afford a fancy hall. Their reception was at the local fairgrounds hall, and all of the decorations were homemade. The colors were a little bright and the main lights brighter, but once they dimmed the lights the effect was actually rather pretty. Plus it really didn’t matter where we were, we were all together. Oh, and the food was home cooked by their families and it was absolutely delicious.

There were a few cool and unique parts to their already unique wedding. One was when two of Token Gay Couple’s friends sang “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Calliat.

The other was the piñata they had set up outside. Luckily the rain stopped about an hour into the reception and the kids were able to play with the piñata. And no one got hurt. I was half expecting a bat to the crotch moment but everyone’s junk stayed in tact.

The couple’s first dance was to Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. It was a perfect song for the two of them, and they were so sweet to watch.

They had the mother/groom dance, with the song “Baby Mine” from Dumbo. Again, I bawled like crazy. I mean, how can you not hear that song and not remember little dumbo being rocked by his mama through her little prison cell? Ahhhh it was such a precious moment. Everyone cried happy tears.

Then there was dancing. Oh how we danced. My guns were blazing.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a wedding where practically every guest was on the dance floor. The DJ was fantastic and the songs had everyone moving. He played shout and the whole crowd got into it.

We danced until the wee hours of the night. Tahoe Guy said I won because in every picture I have a ridiculous smile on my face, and as the night went on, my hair got more and more wild.

I insisted that he was the real winner, because as the night went on Tahoe Guy’s pictures became crazier and crazier. That’s him in the blue, getting lowww. 

The couple also had the money dance. For those not familiar, you line up and you give the groom (bride in most cases) money to dance with them. Of course our group came up with a very creative way to give Token his money. They had coins and he became a human slot machine. Hilarity ensued!

Like I said, I believe we have a clear winner here. ding ding ding!

Match was definitely my little good conscious on my shoulder, making me drink water and saying famous quotes like, “You’re going to regret that shot.” Which I of course did.

At the end of the night we all squished together and sang Don’t Stop Believing at the top of our lungs. We also got really touchy feely, as our group is known to do.

End of the night. Notice how everyone looks just a bit disheveled. Shirts unbuttoned, hair askew. Me with that telltale drunken grin. It was a great time. We finished off the night at Tahoe Girl’s parents house where I got even more drunk in the hot tub and played a crazy drinking game called Thumper. The last thing I remember was being curled up in the guest room at my in-laws, yelling to my MIL that “I’m INEBRIATED!” while laughing hysterically. She said, “Why yes, yes you are.”

It was my first gay wedding, and it was FABULOUS! I’m so happy for Token Gay Couple and I’m so pumped for Monica and Chandler’s wedding in just a few short weeks!

Phoebe: Oh my God, it’s all so elegant! When’s the dirty stuff starting?

Rachel: What?

Phoebe: You know, the strippers, and the guys dancing, and you know, pee-pee’s flying about.

Rachel: Pheebs, I… there isn’t gonna be any flying about! We actually thought we were a little too mature for stuff like that.

Phoebe: Oh, ok. I see what you’re doing, that’s fine. This is all there is, just tea, uh, ok. (she drinks her tea) Hmmmm… raunchy!

Rachel: Seriously Pheebs, it’s not gonna be that kind of a party.

Phoebe: Really? So this is… this is my big send off in the married life? Rachel this is the only bachelorette party I’m ever gonna have! I’ve got a big wad of ones in my purse! Really? I mean, really? It’s just tea?

Rachel: Nooo! Phoebe, of course there is more! I mean, I’ll just go and talk to Monica and get an ETA on the pee-pee’s! -Friends

I confess…

That this is a pre-scheduled post. As you read this I am on my way to a co-ed bachelor party for Token Gay Guys. They are getting married on the 28th and tonight is the big send off.

I confess…

That at first I wasn’t that excited to go because Chandler, who is the best man, wouldn’t give me any details on the party. He was being a total douche Popsicle when it came to info about the weekend. They’ve rented a cabin and we’ve all pitched in a lot of money. I kept asking for details, like what I need to bring in terms of food, and an important detail, WHERE the damn cabin is located. He wouldn’t give me details and I was getting so frustrated.

I confess…

That I contemplated not going. But then after talking with Tahoe Couple and hearing they were dealing with the same things, I felt better. I think Chandler just has a lot on his plate right now, so I am going to cut him some slack. But you can bet your ass I’m going to pick on him when we play drinking games tonight!

I confess…

That I will probably drink too much this weekend, even though I am planning on behaving. I will probably see Token Gay Guy naked and see far too many peepees, and the night will be far more wild than our co-ed bachelor party was.  I will hot tub, river swim if it’s warm enough, play drinking games and act like I’m 7 years younger than I am.

I confess…

That I feel bad that poor Match won’t be able to join me. Instead he has to work 7 days in a row. But at least he’ll get some alone time, and I think he’s secretly excited for a few nights of guy food, watching man shows on tv, and quiet time. I’m excited to get some social time, but I know come Sunday I will be happy to be home!

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already. Well sort of, I’m writing this at 1:30am. This week’s We Want to Know Wednesday came at a great time because I have been trying to force myself to stay awake so Match and I can be on the same schedule this week for his graveyard shifts.  Here’s this week’s questions and don’t forget to come play along!

Hosted by Impulsive Addict, Janette, Mamarazzi and Seriously Shawn

1. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Are you an eyes or a smile person? Maybe another body part?

I am a total smile girl. I also have a thing for backs and shoulders, but of course that’s not something one normally sees first thing unless you’re on a beach. Match has a great smile and it always makes my heart flutter.

2. If a movie was being made about you who would you like to see cast to play you? And would your movie be a comedy, drama, romantic-comedy, action film or a horror movie?

Ha, I did a post about this a long time ago. I had wished it could be Reese Witherspoon (haha I wish!) and be this adorable RomCom where the leading lady is all poised and perfect. Sadly I am pretty sure my life would be a total cheese ball ABC Family comedy made for tv movie starring Melissa Joan Hart where she would showcase my klutziness.

3. Does your high school yearbook include a senior comment section? If so share what you said about your future goals. Have you met those goals? If you do not have a yearbook just share what your goals where when you were 18 and if you have met them. If you’re brave enough include your Senior Picture!

Oh man. We didn’t have a comment section but I remember it painfully clearly. I wanted to go off to college and major in zoology and then work with dolphins. I proclaimed it loudly to anyone who would listen. That had been my goal since as far back as I can remember. I did go to college and I did get my degree in zoology. Along the way I realized that working with animals, at least in a zoo or water park aspect was just not for me. I did a brief stint working at Marine World where I learned that all dolphin trainers are horrendous bitches. True story! Now I’m coming up on my 10 year high school reunion in June and part of me is embarrassed that I didn’t achieve my goal. Then I look at my life with Match and I see how happy we are. If I had become a bitchy dolphin trainer we might never have met. I wouldn’t change where I’m at for the world.

This isn’t my senior picture but it’s a picture from my senior prom. Who stands like that? I guess I thought I had belly fat. I’d kill for that waistline now! And no, my boobies aren’t much bigger even now, but I have learned about the wonders of push up bras.  How much do you like the eyeshadow? I know you’re jealous of my mad makeup skillz.
4. What latest trend simply baffles you?

Ugh…there are many things. I have a huge problem with skinny jeans. I just don’t get them and I think most people look ridiculous in them. Sorry, I said it.

5. When you walk into a room how do you present yourself? Do you walk in with confidence and command the attention of others or do you slink in and do your best to go unnoticed?

I strut in. Just kidding. That depends on the situation. If it’s a party I practically tap dance into the room. If it’s  a mellow get together, I guess I walk in like a normal person. I never ever slink in.

Monica: I’m at work, ordinary day, you know, chop chop chop, sauté sauté sauté. All of a sudden, Leon, the manager, calls me into his office. It turns out they fired the head lunch chef, and guess who got the job.
Joey: If it’s not you, this is a horrible story.
Monica: Fortunately, it is me. And, they made me head of purchasing, thank you very much. Anyway, I just ran into Ross and Chandler downstairs, and they think we should go out and celebrate. You know, someplace nice.
Joey: Yeah, someplace nice. (To Phoebe and Rachel) How much do you think I can get for my kidney? -Friends

I confess…

That I’m sort of dreading the upcoming wedding season. I have two weddings back to back (May and June) to go to, and then another

one in September. I love weddings and it will be so fun to be a guest but it’s a LOT of money. You’ve got the wedding gift, the shower gift, and these couples are going crazy all out for the bachelor/bachelorette parties.

I confess…

That while I am so so so happy for my friends, I’m a little frustrated at how expensive their bachelor/bachelorette plans are. Token

Gay couple are doing a group weekend at a house rental on the river. $80 bucks for one night, not including food or drinks is STEEP. Then in August Geeky is doing a 3 day trip that includes a house rental, which puts me back at least another $150, again not including food or drinks. Monica and Chandler are doing a Giants game and then group outing in SF that will be a pretty penny but I can’t make it to that one.

I confess…

That when Match and I planned our parties, we tried to make it cost effective for everyone because we understood that these are tough times. I realize I don’t have to go to these parties but they came to mine and I want to be a part of the action. I just wish the action was a night out on the town instead of all of these crazy expensive house rentals. Sigh.

I confess…

That I may have to attend all of these events solo, because of Match’s work schedule, and I feel guilty spending the money when he can’t even join in on the fun. I’m especially going to miss him at the weddings. Weddings make you fall in love all over again with your spouse and I really wish he could be there for them.

I confess…

That even though I complain about the expenses I know they will be awesome events. I’m so happy for our three couple friends that are getting hitched, and I am very lucky to be included in all of these fun parties. Now I just have to figure out a way to make some extra cash to ease my guilt for going stag. Maybe working for ariens lawn mowers mowing people’s lawns or something. How much are kidneys going for these days?