To Maryland for Love

Friday, November 11, 2011 was a day for joy and celebration. Eric and I woke up together in Maryland for the first time in six months. We enjoyed an amazing and much desired Persian breakfast with my parents and went for a run on our old favorite trail. Before we knew it, it was time to start getting ready for the wedding of the year! 

In true Baltimore fashion, they met at an O's game

Our dear friends, Laura & Dan, had planned a beautiful fall wedding to take place on 11.11.11 at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club on the Eastern Shore. Eric and I had been looking forward to this day for months. Many of our dearest friends were coming together in support of this wonderful couple.

We have known Dan & Laura for a long time now. From that Orioles game when they first met to the day that they met at the aisle, we have enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom and grow over the years. We've witnessed their love and support of one another through the ups and downs of life. And we've shared many wonderful memories with them as a couple. Needless to say, this is a union we were all excited about and ready to celebrate!

This is how we do it

Reminiscent of college (and post-college) days, Eric's parents had graciously invited about fifteen of us to stay the night at their house once the wedding festivities were over. Eric and I were really excited about this because it allowed us to maximize time spent with friends and family. Six of us met at the Herg house pre-wedding to drop off our things and figure out a carpool. We were discussing which cars to take when Big Jer offered the use of the "cad-o-lack" (as he calls it) for the ride to the wedding. A great idea indeed as it is big enough to hold all of us and it's just plain awesome! Eric, Meg, Matt, Ryan, Teri, and I piled in and we were off in style. And yes, Eric did wear that hat for the ride. We made our way over the Bay Bridge, feeling more like we were riding in a boat than a car. The water of the Bay was a welcome sight for Eric and me after months in drought-ridden western Oklahoma. It was truly a gorgeous day. Perhaps chillier than the bride and groom had hoped, but the sky was a perfect blue and full of white, fluffy clouds. It was the kind of crisp autumn day that you can only experience in Maryland. We soaked it in and savored.

Making it official

We arrived at the club and immediately spotted some old familiar faces of SMCM. It was fun to catch up, but the anticipation was killing us. We wanted to see our bride, groom, and many members of the wedding party! Only a curtained glass door was separating us from our best of friends. A few of them peeped through on occasion to smile and wave at us. Everyone was happy. An announcement was made that it was time to take our seats. Finally, the moment we'd all come together for!

The greatest ushers that ever were, Katie and George, informed us that the first two rows were reserved and that the rest was fair game. So, being the self-appointed VIPs that we were and in the interest of not missing any of the action, we elected to occupy the third row. The ceremony was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the bride. Laura was truly stunning and Dan so handsome in his tuxedo. They exchanged vows, rings, and a kiss, and with that, the rest of the night was dedicated to the celebration of husband and wife!

Here is a great shot of the filet, I mean, of Meg & Matt

A cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres took place in a room decorated with paper lanterns and a wall of windows overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. We were treated to front row seats for a breathtaking sunset over the bridge. When the dining room opened, we were delighted to find yet another wall of windows and a fabulous ball room. We got to eat, dance, and celebrate against the most beautiful backdrop, the Bay Bridge at night. Perhaps only Marylanders can appreciate this sight, but I've always found it to be a thing of beauty. We enjoyed a delicious meal and amazing company at the St. Mary's table. The filet was cooked perfectly and was tender enough to be cut with a spoon.  

Eric and I were pleasantly surprised to see that Chris, the deejay from our wedding, was responsible rocking the party. And it rocked! I have never seen a dance floor become so crowded so quickly. Everyone was ready and eager to party! Like all good weddings, the last song was announced long before any of us were ready, but lucky for us the night was still young. After a rendition of Don't Stop Believin' that would have made Steve Perry proud, the ballroom began to clear out and the St. Mary's table took to our seats to eat our cake. A faux pas? Perhaps, but one I am thankful for because that was some delicious cake! The chocolate peanut butter was my personal favorite.

Three wild and crazy guys

All of us, together again

This is what happy looks like

After scarfing down dessert, we piled  back into the Cadillac for the ride to downtown Annapolis. The bride & groom had selected a bar called Fado for the after party. Now, our bride Laura is known for falling asleep in a crowded room. In fact, this phenomena even made it into her sisters' maid & matron of honor speech! Being the great friends we are, we all took bets on whether or not the newlyweds would even make it to the after party. They did make it! They even stayed out longer than some of us (myself included).

The after party was great! There was a really fun band who sang 90s hit after 90s hit, which of course made all of us crazy. Sore feet and all, we danced late into the night! I think the band was having just as much fun as we were because they kept saying, "Okay, one more song and we're going to take a break......okay, for real this time, one more song, then a break.." and so on, and so on! Finally they did actually break.

The Cadillac crew said our goodbyes to the newlyweds, congratulated them on a rockin' wedding and for party hardying until the end, and wished them well on their honeymoon to Costa Rica. Then we made our way back to the Herg house where we were treated to pizza and snacky foods by Mr. & Mrs. H. The rest of the group joined us later and we all stayed up laughing and talking. Everyone had a great time, with the exception of Ryan, who was pretty sore about the fact that none of us had saved him any pizza.

We woke up the next morning to discover that Mr. & Mrs. H had prepared an amazing breakfast with the help of Teri who brought her famous muffins. The weather had warmed a little and we were able to enjoy breakfast outside on the patio and soak in some fresh air.

From our perspective, the whole wedding weekend could not have gone any better. It was a beautiful and fun night and the love in the room was palpable. You know it's a good party when you can feel the love. 

We enjoyed every moment of it and hope that it was every bit as wonderful as Laura & Dan had dreamed. We thank them and their families for an excellent time and for inviting us to share in a very special moment in their lives. Best wishes to both of you. We love you, always.