Fanbase, please pardon the interruption in your service – I was out of town this weekend to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of miss Blaine Barbee and Mr. Jason Roberts in Carborro, NC. This was my virgin bridesmaid voyage, and people, it was intense. I would say that I’m never eating or drinking ever again, but I just ate and drank. So, instead, I’ll say – never again will I do it for four consective days – that is, until the nupital festivities of another best friend, at which point I will do it with glee. On the tuesday before her wedding, Blaine Bride Barbee got diagnosed with bronchitis AND pneumonia (WHAT?! I know) – but like a true Bride, like the trooper that she always has been, she bucked it up, and party we did.

A quick riff on weddings: my favorite thing about them is how the event become an extension of what the couple values and what they respresent.  A couple can pick and choose from tradition (escorts, boquets, toasts and cakes) and add items of personal taste (tuxedo-ed doggies, bunk beds, a hearty spread of mozzerella sticks and M&Ms, etc.)

Blaine and Jason, being the outdoorsy yet classy people that they are – chose a warm november day and a woods-buried Barn for the site of their outdoor wedding.

Classical wedding elements of the weekend included a saucey bachlorette party, complete with inflatible and edible phallic items –

..as well as a rousing game of pin the Hose on the Fireman –

Followed by a slightly unorganized yet very fruitful rehearsal –

in which the bride used her teacher voice and told us to stand places.

This was followed by a rehearsal dinner, held at the home of some friends. Another friend, chef and wine connessieur, ‘preparer le menu,’ you know, as they say in France. Le Menu included barbecued chicken, chipoltle corn chowder, bacon spinach salad with pecans and SO MUCH AWESOME BACON, garlic mashed potatoes, swissey chard, homemade corn bread, and pear crisp. Oh, and also, more wine and pretty dresses than we knew what to do with, so we (the bridesmaid and brides) posed pretty like this:

Go pneumonia bride, Go!

It is the custom in ‘weddings’ for bridesmaids to look ‘pretty,’ so the next day, Carrie and I (who, by the way, was my faithful and voluputous companion for the weekend)  went to get our hair did. Carrie opted for Rachel Zoe Waves of Infinite  awesome Waves –

and I decided to get my haircut for the first time in circa five years – opting for a Kind of Katie Holmes, which I scratched with intrigue.

The bride, of course, picked the most perfect prettiest bestest hair Ever. I mean, there are just no other words.

Then onto the ceremony! In a tizzy, we experimented with the wrappage our fancy wrap dresses, each choosing a different method of wrap.

Next, I do’s, etc, awkward toasts, tearful toasts, etc, dancing, etc, sushi, etc, presents and cake and food. Presiding over all of it – The Mr. and Mrs., and their children.

In summation, it was a beautiful weekend. A.) It was the best excuse ever to SLOW DOWN FOR A MINUTE – in the sense that I barely touched my computer the whole weekend (and this is a good thing.) B.) My writer brain was given a much needed break, and I was able to devote myself entirely to lookin pretty, C.) eating and drinking obsessively, and D.) making Blaine feel like a princess.

As for being a bridesmaid – I might not feel the same 27 dresses later (zing!) but for now,  I’m totally into it.