OBX Wedding

Hey everybody!  Happy Monday!

Well, one wedding, three days, and 1,298 miles later, we are home and back to normal life.  For four days, that is.  Then, another trip awaits!  We're keeping ourselves busy this fall, that is for certain.

Despite the long drives, I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  Seeing friends I don't see nearly often enough, enjoying great food, good company, and being near the ocean made this wedding weekend one I will not soon forget.

I have never seen a bride glowing like Leigh was at her wedding.  I feel like I say that every time, but she truly was a vision.  Everything was perfect.  She had everything set up so beautifully, spent quality time with all of her guests, and made us feel so special for being there. 

We started out the weekend with a bridal shower for Leigh since most of the guests were coming in from out of town. 

We had such a great time getting to know her bridesmaids, family members, and spending time with each other!  It is always fun to watch a friend open gifts and have such a genuine smile on their face. 

My favorite part of these things is giving a gift!  I love making someone feel special and loved, and I hope what I did for Leigh made her feel that way! 

I tried to really personalize the gift I gave her, because I don't get to see Leigh often, and I wanted her to know that despite our distance, our friendship is still strong and genuine. 

Leigh loves to cook, but she and her new husband are just starting out collecting things for their kitchen.  Leigh requested on her wedding website that we help her with that collection in the form of kitchen items and recipes.  So, I figured it would be perfect to make her a recipe box and fill it with a few of my favorite recipes!

A how-to for making the box will be up later this week.

I made it extremely personal by using some paper I collected while Leigh and I were living in Florence.  The paper I chose reflected an old map of Florence, and I thought it was the perfect way to make this recipe box unique to our friendship.

I also made several baggies filled with my cinnamon hazelnut biscotti, and also gave her an apron and a rolling pin from Anthropologie that I hope she will enjoy!

Saturday we had most of the day to explore the Outer Banks a bit because the wedding was not until 6pm.  So, since it was pretty rainy, we decided to hit up a few breweries and wine tastings, and also gorge ourselves on delicious food!

Beer Flight at Trio

Truffle Mushroom Crostini

Flight Sampler at Wilted Radish Brewery

Pour-It-Yourself Wine Taster Machine

After our gastronomic adventures, we meandered back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.  The wedding was originally going to be hosted on the pier, but because of the rain, it was held inside the pier house.  It turned out absolutely lovely, and we all were able to feel like we were part of the intimate ceremony. 

After the ceremony, we enjoyed a cocktail hour. We looked down to the beach from the pier house as we enjoyed our wine and saw Leigh getting photographed with her dress billowing in the wind.  It is a vision I will never forget.  Then, the bridal party came back up, and the reception began! It was full of dancing, fun, love, and excitement.

Father-Daughter Dance

Leigh & Jerry's first dance!

Caitlin with the beautiful Bride!

We all had so much fun!  There was a photo booth with funny mustaches and a photo frame wall.  Soon after partaking in the photo booth, the boyman and I decided to have our own little photo session:

Mean-muggin

Rock On!

Sunday morning meant it was time to leave.  I really wish we could have stayed longer, but Leigh was the reason we were up there, and with her leaving for her Honeymoon (Ahh!!) and the busy fall we have ahead, we figured we needed to head back to Atlanta. 

Before we left, we made sure to get our toes in the sand and enjoy the ocean one more time this year. 

We threw the seashells we were given at the reception back into the ocean with wishes of love, a strong future, and a lifetime of happiness for our friends Leigh & Jerry, and headed back to our life in Atlanta with hopes of seeing our dear friends again very, very soon.

I love you, Leigh & Jerry!  You are two wonderful people and I am so thankful to be part of your life, to have been a part of your special day, and to have seen the love you have for each other reflected in your vows and the celebration that was your wedding day.  Here's to the two of you! <3

In unrelated news:  I thought y'all may be interested in this article over on Marc & Angel Hack Life- 27 Healthy Habits of Happiness. Enjoy!