Amber's Wedding!!

5 posts later, I am finally getting around to recapping Amber's wedding!  It's hard to believe it was almost 3 weeks ago - time has flown since then... and just as we knew it would, her wedding day flew by.  Luckily I got a decent number of photos!  You really should also go check out Kelly's recap as she got some amazing shots and it's fun reading her perspective of the day!!

The day got started pretty early as Amber had to get her hair curled and set at 7:30 and I was next at 8:30.  The time spent getting ready went pretty fast.  In a matter of hours we went from looking like this...

I was mostly ready in this photo, Amber still had a ways to go obviously.  ;)

To looking like this!

Amber and I shortly before she walked down the aisle!

I really, really liked the bridesmaid dress.  She picked them out and ordered them from a wedding shop in St. Paul when she came to visit me last year (where she also got her beautiful dress!), and I had a decent amount of influence on the selection.  Amber went with these dresses because of the color and the fact that we thought it would be flattering on everyone.  I think we were right - this is one of the most flattering (and comfortable) bridesmaid dresses I've worn, and I think everyone looked beautiful in the dress!!  See for yourself - here I am with 3 of the other bridesmaids!

We are sipping on a little pre-wedding champagne!

 Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony to start!  The ceremony was held on a grassy area that overlooked the ocean.  It was a stunning setting and this wedding goes down as the most beautiful weddings I've attended!

After the wedding, I found these guys and had some cocktails with them before dinner!  The signature cocktail was a Caesar, which is one of Amber and Eric's favorite drinks (I'm a big fan too!).

 Then it was time for dinner! 

Amber and Eric entering the tent, which was down on the grassy area where the ceremony was held.

 The food was delicious and all of the speeches had me laughing - and tearing up a bit as well.

Amber and Eric both did a great job speaking!

And I ended up giving a little impromptu speech when Amber's brother called on the audience for other speeches.  There were a decent number of bloggers at the wedding, so it was fun to speak and represent this area of her life.  

It totally looks like I am singing in this photo - I promise I'm not.  Thanks, Kelly, for capturing this moment on film!

After dinner, Anais, Amber, Kelly, and I got together for a quick photo.  I really loved spending time with these girls.  I just wish we lived closer so we could all be together more often!  We all just get along so well.  We were definitely all meant to meet each other.  :)

After dinner, we headed back upstairs for the dance.

First dance as husband and wife!

After that, there was lots of dance offs and patio conversations and at the stroke of midnight, I got to wish these two a happy 2nd anniversary!!

So there you have it.  I really can't even attempt to do this day justice.  The wedding was so beautiful and there were so many great details from the lemonade stand (which was a hit) to the photo booth to the dessert table to the beautiful sunflower decor.  It was a beautiful day and Amber was literally glowing.  It's a wonderful thing to watch a wonderful friend get married to someone that you know will make her incredibly happy - and vice versa.

The day after the wedding, I was so sad to say good bye, I ended up crying.  I am not one to cry when saying good bye (it totally surprised Amber!), but I was just so sad to see the wedding weekend come to an end.  It was just wonderful spending so much time around Amber, Anais, and Kelly - I hope we are reunited again soon!

I feel so blessed to have been a part of Amber's wedding day.  The fact that I was a bridesmaid is a testament to the authenticity of friendships that can be formed through blogging.  It's an unconventional way to meet, but I am so very thankful that blogging brought us together!  I do not know what I would do without Amber in my life!!

Have you made friends through blogging?  As you all know, I have met so many great friends through blogging!  I'm thankful everyday for the people I have in my life as a result of starting this little blog.