So I went to a wedding.

I feel like lots of blog posts over the next few years are going to start out that way.

But maybe not?

Because I don’t have many friends?

And the friends that I have are actors and actors don’t really get married until they’re like, 45? Or never? Or they’re gay and not allowed?

I AM GETTING OFF TOPIC ALREADY, SOMEONE STOP ME.

Let’s start over.

I went to a wedding.

The wedding of my dear friends Ashley and Brett who have been dating for approximately eight years or so. IS THAT CRAZY OR WHAT? When I asked Ash how it felt to be getting married she was all, IT JUST FEELS LIKE ‘FINALLY.’

Like, finally.

I love that.

The best thing about Ashley…well. Okay. There are lots of “best things” about Ashley.

I like how Ashley sends me e-mails about what she made with her CSA vegetables.
I like how Ashley knits stuff.
I like how when I walk to meet Ashley for dinner or lunch, I get stupid excited because EVERY SINGLE TIME I see her she has a hilarious story and I laugh so hard I think I might pee my pants.
I like how Ashley takes me to Broadway show openings because she works for a Super Important Theatre Company.
I like Ashley because she calls me “Friend” sometimes. Like, “HELLO FRIEND.”
I like Ashley because she e-mails me even after I haven’t called her back in like three weeks and asks me to make plans and she never gets mad when I flake out and OMG SHE IS A SAINT. BUT NOT. ‘CUZ SHE’S JEWISH.

Don’t you like Ashley, too? You know you do.

Anyway. Another best thing about Ashley is the way that she loves Brett. And the way that Brett loves her. And I SWEAR TO GOD, that man loves that girl like I’ve never seen. They’ve been together since freshman year of college and he is still SO incredibly into her. Tom and I could not stop pointing at him and snickering during the reception and after party because he kept staring at Ashley with these mooning eyes like ISN’T SHE SOOOOOOOO LOVELY, SHE IS MY WIFE, SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL, SHE IS SO PERFECT, I AM SO IN LOVE WITH HER. And Tom and I would be all HA HA HA BRETT IS SUCH A DORK IN A CUTE ADORABLE WAY.

And then Tom and I slit our wrists because we didn’t have husbands to stare at us like that.

Ashley and Brett compliment each other in that Perfect Couple kind of way. And you’d hate them if they weren’t SO FREAKING NICE and INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY and WELCOMING and BLAH BLAH BLAH.

It felt like such an honor to witness their wedding. I sat in the temple with Tom and our friend from college, Arianna, who I could possibly love more than life. She was good to squeeze when the tears started to flow and OH DID THEY FLOW.

I cried when Brett walked down the aisle.

I cried when Ashley walked down the aisle.

And then I spent the rest of the ceremony sending death stares to the two men next to me on their BLACKBERRIES the ENTIRE TIME, OMG.

I snapped back to attention just in time to hear the rabbi say that he had asked Brett and Ashley to write LETTERS TO EACH OTHER. And then he proceeded to READ the letters ALOUD and I’m using lots of capitals because DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SWEET THAT IS? Do you have any idea how amazing these letters were? You don’t. Because you weren’t there. And I can’t tell you what they said because I spent the next ten minutes weeping openly into my hands because LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! MARRIAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNITY!!!!!!!!!!! I GET IT NOW. I DO. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE GET MARRIED! Because, OH MY GOD, what an astounding thing, to LOVE SOMEONE LIKE THAT.

And then I told Tom that if we never found someone to marry, I would write him a letter like that and pay a rabbi to read it aloud in front our friends and family.

He seemed into that idea.

But not as into the idea of this headband he picked out for me to wear. It was bold. It was. But on the whole, I was super happy with my choice, to wear a huge fluffy spider-like thing on the side of my head. It resembled a huge insect or a bird. For good measure, throughout the reception, I would pretend it came to life and lean over someone and do my best impression of a crow. CAW! CAW!

In between the ceremony and the reception, we had a little time to kill. So we went back to Tom’s house and made his mom take Awkward Prom Pictures of us. I think they came out SPLENDID.

This last one could be my new favorite picture of me and Tom ever taken in the history of the universe. CAWWWWWWWW!

The reception was BEAUTIFUL, overlooking the Long Island Sound and OH do I love a chance to drink a glass of wine in the middle of the day. Or five.

I stuffed my face with pretty much everything in sight and I want to thank Ashley right here and now, publicly on my blog, for choosing to have an entire bowl of artichokes at her wedding.

Dear Ash,

I ate the entire thing, sorry I didn’t leave any for anyone else.

LYLAS,
Laura

OH DELICIOUS FOOD! And dancing! And a balcony overlooking water and boats and things! It was like one huge afternoon of perfection.

Did I mention Ashley’s mom made her wedding dress from scratch? Like, MADE A WEDDING DRESS? Who even DOES THAT? Ashley’s mom is amazing! Did I also mention that Tom and I took an awkward engagement photo at one point? The photo is awkward because people that take pictures like that are awkward. But it’s also awkward because we’re cousins. So, HEY! Let’s give it up for awkwardness all around!

After the wedding, Ashley’s parents hosted an after party in their backyard, complete with karaoke machine, barbecue and homemade ice cream. Tom and I did a rousing rendition of “Somewhere, Out There” complete with interpretive dance and sadly (FORTUNATELY??) there are no pictures nor video of it that I know of.

The entire day was everything a wedding should be: a joyous celebration of two very very happy smiley people who mean the world to each other. I’m not sure which part I liked the best–the sight of the two of them under the chuppah (THAT HER MOM MADE? WHAT?), the swing dancing with Tom on the dance floor or sitting in Ashley’s backyard, surrounded by her friends and family.

I’ve always thought of marriage as something far away, as something that grown ups do. It’s still weird to me when someone I know gets married because I’m all, WHAT? WHY? YOU’RE SO YOUNG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

But I get it now. I’m finally at the place where I’m ready to accept and understand that people my age get married. They do. They make the choice to bind themselves to another and there is something expressly profound in that. I was so inspired on Sunday by two insanely brilliant people who could not contain their excitement over entwining their lives together, of making a vow, of declaring and committing their love.

I felt that happiness radiating off of them all day, emanating around the room, bouncing off the walls. The love they share ricocheted off of table tops and flower arrangements and high heeled shoes. And when it came hurtling toward me, I didn’t turn away. I reached out and grabbed some, put it in my pocket for later so that I might pull it out when I needed it and remember the beauty and warmth that is falling in love.

Congratulations, you crazy kids.

Rest of the pictures are here.