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I can’t believe it. My best friend is married. It’s remarkable to me, considering I knew this girl when we had to make color-coded lists of all the different boys we were dating so we could keep them all straight. And now, she’s picked just one.

The wedding was (nearly) flawless. Ali looked stunning. Seriously. I had to hold back tears as I watched her younger brother walk her down the aisle, hand her off to her mom, and then reach for her soon-to-be husband’s hands. She was breathtaking.

The ceremony took about 30 minutes. Ali and Justin both read their own vows. They partook in a sand ceremony which was similar to a unity candle, only they poured different colored sand into a jar representing their differences and ability to combine them into one jar of sand. It was beautiful.

Since I was standing beside Ali, I could only see Justin’s face. And he was beaming. His smile radiated throughout the entire ceremony. I have never seen anyone so blissfully happy before. It was…amazing.

Love. They are so in love. And that makes me so unbelievably happy. Ali deserves the absolute best, and I know that her life with Justin will be full of happiness. True love takes place after the bouquet is tossed, and I know, from the bottom of my heart, that Justin and Ali will be in love forever.

(Afterall, I said so in my toast)

This wedding was my first “friend wedding.” It was also the first wedding I was part of the bridal party, let alone the maid of honor. Let me tell you, it was TOUGH.

Here are some things I learned about weddings, brides, and being a maid of honor:

  1. Five hours is not enough time to get six girls’ hair, nails and makeup done.
  2. There are a million Marriott Hotels. Specify.
  3. Make sure beehives are taken care of before the wedding night.
  4. Don’t ever use Sunset Limousine in Denver. They “lock their keys in the car” and the bride and groom are forced to drive themselves downtown to the hotel.
  5. Don’t let groomsmen drink beer before the pictures are taken.
  6. Listen to the wedding planner – they know best.
  7. Take deep breaths.
  8. Figure out a way to wipe a runny nose or tears when you’re holding your flowers and the bride’s bouquet (“smelling” the flowers doesn’t work).
  9. Make the bride walk in circles (her train will get trampled otherwise).
  10. Practice bustling the bride’s dress before the reception.
  11. Teaching little boys to slide on their knees causes knee burns.
  12. The final, and possibly most important lesson learned – WATCH OUT for crazy girls that catapult themselves into you in order to catch the bouquet. Holy crap. You can have it, sweetie. Please. Don’t hurt me.

The wedding was a wild success. It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. My best friend is so happy, so loved, and that’s all that matters to me.

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