Augusta Wedding Weekend

Last month, my dear friends were married in Augusta, Georgia. I love a good excuse to head south to God's country, and I'd never been to Augusta, home of the Masters.

Owing to direct flights and close-ish proximity, a good number of our D.C. area friends were able to attend the wedding. 

via Tim Will Photography

It was a great weekend for catching up with friends and taking a break from the city. We stayed at the historic Partridge Inn, wandered around downtown and the River Walk, and ate some delicious Southern-inspired seafood (if you're ever in Augusta, you must head to Sheehan's Irish Pub).

Wedding Weekend

Last weekend I attended my first Indian wedding, and I'm going to talk about it. I've been friends with Anjali since second grade, and she is one of the sweetest, kindest people that I know. Not only was I was excited to attend her wedding last weekend, but our friends from Katie and Kristen also came all the way from Mississippi to be there, too.

showing off our henna

Anjali and Gaurav held a traditional Indian wedding including a mehndi celebration and the baraat, followed by the marriage ceremony. A couple of Anjali's cousins adopted us, as we were the few non-Indians in attendance and explained much of the symbolism behind the mehndi and other rituals. The decor and clothing were all stunningly beautiful; pictures really don't do the colors or the dancing or the singing (obviously) any justice.

Anjali and Gaurav at the mehndi celebration

dancing at the mehndi celebration

baraat

Anjali and Gaurav Khullar

showing off our henna on day two

Kristen, me, Anjali, and Katie

The wedding festivities ended on Saturday night, so Katie and Kristen and I spent all day Sunday sightseeing in DC. Living here means that I often take for granted the memorials and museums, so it was a great day to visit the National Mall for some walkin'. After delicious brunch at Bayou, we visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, waved to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and finished up with a visit to the Natural History Museum. It was a sunny day with a bluebird sky and was a fitting reminder about those who have served our country, just in time for Veteran's day this Monday.

Vietnam War Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool

Korean War Memorial

Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool

World War II Memorial

Washington Monument

Natural History Museum

Henry at the Natural History Museum

The Hope Diamond at the Natural History Museum

Washington Monument at sunset

Bree & Brian's Engagement Party

Two of my very good friends are getting married in April of 2013, so we decided to host an engagement party to celebrate. Bree and I both went to Alabama together, but it wasn't until she moved to DC for a job that we met and became friends (and roommates for a year). Brian is also a good friend of mine, and I forgive him for choosing to be a Florida Gator instead of having the good sense to be a Georgia Bulldog; he is from Atlanta, after all.

I do have to tell one of my favorite stories about this couple... back in the summer of 2009, Bree and Brian had been dating for quite a few months. We went to a party and were having all sorts of a good time. Bree looked at Brian and said, out of the blue, "I think this may be our last hurrah." Bree thought she was being humorous, Brian did not see the humor. I told Brian that I'd give him a ride home; unbeknownst to him, I also told Bree that I'd give her a ride home (to our house), so I somehow got them both in the car at the same time, forcing them to speak to each other. Halfway home, at Dupont Circle, I also told them I wasn't moving the car until they performed a Chinese fire drill. I like to think that the combination of ridiculousness and my stubbornness kept them together that night. Wink wink.

via Meredith

New York Wedding

Over the weekend, some friends and I embarked on a road trip to upstate New York to attend Jordan and Mike's wedding. Two random facts: Utica, New York, is the farthest north within the United States that I've traveled, and Jordan and Mike decided on Utica because it's the halfway point between their two families. The small towns and fall foliage along the way were beautiful and made for a scenic drive. 

We drove about half of the seven hours on Friday night so we wouldn't be rushed on Saturday and could do fun things like visit North Star Orchards. 

  

  

Amanda, Brooks, me, Caitlin at the Corn Maze

It was a great weekend spent with dear friends, and most of all, I'm happy that I was able to be there for my friends as they committed to spend the rest of their lives together. 

Amanda, Caitlin, me, and Brooks before the wedding

Mike and Jordan

Jordan and Mike

TGIF

I am SO happy that September is almost over. Normally, I like September just fine; cooler weather, falling leaves, college football and pumpkin spice lattes are all good things in my book. However, the past few weeks have been difficult in many different ways, and I'm glad that they are over.

This weekend I taking a road trip with some friends to upstate New York to attend Jordan and Mike's wedding. Jordan and I met at my previous job, and he and Mike moved to Baltimore last year so I don't see them nearly as often as I'd like. This will also be my first trip to New York that doesn't involve Manhattan, so it should be a fun weekend all around. 

Mike and Jordan

Jordan and Mike

Karyn's Wedding

I made some of my very best friends while working in my previous job, and I'm lucky enough to still call them friends instead of merely former co-workers. One of these former co-workers, who is also my friend, was married on Cinco de Mayo of this year. Karyn is a great gal, and I'm so glad that I was able to attend her wedding, since technically I was already supposed to be in Chicago for work.

The wedding was a reunion of sorts for several of us who had taken different jobs, but all met while working in one particular department at one particular organization. It was great fun, with lots of dancing and singing and reminiscing and shoe-switching (thank you, Amy).

Amy also wears a size 8 shoe. Thank goodness.

Former co-workers. And friends.

A Wedding and Chicago

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and next week.  This Saturday, I'll be just outside of Baltimore celebrating the marriage of a friend before heading off to Chicago all next week for work.  I've never been to Chicago, so I'm adding a couple of days at the end of my work trip to explore the city.  I'm planning several touristy excursions, like a trip to the Art Institute and Millennium Park, a boat cruise, and if I'm feeling a brave, a step out onto the Willis Tower Skydeck. I hope to squeeze as much in as I can AND to remember to take some pictures along the way!

Cloud Gate in Millennium Park

'Til Zombies Do Us Part

There are a wide-variety of options for wedding photography these days; some are sentimental, some are very traditional, some are kitschy, and some are just downright scary.  Take a look at the wedding photos below to see what I mean.

Amanda Rynda Photography

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge