strictly party business

This week was a crazy one. In fact, Monday, May 10 through Monday, May 17 were some of the busiest days of the year for me. On Monday the 10th was our 2021 theatre banquet. More on that later. Tuesday and Wednesday flew by with finals and studying. I stayed up late trying to finish a graphic design project, a poetry book, on both nights. Thursday night my team and I lead worship--it was an amazing night and I could feel God moving. On Friday was a rehearsal dinner. Saturday was a wedding. Sunday was graduation and move out day for a lot of my friends. I drove home with Naomi, but I'll be heading back to be a summer RA. And, yesterday, on May 17, I did two year's worth of taxes. Don't worry, I didn't owe anything either year, so if they're late it doesn't really matter.

So many things have happened in the last week (not to mention the weeks leading up to it) that now, as I sit at home on a Tuesday at 4:30, writing this, it's fun to finally be able to reflect on everything. So welcome, to the blog.

Olana’s wedding was absolutely beautiful. Olana herself was radiant, and all the girls got there at 8 in the morning to set up, do hair and makeup, run and get coffee, and prepare for the day. One of my favorite parts of the wedding was the fact that I got to play live music for the pre-ceremony. It was so filling to me to be able to sit and play acoustic love songs, and some about Jesus, just for people to listen to as they found their seats. Austin played cajon with me, and I think we both felt how cool it was--how honored we were--to be doing something like that. The short of it is that music is a gift, on every wavelength. To be able to perform and put people at ease or just entertain felt so good. Additionally, we were playing songs that were truly special to Olana and Ethan. One of my favorites was Reckless Love. I felt my voice put so much emotion into that song, as I felt my heart both rejoicing and repenting as I sang. Sidebar--God didn't have to love us so unbelievably much, but He did. Does.

Hanging out with the girls was also a lot of fun. I felt like I got to know a lot of them better, especially Olana's sister Sierra. I see a lot of myself in her: she is sassy, easy going, funny, and artistic. We had a bachellorette party for all the bridesmaids and personal attendants the week before the wedding as well, so it's been good to be so close to all of the girls. We also met Ethan's friends, the groomsmen, for the first time at the rehearsal dinner. They are some of his best friends from high school, and they're a lot different from the bridesmaids. While the girls curled their hair and put on mascara to a Maverick City Music album, the boys hit the bar.

The boys were fun to party with, but ultimately, I think the girls all walked away feeling something...special about them: it was good to interact with guys our age that were so completely different than us. We spent a decent amount of time with them over the weekend and went to a couple of different places with them, and I am ashamed to say that my first encounters with the boys were very judgmental. Lindsay, Naomi and myself went to a bar with them after dinner on Friday night and were surprised to see how high their tolerance for alcohol was, and I fear we showed our judgement on our faces. Nevertheless, we were able to apologize on Saturday, and some of us exchanged numbers and social media handles with the boys afterward.

I'm also extremely thankful for Naomi. We were both chosen to be personal attendants at the wedding instead of bridesmaids, which turned out to be a role that was a little different than I expected. Naomi and I were in charge of all the little details (and some of the big ones) that would make the day go smoothly. In the morning, we went on a chaotic coffee run (I was supposed to be back at 10 for a sound check, but we were still out). We went to two different Starbuck's stores, through a Target parking lot, and did an incomplete u-turn before getting back to the venue, but everything was still on time when we got back. All frenzy aside, Naomi was very organized and the two of us were so happy to serve. The best part about being a personal attendant? The matching power pantsuits that Naomi and I got to wear.

The wedding itself was a success. I suppose that really isn't the best way to say it. The wedding was astonishingly beautiful: the colors, the dresses, the barn, the sunset, the dancing, the friendships and love, the many, many toasts, and of course, Olana. Even though I wouldn't consider myself one of Olana's best friends, I loved being with her and helping out on her wedding day. I don't think she'll ever know how much we love her and just how radiant she was on her wedding day. I think most brides probably don't. But I am so thankful for the opportunities the wedding gave me: playing music, honing my wedding skills, meeting new people, making connections with other local artists, and dancing until my feet hurt (thanks, 3 inch heels).

Now, onto the five other weddings I have scheduled this summer!

wedding 1/5: ethan and olana

supportive party and family 2/5

venue 5/5

decor 5/5

weather 4/5

schedule 2/5

food 4/5

dance 4/5

flirting opportunities 5/5

overall beauty 5/5