I’ve been a bridesmaid twice in my lifetime. The first time was for my best friend Rachel’s wedding. She got married at Gas Work’s park in Seattle in March (brrrr) 2007.
By Rachel’s wedding I had lost 35 pounds or so. Her wedding was small and low-key and totally cute! I wasn’t a very good Maid of Honor because I had NO idea what to do. I didn’t even know I was supposed to make a speech! I wish I had been better prepared. But we did do the obligatory Bachelorette Party in Portland (complete with the drag show at Darcelle’s) and lots and lots of vodka. So much fun!
The second time was for my brother’s wedding (I’m on the left by the bride).
By this time, I had reached my first goal of losing 50 pounds! My goal was to lose the 50 by Andy’s wedding and I succeeded. I weighed in at goal the day of the wedding. My brother’s wedding was the complete opposite of Rachel’s low-key wedding. His was HUGE. But then, our family is huge so it’s hard to have a “small” wedding with our family.
I had a break from weddings for a few years and no one I knew was getting married for awhile. My friend Erika got married last year but she decided not to have a bridal party at all and have a very intimate wedding. It was beautiful.
One of my cousins is getting married in Texas this October. Michael and I are going down to Austin for that and I’m looking forward to it! I love weddings. I always cry. I love the pomp and circumstance, the dresses, the flowers, the music! Everything!
Last night Michael and I went and saw “Bridesmaids”! This is a rarity for us because I think it would have to be a dying wish for Michael to EVER see a “Chick Flick.” In fact, in the three years we’ve been together I’ve gotten him to watch ONE: “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and that’s only because it was my birthday and I think I might have cried. (hehehe dirty pool) And he fell asleep half way through, so I’m not sure that even counts.
BUT he loves Kristen Wiig so he was willing to see Bridesmaids.
The movie was great! I laughed so hard at many parts of the movie I was almost crying. While it wasn’t necessarily the “Hangover” but for women, it was almost up there! I think it would appeal to men too because of the different kinds of humor. There was stuff for girls and gross humor for the boys that get dragged to the theatre.
Before we headed to the theatre, we made dinner: steamed veggies and steak. I added cottage cheese to mine.
Michael is getting really good at grilling steaks! They looked perfect last night. I go through phases where I am in love with cottage cheese. I will eat it at every meal. Then I burn out on it and stop eating it for months. I’m currently in a “eat a ton of cottage cheese” cycle. 😉
Michael is still on the Four Hour Body Diet and he was thinking about going off the diet in order to get buttery theatre popcorn! I convinced him not to so we snuck some snacks into the theatre: roasted, salted almonds flavored with jalapenos. Yum! They were totally addicting (and on the diet).
The movie was great (go see it!) and we got home late and immediately crashed into bed. It was a nice break of the normal routine!
QUESTION: Have you ever been a bridesmaid before? How was it?
Beth @ Beth's Journey
I’ve been a bridesmaid FOUR times. I’m totally bridesmaided out.. ha. I have two older sisters so I was in both of their weddings, and then I was a bridesmaid in one of my childhood friend’s wedding 3 years ago, and then one my best friends from college last summer. Woo!
I’m so glad to hear Bridesmaids was good! I want to see it SO bad!
Lisa Eirene
Four times! That’s a lot. I don’t think I’ll be a bridesmaid in any other weddings because most of my best friends are already married.
The movie was good, go see it!
Leah @ L4L
I was a bridesmaid in my sister’s wedding. Pretty sure that will be the one and only time and I’m ok with that. I hate most of it. I’ve lost friends over wedding drama. That’s why when we got married last year, we had no bridal party. And it was faboosh. I had a friend that kind of acted as a maid of honor in that she hosted my bachelorette party but it was all low key and just the way I wanted it.
Lisa Eirene
I’ve heard absolute HORROR stories of wedding drama. It’s frightening. I think if Michael and I get married the girls I’d ask to be my bridesmaids would be super easy going. They are all calm and not into drama. (Crossing fingers)
Jenn
I’ve never been a bridesmaid at all. I was a witness at my friends’ anniversary “retelling” of their vows handfasting type thing. But I was crying so I hard I had to excuse myself (how embarrassing).
I never got to say “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” thankfully. I think it would have made me feel bad for all the years I spend single. Luckily I can just get the whole bride thing over with in a year or so. *phew*
Lisa Eirene
My cousin did a handfasting 15 years ago up in Seattle on the beach. It was awesome!
I am totally a crier. I cried at Rachel’s and my brother’s wedding.
Carbzilla
I started my esteemed bridesmaid career as a flower girl at age 6 or 7. It was for a woman in my dad’s office. How random is that? I’ve sorta lost track of how many weddings I’ve been in, but they’ve always been for random friends or my siblings. My four oldest friends are still unmarried in their mid-40’s. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I’m glad Michael liked the movie. We’ll get around to seeing it at some point. (I did not like The Hangover at all, but Chris was cry-laughing, and he wants to see the next one too).
I accidentally made Chris sit through an episode of Glee on what we had agreed was a date night. Only at the end did he lovingly inform me that I had actually negated the concept of date night entirely. Oops.
Lisa Eirene
You didn’t like The Hangover? I LOVED it! It was so funny. I was crying hysterically with laughter during it. Bridesmaids was really good. I think you guys would like it a lot.
SMM
That was awesome that you convinced him not to cheat and brought healthy snacks!!
If you two are looking for something to do this weekend, we have our second-to-last home football game (Hillsboro Stadium) at 6PM on Saturday!! If we win, we clinch the Pacific Northwest Title, and a playoff game. It is going to be AWESOME!!!
I’ve never been a bridesmaid, and this October we are only having my little sister and my fiance’s little brother stand up for us–hopefully the low-key route will translate to the guests the way your friend Erika’s did.
Lisa Eirene
Good luck on Saturday! We have plans this weekend but I’ll send positive vibes your way that you win. 🙂
It’s kinda fun being a bridesmaid but it’s also really stressful too!
Kristina @ spabettie
I saw Bridesmaids last week – one of our vacation days I was on my own because Jason had meetings, so I went to a matinee on opening day. I was crying laughing so hard. I wanted to take Jason back to see it that night, and we almost did but went for sushi instead. sushi always wins 😀 I think we have plans to see the movie before vacation is over, though. It was HILARIOUS. and I can’t wait for the Hangover 2…
I’ve been a maid of honor & bridesmaid many times… a few really nice dresses, one that was um, hideous. it made a PERFECT Glinda the Good Witch halloween costume, though… 😉
Lisa Eirene
OMG the scene at the engagement party with the speeches was PAINFUL to watch but hilarious!
I had awful bridesmaid dresses but I think that’s the norm. I think for my wedding I will have my bridesmaids just get a black cocktail dress and call it good. LOL
Kristina @ spabettie
YES !! that is what I’ve always said too – if I want a color I may pick one, but I’d let bridesmaids pick their own dress in that color! I don’t care if the dresses match. I’m just not that picky (about MOST things…) 😀
Lisa Eirene
Rachel told me to just find a purple dress and when I found one (that fit my plus size at the time) she had me buy one for her other bridesmaid so we matched. But she didn’t care either way what it looked like. So that was nice and stress-free.
Elina
I just wanted to let you know that after I read your last post (I’m a new follower btw) it encouraged me to get off my ass and go jogging this morning after spending most of breakfast convincing myself that I “didn’t want to” . Thank you for the very much needed motivation. And no I’ve never been a bridesmaid but I have been a ‘dama’ in a Quinceanera which can be very similar! LOL
-w0rld aka elina
Lisa Eirene
That’s awesome Elina! That makes me really happy! 😀
cindylu
Never been a bridesmaid, but I’ve been to lots of weddings. I had 4 last summer (2 family, 2 friends). I’m currently planning my wedding and get asked by my cousins about the size of the wedding party, not outright asking if they’ll be part of it. They will, I’m almost as close to them as I am with my own sister.
I’ve been a flower girl a few times.
And yay for BIG families.
Lisa Eirene
That’s funny that they are hinting around trying to see if they’ll be picked! I think several of my friends are pretty shy and will need convincing. LOL
Jill Mace
I was a bridesmaid when I was 11 for my cousins wedding. Thank you for reminding me of this event. I will have to go look through old photos so I can see myself in a turquoise, taffeta dress! UGH! My husband, Danny and I saw Bridesmaids last night too! HILARIOUS! The bathroom scene was hysterical!!!!! I thought we were going to see a “chick flick”. I was WRONG! It was a female version of The Hangover. (also hilarious)
Lisa Eirene
EEEEW Turquoise AND taffeta??!!
That bathroom scene was BRUTAL. It was really hard to watch!
Diana P.
I’ve been a bridemaid four times, and maid of honor once, and been the suedo wedding coordinator twice (they were in way over they’re heads :). And I’m only 24…..so there will probably be one or two more still. I loooooove weddings! 🙂
Lisa Eirene
You must be an EXPERT now! 🙂
Jennifer
I’ve been maid of honor once, a bridesmaid twice, and this year I will add one more stint as maid of honor and two more stints as bridesmaids = 6 total!! I’m going to this movie tomorrow and I can’t wait!! My life revolves around other people’s weddings these days!
Lisa Eirene
If you’re life is revolving around other people’s weddings, you will LOVE the movie! 😀