So let's start at the very beginning....(a very good place to start)
Friday: It all seems surreal. When I see my sister, she's just as she's always been: giddy for the moment, not too stressed, checking things off her list but feeling "I feel good! I feel good!" We get her into her suite at the Hilton Evanston and just veg. We talk about it being *here*. The wedding and all the guests...and that there's a certain feeling of love that only a wedding can give you...you know when you turn each corner and another person is there, traveling from far and wide, to get *there* to spend the most important weekend with you. It....is....magical. Lee naps and before we realize it it is time to get ready for the costume rehearsal dinner party (!!!).
Secret costumes for the bride & groom to be revealed shortly with the only hints that:
1) they were going as the same thing, and
2) there was alot of WHITE invovled.
Marshmellows!? Altoids?! (I seriously thought I had it with that guess;) Nope....ELVIS impersonators!!! They win.
So we stand in the lobby, me as Tinkerbell and Lee as Peter Pan, and I wave to the random little girls whose parents pass in the lobby saying "Look (insert girl's name)! It's Tinkerbell! Go say hi!" I felt like a Disney Princess hahaha. My cousin Louis (6yrs old), quickly put Lee in his place and told him he really looked more like an elf than Peter Pan. Rule of thumb: there's no arguing with a first grader when it comes to characters. The list of costumes(about half) were as follows:
Bride Eliz & Groom Brady: Elvis Impersonators
Me & Lee: Peter Pan & Tink
Mom & Dad: Steve Jobs & Lady Gaga
Jackson & Antonia: The Phantom & Christine
College friends of Liz: OccupyRehersalDinner (99% UnWed)
Uncle Mike & Family: Camp Kernion (they literally went as my family on vacation, priceless!)
Uncle Dan & Family: Super heros! (Batman, BatGirl, Superman, Wonderwoman and another BatGirl mini pink version)
Grandma & Grandpa: Winston Churchill & Jackie O/Witch (costume change, heck yeah Gram!)
High School Friends of Liz: Liz & Brady through the years (clever;)
Clegg Family: Alice In Wonderland
And so with that the night began. We "rehearsed" at the Clegg home. Batman led the Elvi in practice for tomorrow's big day ;) Off to the Women's Club of Wilmette we went...and Lee, well, Lee brought the house down as MC with an opening monologue as he told his version of The True Story of Brady & Liz. Proud wifey. Friends spoke, cheersed, roasted & toasted to Elvis & Elvis. Dad showed his video that left no eye vacant of tears. On the eve of a wedding...who could ask for anything more?
I rounded the bend and saw Brady, his smile lit up the foyer. Time to get these kids married! And in a perfect ceremony, so fitting for these two, they were wed by Uncle Dan whose proclaimation of "isnt this awesome?!" kicked off the vows in the most joyful of ways. Dad held his composure and did an acoustic rendition of Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" and once again, there was not a dry eye in attendance.
To being "sidekicks for life" as their vows stated....and I have no doubt they will be just that. And then....
We danced! My toast went smashingly well (whew!). We ate from a thai, indian, and mexican buffet + a gelato bar. We had. a. ball. To the newest Mr & Mrs! Love you both so much.