Due to some excitement on my first flight from Baltimore to Houston, I flew standby on an early flight into Austin. Let's just say I had to sign as a witness on the incident report... people really should be coherent when they get on an airplane!
The groom-to-be was kind enough to pick me up from the airport and take me to join the bridal party for a luncheon. We ate at this fantastic restaurant, Chez Zee which was filled with mostly women aka ladies who lunch (I can't wait for this to be me!). I finally got to meet the rest of the bridal party over appetizers and iced tea. *Caffeine abounded this weekend because of my lack of sleep!*
Chez Zee has a great menu in general and I loved all of the options on their gluten free menu as well. I ordered the Belaire Spa Salad with the nuts, dressing, and cheese on the side. All of the flavors were delicious and I only needed a bit of cheese and nuts to get the flavor. I demolished it!
We headed to the rehearsal a short while later. Laguna Gloria is part of the Austin Museum of Art and is breathtakingly beautiful. I had never visited the grounds before and was impressed! The one thing that shocked us all was the aisle we walked down in the ampitheater. It was a pretty steep hill with many steps and cobblestone the whole way down. I've never been so happy to wear flats in my life!! Lucky for us the groomsmen were happy to keep anyone from tripping or falling but everyone was nervous about it! That's how steep this path was yet our magnificent bride managed in 4 inch heels!
The rehearsal dinner was at another Austin establishment, Z Tejas - I got my Mexican food fix! We started with a cocktail hour where margaritas were consumed (I had 2 total). There were passed appetizers which I couldn't eat so by the time we were sitting for dinner, I had to ask for a corn tortilla so I had something in my stomach. I was definitely feeling those margaritas!
The restaurant was kind enough to work with me on creating something I could eat for dinner. I ended up with a salad full of greens and tomatoes and topped with black beans and this flavorful pulled chicken. I also had them bring me some rice to put on top for additional staying power. I shared bites with my friends who were all really impressed with the flavor of the meat. It had such a rich, smokey flavor.
The bridal party hung out at the hotel for the rest of the night, catching up and doing girly things for Missie's last night as a single lady. By the time we got back to my friend's apartment at 12:30am I was ready to pass out. It'd been an 18+ hour day.
Saturday morning started early, around 8:30am. My friend Marsha and I ran to Whole Foods to pick up some breakfast. I now know why Amy's frozen breakfasts exist - this was exactly what I was craving and had good staying power for a long, full day. I topped my cream of rice with strawberries and maple almond butter with a bit of tofu scramble and beans on the side.
The day included getting hair and make-up done, surprising the bride with a little gift, and a champagne toast!
We got dressed at the wedding site, took some pictures, signed the ketubah (Jewish wedding contract) and then it was wedding time! The ceremony was just as beautiful as Missie. I can't believe she's married!!
The reception was a good time, filled with friends, dancing, and delicious food. My plate had mashed potatoes from the potato bar, topped with sun dried tomato and onions, grilled veggies, rice salad, and this amazing tapenade that I wish I could recreate. There was also a carving station and chicken topped with a mango salsa.
The cake and the grooms cake (Hook 'Em). Missie had something I had never seen before - there were 9 ribbons hanging out from the bottom of the cake. She had each of us hold a ribbon and pull. Attached to the ribbon were charms, each supposed to bring us luck, etc. Mine was a flower that stands for new opportunities and growth! Very, very fitting and I hope it comes through. This was a great touch.
It was a wonderful night and I'm so happy to have been able to celebrate Missie and Blake's big day!
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