virginia is for lovers

For Memorial Day weekend Jason and I rented a car and drove to Virginia for Michael and Lizzy's wedding. Michael was one of Jason's friends from law school and we were so excited to be invited to share their special day. They were engaged last summer and we received their "save the date" back in December so, needless to say, I have been waiting a long time to attend their wedding. Michael's mother is a party planner so we knew the wedding would be fabulous, and it didn't disappoint.

It was a weekend wedding that consisted of a rehearsal dinner on Saturday night, the ceremony, reception/dinner and dancing on Sunday and a send off brunch on Monday morning. We stayed at a beautiful resort just outside of DC and then the ceremony and reception were held at a manor near the resort.

We left bright and early Saturday morning to avoid the traffic and got to Virginia in just over 4 hours. We settled in quickly and went straight to the pools for some sun. That evening we met up with some of Jason's other law school friends and enjoyed a night of toasting the bride and groom. It was so fun to hear stories and see pictures of their childhood days when we didn't know them. Michael and Lizzy both have the sweetest families and it was so fun to meet them all. I may have mentioned this before, but one of my favorite things about living on the East coast is the air kiss while touching cheeks. Instead of a hand shake we were air kissed all night long - and I loved it! I don't know what it is, but it's so much more personal than a hand shake and coming from their families it felt so inviting, as if we were part of the family. I suppose if it were coming from someone I didn't like or someone who's face I didn't want coming that close to mine than I would probably feel differently.

The next morning we spent more time by the pool and then we were off to the Whitehall Manor later that afternoon. It was a beautiful old manor out in the rolling hills of Virginia. The ceremony was outside, the bridal party was lovely and the bride was stunning. It was so fun to learn about their Jewish traditions. The bride and groom gathered under the Chupah with their families while the Rabbi read a few passages in Hebrew and then asked the congregation to join him in a chant. We didn't really know what we were doing but it was fun to hum along with the crowd. At the end of the ceremony it was all Mazel Tov's as the groom broke the glass.

(Michael breaking the glass)

Next it was on to the dance floor. I have seen in movies the Jewish weddings where the bride and groom are hoisted up on chairs while the crowd dances around them. Well they really do this and because Jason was one of the bigger guys in the crowd, he was quickly recruited to help with the lifting. Let's just say Jason was much taller than some of the other guys in the crowd and did most of the lifting on his own:) He not only got to lift the groom, but the fathers of the bride and groom as well. I was laughing and clapping so hard that I missed a shot of Jason in action. This dance was followed by a few other traditional dances involving the families of the bride and groom. After the dinner the dance floor got a little crazy and after some coaxing by friends, Jason finally got on the dance floor and showed us all his moves.

Also, can I just tell you, this bride/mother-of-the-groom duo thought of everything. From the welcoming gift when we checked in, to the little sweets and treats along the way, to the slippers the women were given for the ceremony so our high hills wouldn't get stuck in the grass.

The next morning we said our goodbyes (that involved more air kissing) to the families and wished the bride and groom well on their honeymoon in Maui. We were so lucky to be able to attend their beautiful wedding and we are so grateful to have them as our friends.