The South Carolina Wedding

With Gloria Gaynor singing I Will Survive inside my head, I did indeed survive the trip to SC. Four related adults in close quarters for days is a bit of a trial. Back at home, we are all still speaking to each other which is a good sign. Delirium hit when we were within 30 minutes of home and all of us sang along to oldies radio. Badly. Off-key. Possibly a stress reducer?

The wedding was wonderful. I should have asked permission to post a few photos but I didn't think of it. I will share a few photos of details that made the wedding so lovely. Sue, the bride's mom, had welcome baskets for out of towners at our hotels. Unfortunately my guys don't understand the importance of taking pictures of everything BEFORE they tear into a package. Bride Katie had a beach theme, so mom used sand pails for the welcome baskets. Here is the pail this morning in my home.

It had white netting around it when we received it, and was tied with a blue bow. It contained bags of snacks, microwave popcorn, saltwater taffy, a cone of lemonade mix, a deck of cards, and notepaper. Sue also gave a cardboard drink carrier with four bottles of water.

Nineteen of us went to the Olive Garden for dinner that first night. The four of us looked windblown and like we had slept in our clothes after 11 hours in the car, possibly because the male drivers in my family have to have their window down and those who weren't driving each did take a siesta along the way. I need to find a hat before the next lengthy car trip, one that will keep my hair from whipping around and landing in my eyes and mouth. Maybe goggles would be a good idea, to protect my eyes from feeling gritty and dry from the wind. Maybe I just need a private jet and a cute pilot!!

Two sleeping beauties and me wearing a visor to corral my hair. It didn't work.

Friday was the bridal luncheon. Sue made special sundaes for each guest. In the bottom of the glass are bath crystals in a baggie. The whipped cream is a nylon bath scrubby, and the cherry is a heart shaped bath bead.

I should have taken a photo of the tables at the reception, but my camera was giving me fits by not cooperating with the lighting in the room. Each table had a wide, low bowl resting on a round mirror. Beach sand was inside the bowls with shells and coral and a round candle providing soft light. Hershey cookies & cream chocolates were scattered on the table (their wrapper is blue and silver, the bridal party colors) and each one had a small sticker on the bottom with the name of the bride and groom on it. Sue did all of that, plus printed the wedding programs.

Each guest at the wedding received a votive holder with a blue or white candle, and a package of white chocolate shells dusted with edible glitter. Yum!

My only contribution to the wedding effort was putting wedding ring stickers on 4 dozen bottles of bubbles.

A for the last of today's pictures, here is the wedding cake. No, Sue didn't make this, but I have no doubt she could have. No bridal couple on top, just a continuation of the beach theme with edible shells and coral. This photo doesn't do it justice.

I'll be back in a day or two with my own spin on travel advice. I was thrilled to attend the wedding, but am happy to be back home. Especially right now with the house all to myself. The quiet is wonderful!