What an incredible weekend!

There really is nothing better than celebrating a couple’s marriage. It provides a time to see familiar faces, meet new people, honor good friends, reminisce, dance the night away, and stay out too late!  This weekend in Saratoga Springs we had a great time with not only Frank and Melissa but also their friends. By the end of the weekend when we said goodbye to everyone we left with new friends in London along with a rekindled friendship with Gena whom we met years ago through Melissa.

I kicked off yesterday’s festivities around 8am with Melissa for a walk around Saratoga Springs. It gave us some time to catch up, just the two of us, and reminisce on the wonderful relationship she and Frank have enjoyed. Melissa was my first New York City friend whom I met just a week after moving to the city back in 2009. Frank came into her life just 6 months later so Bo and I have had the opportunity to get to know Frank over the years and consider them close friends.

After our walk we met Gena for a morning juice and smoothie before the chaos of the day took over. Saratoga Juice Bar is a small juice bar in the middle of Saratoga Springs main street, Broadway, which serves cold pressed juices along with delicious smoothies from 9am until 9pm each day. Per Melissa’s recommendation, I bought the popular Saratoga Detox and Spirit of Life to enjoy during the day.For breakfast, we each ordered a smoothie, taking advantage of their many options and add-ins. I ordered the Just Breathe smoothie (kale, spinach, mango, pineapple, banana and soy milk) adding flax seeds and substituting soy milk for almond milk.

At 10am the bridesmaids met in the bridal suite for a morning of primping and priming. I wish I had brought all my bridesmaids together in a suite the morning of the wedding for hair and makeup versus going to a salon. While I’m sure it is quite expensive, it is so much fun to enjoy a relaxing morning with the entire bridal party! The team did both hair and makeup which made it quick and easy for them to rotate through the bridesmaids and family. They were more than happy to accommodate our group’s many requests which included everything from no hairspray to Pinterest inspired looks. Melissa put a lot of thought into the morning and the room, wanting to ensure that everyone would have fun. There was a “getting ready playlist” she made which included requests from each of us along with lots of snacks, drinks, and plenty of seating.Since I knew the side bun hairstyle I wore for Meghann’s wedding was not only flattering but also lasted all day, I asked them to replicate a similar style. The result included a fun braid which helped it stay up longer and add a unique edge to the style. Both Gena and I sported it until the early morning hours with no issues.

For the makeup, I requested a natural glow with a accentuated eyes to ensure that my makeup matched the black tie wedding. When paired with my silk duponi black bridesmaid dress and the beautiful bouquet the look came together just as I hoped!Melissa was the scene stealer all day long. She was radiant from morning until night, smiling with excitement to finally marry Frank and looking absolutely stunning in her lace gown. After hair and makeup our the bridal party headed to three different locations for the first look followed by pictures. We rode a carousel and posed among the vibrant fall foliage while capturing two hours worth of photos. It was colder than any of us expected so the swig of whiskey the groomsmen offered me on the trolley was more than welcome. We made our way to the church just in time for a quick bathroom stop before lining up for the procession. Everything went off perfectly and an hour later we toasted the happy couple on the trolley before heading to the reception site.

Their reception was breathtaking. The space was quite large which could easily be overwhelming but instead they filled it with vibrant lights, flowers and large table decor. Before the guests enjoyed the reception they were escorted to a cocktail hour including delicious heavy appetizers and a Mexican taqueria bar including guacamole, quesadillas and margaritas!  After cocktail hour we moved into the reception hall for a sit down dinner, toasts, and four hours of dancing! The salad and the harvest stuffed portobello mushroom was restaurant quality while the gelato bar was such a fun treat including a gentleman who took orders and served the gelato to each guest behind an actual gelato case! But the main event was definitely the dancing! The dance floor was packed for three straight hours. More than 100 guests spent hours dancing to the music list Melissa and Frank put together for the DJ. We were all thankful for the large dance floor which allowed for true dancing versus akward movement in tight quarters. Thank you for an amazing evening Frank & Melissa! Bo and I wish we had a fun party like this every weekend!