The Wedding of the Year

So my little brother got married.  And for some reason, that is really weird to me.  It's not that I didn't think he would ever get married.  I just still see him as the little kid who pestered me and followed me around everywhere.  Grant really looks up to his big sister Natalie.  He is always smiling and laughing at her-- probably more so at her than at either Todd or me.  I hope Natalie realizes how lucky she is to have a brother that admires her so much.  I'm sure she'll find him annoying when she is young, but I hope that they grow up to be as close as my brother Cory and I are.

The wedding was simply awesome.  I'm not one for cheese and mush... but this was really a spectacular event.  Everything was simple and sweet and beautiful.  And everything seemed to just flow.  There was just so much love for the happy couple, and it was such an honor to stand by them on their big day.  Anyway, where was I?  Whew, I got a little carried away there!  Cory and his beautiful bride Brianna (who seriously, looked like a movie star!) were married at St. Lukes in Charleston, South Carolina.  ("Married?  MAH-WEED! Jeez...")

Natalie did SUCH a good job as the flower girl.  Admittedly, I was kind of worried.  She had been practicing her "walk" at home, and did a great job at the rehearsal, but you never know how little kids will act in front of large crowds.  She was so sweet- she really worked the crowd on her way down the aisle, looking both ways at all of the people and smiling.  It was so cute!  I don't have any pictures of it (yet... if anyone has one, please send it to me!) but we have a great video that captured the whole thing.  Too bad the video is too large to post here on blogspot!  You'll just have to take my word for it.  She rocked the house.  Here is a picture of Brie giving her a pep talk before the big walk down the aisle. 

Little man was super cute in his new outfit (from Nana, of course!). The pageboy hat was a big hit. He looked like a total southern golfer in this outfit. Cory loves boating, so I thought the sailboat vest was a nice touch.

After the wedding, we took pictures outside.  While we were waiting, my brother's friend James snapped a few pictures of us with our camera...

We clean up pretty nice, huh!?!?  And check out this picture... I challenge you to find two cuter guys on this planet!  Look at these handsome fellas!  I can't get over how cute they are!

Next came the reception.  Natalie got to ride in the limo with us to the reception.  It was her first time in a limo and it was all she talked about.  The limo had lights that changed colors on the ceiling and it was all she focused on for the 15-20 minute ride.  "OOO Mommy, look!  They're green!  OOO Mommy, look!  They're blue!"  And on, and on, and on... Sadly, I didn't have the camera with me.  Next time.

The reception was SO neat.  First, we took pictures and everyone enjoyed the cocktail hour under the canopy of trees.  In the picture above, you can see where the white tables were.  It was right out of Southern Living.    Next, we moved to the reception under the tent where we got our groove on.  Good music was played by Cory's new brother-in-law (Brie's sister Mindy's husband) Sean, and everyone had a really good time.  Seriously, do these two belong together or WHAT?

Sorry about the red eye guys. I tried to remove it, but it kept giving Brie weird gray eyes that weren't exactly centered on her eyeballs.  Dinner was delish (pulled pork, shrimp and grits, lots of delicious rice and veggies, etc.)  I most especially appreciated and enjoyed the whiskey bar. YUM. Thank you Makers Mark and Coke, for making my night so enjoyable.

Then it was time to leave.  The final song was a killer tune by The Hold Steady called "Killer Parties."  This most assuredly was a killer party.  Cory was a total rock star.  He and his thankfully more demure bride were escorted to their awaiting limo by the throngs of friends and family who were blowing on party horns to the beat of The Hold Steady.  My brother LOVES to work a crowd.  I'm not kidding, he missed his calling as a politician.  He was totally in his element.  The timing of the song and them leaving was really perfect.  Of course, I couldn't escort them to their car.  I just couldn't do it.  My mom, Aunt Annie, and I stood in the back and cried.  (Which really didn't make any sense, since we were all meeting at the Blind Tiger for the afterparty!!!)  I don't know why we were all so teary eyed.  I guess there is just something final about your little brother getting married.  He's no longer the little kid who took the blame for my Crayola artwork near the front door of our house (in exchange, I would let him sleep in my room because he was afraid of the dark).  He's not the little guy who Emma and I played chase-around-the-house with.  He's not the chubby cheeked little dude who ate Cheetos and Albertson's fried chicken on the boat with me.  He's a man, and he's married.  He may be Brianna's husband now, but he'll always be my little brother! 

Congratulations Cory and Brie!  (Or as Natalie would say, "CocoBrie!")