Mr. & Mrs. Thomas

Leah and Jared Thomas should be on their way to Maine for their honeymoon as I write this. This weekend... was really incredible.

Thursday night I flew into Pittsburgh International Airport, picked up my lovely Hertz rental car - a black Mazda M3, then drive up to Zelienople to stay with my friend Mike in his new place. Zelienople is one of those really small towns where the main drag is about a quarter of a mile long with three traffic lights. As we walked with Max the German Shepherd down the main street, a group of high school kids in an SUV invited us to the St. Greg's fair. What that is I have no idea. We had Yuengling and a blooming onion, chicken wings, and a cheeseburger at the local bar, which was a block from the house. The tattooed, pierced, bartender wore an "I <3 Zelie" t-shirt. They were on sale for $15. I almost bought one.

Friday morning, I drove a little more than a half hour to Rachel's Roadhouse, a restaurant we used to hang out at in college. Leah's aunts threw her a pre-wedding lunch. The food was excellent. For dessert, I tried a blueberry cheesecake that was out of this world.

We then went to the Acker household to help Leah with her gifts and other miscellaneous tasks.

Leah Thomas (nee Acker) received most of the gifts on her registry, and two more boxes were delivered as we hung out at the house.

Nelly the little poodle sat right in the middle of the action. At first, I thought she was a bichon frise. Then I learned that the family had originally wanted one, but after learning that bichons are difficult to housebreak, just "got a light colored poodle and let her hair grow long."

Check out all the loot! A quesadilla maker! Not one, but TWO picnic baskets! Stemware! A clock!

At the rehearsal dinner at Quaker Steak & Lube, someone anonymously sent Leah a shot. She didn't refuse!

Later on Friday evening, we went back to the Acker house while Jared and Leah stopped by at her grandmother's house. Andrew Acker (Leah's awesome brother and my wedding partner-in-crime) told us story after story about the bride while rolling on the floor laughing. Then he suddenly remembered that he'd left Nellie outside 45 minutes earlier. She wasn't too happy about it.

Before the weekend of the wedding, I had never met the other two bridesmaids. Let me tell you, they are fabulous ladies. Hillary lives near Boston and was Leah's roommate for a semester at Grove City College. She passed out while waiting in the Acker's basement.

Calling all guys! You need to meet Becky (pictured below). She should be Maid of Honor of the year or something like that. She is organized, let me crash at her house. Woke me up the morning of the wedding, laid out towels, brought over a delicious homemade breakfast to the Acker house for everyone to eat that morning, SANG beautifully at the ceremony and reception, and God knows what else! Becky is a sweetheart. It was both an honor and a privilege to be in a wedding with her and Hillary.

Finally, the happy couple showed up around 2 a.m. Just kidding! It was more like 10 o'clock! But then they started doing Jared's laundry for the honeymoon. Jared actually took off the shirt he is wearing in this picture to throw it in the washer. Andrew actually finished up the load. What a great brother.

"You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you."

It's all a result of us getting a little too rowdy at the late night Bachelorette gathering/Sheetz run. As you can see, I couldn't resist the lure of Fufu Berry Jones soda.

So after that, we went to sleep early! I stayed at Becky's house. Slept like a baby. Was out of bed and in the shower by 7:15 the next morning.

After a few hours at Leah's house, we made it to the church. Don't you love Leah's outfit? The bridesmaids were given pearl earrings and necklaces. I'm telling you, being in weddings is the best way to get a good collection of jewelry. Aren't they gorgeous?

One of my favorite parts of being in a wedding party, is getting to know the parents. Peter and Pat Acker were so gracious, kind, and fun to be around. They met on a blind date and have been married since 1980. I know. I saw the wedding pictures to prove it. Don't they sort of remind you of Laura Bush and John McCain?

Mr. Acker is a local attorney and Mrs. Acker is a high school teacher. They did most of the planning for the Acker-Thomas wedding. We took wedding photos at a park gazebo named after the family. The reception location was absolutely stunning. The food was excellent and the wedding cake was carrot cake. Yum. They are such warm people, and am very glad we got to spend some time together.

While driving to the reception, the brakes cut out on their car, and they managed to coast into a parking lot. Thank goodness they were okay. I guess you can say they sort of hitch hiked to the reception? What a day!

Here I am waiting down in the church for the ceremony to begin. I'm holding off on putting on the shoes though... They are not that comfortable.

Andrew drove Leah, Jared, and I around town on Saturday. He's a hell of a driver! I'm trying to convince him and his dad to come down for the St. Pete Grand Prix next year. Mr. Acker actually roomed with Bobby Rahal back in the day. Crazy, huh?

Guess who's holding hands in the backseat?

Answer: Leah & Jared Thomas

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 <3<3<3<3<3<3<3 <3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Lessons Learned

(Circa August 2007 - Jill's wedding)

(Circa September 2006 - Calley's wedding)

As I procrastinate from what I should be doing, packing for the Pittsburgh wedding, I have been doing some reflection. At the ripe old age of 25 (about to be 26), I honestly think I've gotten a little smarter and a tad bit wiser. Especially about my bridesmaid duties. So I'll share a few tips I've picked up over the years.

• Using a topsy tail to "do your own hair" is a really, really bad idea


• If the Best Man who used to send you interesting poems on AOL Instant Messenger, the best thing to do is pretend if never happened and slow dance with him anyways


• Get a pair of strappy silver high heels and wear those to every wedding. They go with any dress!


• Don't let the bride eat bad chicken at her bachelorette party


• Try to avoid having the bride stand too close to objects that could fall on her while she's trying to put on her dress (ie: an old air conditioning unit stacked on a closet shelf)


• As a bridemaid, it's your job to really get the party going! Whether that's dancing with grandpa, doing the electric slide or requesting that the DJ play Ice Ice Baby


• Make sure that you order the dress in the correct size. Best thing to do: order one size up


• Have flip flops on hand for the time when inevitably, the silver shoes will start to kill your feet


• After the reception, take the other brides to a gas station for snacks while still wearing the matching dresses


• Don't take a date if you don't have a boyfriend or husband. You never know who you'll meet!


• Give Sally Hansen's airbrush foundation a try. It's awesome!


• Bring cash. You never know when you'll need to tip, or get a strong drink at the cash bar


• Leave a comfortable change of clothes in the car just in case!


• Do get a Tide To Go stain stick pen


• Make sure to help with clean-up afterward and taking gifts to a car. It helps the Bride and Groom to relax and have a good time themselves


• Eat a lot of wedding cake

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Wedding Bells

I am not well right now. This morning I woke up with a sore throat and feeling sort of achey.

This is so not good timing. So I went to Publix and stocked up on groceries and orange juice. I drank an entire glass with some Airborne in it. (Keeping my fingers crossed!)

Thursday I fly to Pittsburgh for my annual summer wedding party. Four days of merriment, food, and matrimonial bliss.

Two years ago I was a bridesmaid in my college roomate, Calley's wedding... to a guy named Dave.

Last summer I was the maid of honor in my best childhood girlfriend, Jill's wedding.... to a guy named Dave.

And six days from now, I'm standing up in the nuptials of Leah and Jared, two college friends from Grove City.

I think my life is turning into the movie 27 Dresses, except without the very cute James Marsden hanging around as a not-so-discrete newspaper reporter.

Although it's a lot of work, time, and money, I do enjoy being a bridesmaid. Wearing a cute dress that I can never put on again, standing at the front of the church, eating, drinking and dancing. However, the fun must come to an end. I think this may be the last wedding I'll agree to be in.

So far the details are a little fuzzy. There's a family and friends barbecue Thursday night, but by the time I would be able to get there, I think it would be over. Then Friday, a ladies' luncheon, shopping with the bride, and the rehearsal ceremony and dinner. Saturday, heading to Leah's to primp, then the ceremony at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

Another exciting factor in this trip: staying and hanging out with my friend Mike D! Thank God for male buddies! Sometimes the mama drama can be a bit much. With Mike, we can get a little drunk and say crazy things. It's a good thing.

It will be nostalgic to get back to Western Pennsylvania. That's where my college, Grove City is. The weather will be pleasant, we'll be returning to a few of our old stomping grounds, and eat at Rachel's Roadhouse and Quaker Steak & Lube. Oh yes, and there will be a SHEETZ gas station!!! That's what excites me most. Seriously.