This blog is about honesty, and this is as honest a statement as you'll get from me: I flipping love these two with my whole heart. SO MUCH LOVE. Andrea and I were friends for a few years before she met Rich, and their love (ok, and his job) took her out to a west coast adventure in drizzly Seattle, Washington. It's fine, I don't mind being left behind, it just means that I get to travel out west every year and visit them!

I mean, don't you just want to laugh along?

Before they moved, Andrea brought Richard around for dinner at our place. One of the first things I noticed was how he looked in her eyes and couldn't stop smiling. He found a whole world of love there. Goodness. When a friend finds love like that, you can't help but cheer them on.

So, a few years after the big move, we got the note we'd been waiting for. To set aside the date, and get ready to fly out and celebrate. I was so incredibly excited. One of my closest pals was getting married!

At the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market Collective, Andrea picked out the freshest local flowers for her bouquet. Her discerning eye caught blush lisianthus, chocolate cosmos, burgundy sedum, and wispy explosion grass. My florist's eye went straight to the stunning clematis vines with their fuzzy seedheads, and hanging green amaranth. I'd say this was a creative collaboration that went really well!

Everything was pulled together with poise and grace by Fitsum and her team. Dinner was a memorable family spread of Mediterranean dishes, served alongside some of the best wedding speeches I've ever had the pleasure to hear. (My vote is for Richard's parents to do an anniversary speech every year, because I would tune in to that for sure!) Then the live band struck up a tune, and the dancing started. Andrea's parents went for a memorable ride as their chairs were hoisted high during the horah.

Oh, goodness. Times like this remind me why I love weddings as much as I do. It's the chance for everyone to come together and celebrate love, family, and the promise of the future.

The wedding pros that helped make this beautiful celebration happen:

Photographer - Julie Harmsen Photography

Month-of Coordinator - Fitsum-ISM

Venue - The 101

Florals - Euclid Design Co

Dress - Claire Pettibone

Andrea spots her nephew waving and sticking his tongue out at her from the reception venue

It was a lot of fun. The guys danced their hearts out, so of course the jackets came off.