Weddings weddings and more weddings...

My lord I feel like I have been hit with a truck. I realized tonight as I was sitting on the couch with my mom at 7:30pm, feeling beyond exhausted that I really have been SO busy for the last couple of weeks... and don't think it is close to being over... OH NO! I have two weeks left in the semester and plenty of homework to give me a panic attack. But I am determined to not lose my mind, so I am taking the night off and watching a movie and blogging. I figure I am too tired to accomplish any real work anyway, and I will be spending ALL DAY in the ASU library tomorrow working on homework, so I should be fine.

So here are some pictures of the last couple of weeks of wedding fun and festivities :)

First off was Lyle and Anya's wedding! My cousin Lyle seriously picked the most AMAZING girl to be his bride. I could not ask for a better cousin/sister! I was honored to be a bridesmaid in this wedding and so as soon as Anya arrived in town two weeks before the big day we were off and running trying to get stuff for the big day. Anya's cousin Alyona was here from Ukraine too, so the three of us together was a recipe for TOO much fun :)

Alyona and I!!! She is seriously so beautiful inside and out!

 

After some awesome shopping it was time for Anya's bridal shower! What a sweet occasion!!

Thompson girls!!

And then before we knew it, it was wedding weekend!! It flew by!
I have never had more fun at a wedding! I think it was due to the fact that I spent the WHOLE weekend with all the bridesmaids. We were together the whole time all staying at my house. Even after the wedding a couple groomsmen came over and we played Traveling Pictionary/Telephone Pictionary/Paper Game (whatever you know it as). What a beautiful, fun, amazing, godly group of girls! Such a beautiful wedding!
Here are just a few picture highlights...
Personal Shower

waiting for Zlata to arrive!

Bouquet assembly ALL BY OURSELVES!! I was so proud of us!

At the shower we went around and honored Anya, telling her what she means to us. I cannot tell you how much Anya has blessed me! She is one of those people who just exudes Christ's love! You feel encouraged by just having her near. She is so passionate and fun and silly and wise and loving and welcoming. The first time I spoke to her, I knew instantly she was a soulmate! I love this girl and am so proud to have her in my family now :)

Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner

Seriously the most fun group of girls ever! We seriously had never met each other except through email until the day of the rehearsal and we were instantly best friends!

Bachelorette Nigh at my house!

everyone stayed at my house the night before the wedding! We practiced hair, did nails, finished the bouquets and boutonnieres and made a trip down to walmart in the middle of the night... in our Pjs.

5:30am wake up call!

I did hair for Anya and the bridesmaids (expect Zlata)... it was so much fun to make these ladies even more beautiful than they already are.

last minute bridal spa!

Alyona and I are hot!

stunning!

Ransom the Bride - there is a tradition in Ukraine where the groom and his groomsmen arrive at the place where the bride is, before the ceremony, and must win his right to see his bride from the bridesmaids. We got to decide what Lyle needed to do to win Anya... we decided a musical of their love story was fitting. I laughed so hard! Steve wrote all the music on the spot. Alan as bearded-Anya was something indeed... all the men were marvelous! I laughed, I cried, I was amazed!

Bravo!

Pictures!!

hotties!

my sestra!

the sun was so bright in our eyes

ERIC KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

ERIC KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

More pictures...

My handsome brothers were ushers.

Lauren & I were Anya's bodyguards

Thompson family picture!

Alan and I were really the best bridesmaid/groomsman pairing - we were the last ones out and so of course waved to the crowd :) We must give our fans what they want.

The beautiful ceremony! My dad did such a good job :)

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Thompson!

Reception - the highlight was when Lyle and Anya shared their heart and passion for worship!

 After the reception the bridesmaids and some of the groomsmen came over to my house for pizza, wine, and traveling pictionary! Picture wouldn't do it justice, but this seriously was the most hilarious time of the weekend. I was crying cause I was laughing so hard!
The weekend ended with a brunch and present opening the following morning.

I seriously miss these girls already!!

We are already planning a wedding party reunion soon - with the wedding party coming from all over the world (Seattle, Orlando, Tuscon, LA, Ukraine) it may take a while, but I think God is on our side with this :)

Next post will be about my second wedding... I have less pictures, but I'll need to get them off my camera before I can post about it.