Fish in the Sea
- Samantha Hoback
- Aug 2, 2017
- 4 min read
June 26, 2017: I boarded a flight to Pittsburgh, PA, to see my WFU BFF Maggie marry the love of her life. After a quick overnight stay in Pittsburgh, I drove an hour to Butler, where I met up with the bride to be and some of the bridal party for mani-pedis followed by a mid-morning coffee run to Starbucks (the location of easily one of my favorite pictures from the weekend #bride).
The bridal luncheon was at a quaint hotel in Saxonburg, truly a picturesque town in the middle of a rural landscape of farmland and cornfields. Toto, I don't think I'm in New York anymore. It was nice to get away for the weekend, though. But more on that later. The luncheon was the perfect opportunity to get to know the other members of the bridal party I hadn't met before, as well as catch up with the girls I knew previously.
Our home for the weekend was a cottage at Armstrong Farms. If you blink you'd miss it, but it's so worth the drive. As soon as you spot the pond and the barn and the rolling fields, you feel like you are stepping into a book of fairy tales. Yes, the plumbing was a bit problematic. No, there wasn't WiFi. None of that mattered, though. We were gathered for a bigger purpose.
Speaking of fairy tales, our cottage came complete with two geese neighbors, who chased us away from the gazebo and pecked at our window (and pooped on our deck) but kept the weekend interesting and entertaining. I never learned your names, but I'll never forget you either.
We finished off Thursday evening with the rehearsal at the church and a delicious dinner at a restaurant in Butler. The cheesecake was on point, y'all. More important, the company, the love, the friendship, I enjoyed every moment. And the best was yet to come.
We all woke up bright and early on Friday morning. Coffee, breakfast, hair styling, mimosas, and getting dressed. It was just so special to be a part of that morning, to see Maggie's face light up when she saw her finished hair style, to watch Maggie's sister Mary help her with her makeup, to see the flower girls go gaga over the purses Maggie gifted them. Not to mention the fact that the stylist nailed my Kate Middleton-inspired style. Oh, and the first time I saw the dress. I wanted it. I considered packing it away in my suitcase. Instead, I snapped a dozen pictures and knew it was the perfect wedding gown for Maggie.
I'm not going to lie. It drizzled/rained while we took pre-ceremony pictures in the field behind our cottage. I may or may not have been wearing my Birkenstock slides instead of the dressy stilettos I packed for the wedding. Honestly though, it could have been a torrential downpour and I still would have braved the elements for my sweet friend. After pictures wrapped, we boarded a school bus which took us to the church. I made it down the aisle without tripping, though I definitely teared up when Maggie made her grand entrance with her mom. Thank goodness I wrapped a tissue around my bouquet just in case. It all happened so fast: one minute she was Maggie, the next she was married.
Back at the farm, we took post-ceremony pictures GQ-style (just wait till their posted) and indulged in the cocktail hour before it was time for dinner. Nate and Maggie chose barbecue, for which I applaud them. Delicious. The chicken was amazing, the mac n cheese addictive. Fortunately, I'd snuck a sneak peek at dessert and knew to save some room.
Oh, I guess I should explain the fish reference. Nate is a fisherman. He wore socks with fish on them to his wedding. He wore a shirt with fish to the rehearsal. It's just adorable. The cake toppers were hand-knitted fish, and the coozies read: Maggie & Nate . . . Two Less Fish in the Sea. #swoon
Now that I think about it, I'm surprised fish wasn't on the menu . . .
Party Time!
Shout out to the DJ for an awesome selection of dance music. I'll admit, I spent most of the evening dancing with three girls under ten (M, C, E), but it was more than worth it. We wobbled and salsa'd and jumped up jumped up and got down. What I remember most is the way Nate and Maggie looked at each other on the dance floor. Like they were the only two people in the barn. That look said it all: They belong together. They were made for each other. And I am lucky enough to have witnessed their union. (Also, the strawberry pie was the bomb.)
Oh what a night, as they say. I'm sure I'll catch up with the new Mrs. Gainer when she returns from her honeymoon. And I hope she enjoys reading my recap of her unforgettable wedding weekend. The world is wide open for these two, Nate and Maggie. Their magical wedding was just the beginning . . .
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