Things that I learned during Hudson wedding weekend 2010:
1. I rock as a bridesmaid and am an awesome maid of honor.
2. When trying to catch a bouquet, don't plow over the 9-year old cousin of the bride.
3. When good friends are reunited, Peaches and Herb said it the best - it feels so good.
First off, my first maid-of-honor stint in the seven weddings I've been a part of was a success. I did everything a maid of honor is supposed to do. I ran errands for the bride up to the minute of the wedding, fought off insane traffic and construction to transport the mother of the bride and the photographer to the hotel before the wedding in a timely fashion, and when it came to assisting her in the dress - for whatever her needs may be - I was on it. There is no better bonding experience than helping a friend use the facilities in a huge ball gown.
As for my speech, which I wrote about a few months ago, I think it fit the bill. I made the families laugh, I had some touching moments and said what I wanted to say to my two very dear friends, Amy and Josh. In my mind, that equals a successful speech.
For my longtime readers, the biggest question of the night was if I had caught the bouquet. And the answer was yes. After a too-long-to-remember span when I hadn't caught a coveted bunch of flowers, the streak has started again. And only because I knocked down a 9-year-old to catch it.
In my defense, I swear I didn't see her coming. She sneaked in underneath my arm as it was stretched out and when I grabbed the bouquet, she kind of got caught in the back swing.
All I wanted was to get back on to my world-record pace. All she wanted was the flowers. I gave her the bouqet. It was the least I could do, and I chalked it up as my good deed for the day.
After I gave her the bouquet, she was all smiles. I was still smiling from my valiant catch, and the girlfriend of the 70-year old man that caught the garter was all smiles because I declined to have him put the garter on my leg. Not because he was very much my elder, but I was pretty sure girlfriend was going to punch me after I caught the bouquet. I already had a 9-year-old after me, I didn't need a Prime Time girlfriend on my trail as well.
And finally, while the wedding was all about uniting Amy and Josh, two former Tribune employees, in marriage, it also brought back together a group of friends that will forever be known in Tribune legend.
Amy, Josh, Joe Simon and Jennifer Kovacs, along with fellow sports writer Brian Lavrich, and I were a part of a time at the Tribune when the newsroom was flooded with a younger crowd, and we all bonded together like a family. We spent most nights of the week when not at the Tribune with each other and really became a great group of friends.
We were with Amy and Josh from their first date to their first kiss as husband and wife. Being a part of a couple's life like that is a very special thing. It's one thing to see a couple first come together, but it's a fantastic thing seeing a couple go from nothing to being introduced as Mr. and Mrs.
Amy and Josh did more than just unite in marriage - they united a group of friends forever. And if there is one thing our group of friends can do, that's party. Put us in fancy dresses and tuxedos with a DJ, and it's a party to remember. And that's what their wedding was.
So congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Josh Hudson. May you both spend many years of happiness together.