don't just stand there, bust a move.

Okay, so it might not be the most appropriate title for a wedding post, but it got your attention, right?

A couple weekends ago, I was privileged to attend the wedding of my friends, Caleb and Ashley. Ashley was in my community group (post marriage) and several of us girls were in her house party, so earlier in the day, we help set up the reception site and served as greeters pre-ceremony.



The exchanging of the vows took place in Watermark's new wedding chapel and the natural lighting that came streaming through the windows made for a lovely setting. The bride was absolutely beautiful in a J.Crew dress customized with details from her mother's wedding gown. She also wore her mother's lace veil which was absolutely stunning.




What was even more beautiful than the bride was the actual ceremony. It was Christ-centered and served as a testimony of the couple's mutual love of our Father in Heaven.


After the couple said "I do," it was off to the Maple Manor for the cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. The tables, decor and venue were absolutely perfect for the bride and groom and truly reflected their tastes and personalities 100%. The table settings looked as though they were straight out of an Anthropologie catalog, which was quite fitting for a bride who registered at that very store. From the vintage nick-knacks to the casually laid flowers, it screamed of casual elegance and I absolutely loved it.




We enjoyed glasses of wine out in the central courtyard and then dined on an Italian buffet. The food was simple but fit the casual vibe.




In lieu of a traditional 6-tiered monstrosity of a wedding cake, the couple opted for a table of homemade desserts including spice cake, red velvet cake, key lime tarts, brownies, wedding cookies and cheesecakes, to name a few.


Once the eating was out of the way, it was high time for the main event: the dance party. The weather was perfect for the outside "dance floor" and I was more than ready to take advantage of the opportunity to shake my groove thing. The dance floor did not stop rockin' until we were forced to bid the couple adieu. If it's any indication how much I danced (or bounced), I could barely walk the next day due to the soreness in my calves. I would say that equates to a successful reception...at least in my book.







In other weekend happenings, we helped celebrate my dad's birthday with a little Mexican food and a very indulgent chocolate cake.










On his actual birthday, I prepared him a celebratory feast featuring maple-glazed salmon, roasted asparagus, baked sweet potatoes and buttery beer bread. We also toasted the birthday boy with a delightfully light pinot grigio.




It was a full weekend in the abundant life household, but certainly full of fun, joy, happiness and what else, abundant life!