Her smile...

Happy Monday!  I'm getting very anxious about my upcoming trip.  I want to try not to let my emotions get the best of me this week.  I stayed low key over the weekend running errands and cleaning up my apartment.  As I've gotten older, I've noticed I feel more relaxed when my place is neat and tidy.  I also went through my closet and started to pull out some pieces for my vacation.  Since I know I might be a nervous wreck this weekend, I figured I'll start on that so I won't miss anything when I do pack my suitcase.  It sucks when you have to "prepare" yourself for your nerves.
What has helped me also are some motivational quotes I would find off Pinterest and Instagram.  I love the look on people's faces when I see them in a place I want to be.  Their smile says it all.  Greece is a magical place indeed and I'm looking forward to experiencing it myself!
The weekend prior I attended a wedding with my mom.  She wanted me to accompany her but didn't give me too much of a notice.  I had 2 weeks to find an appropriate dress for this wedding in the suburbs.  The ceremony was going to take place in the backyard of a house that belonged to my mom's friend.  Her son was getting married and she wanted to throw the reception there.  She has a pretty big yard for hosting 80 guests!
About a month ago I was going crazy searching for dresses for my friends' upcoming baby baptisms.  I found a dress that I put in my checklist but decided on 2 other dresses for those events.  Since I'm on a tight budget for now, I was thrown off with the invitation, but luckily I still had a dress in mind.  What do you wear for an outdoor wedding in a big backyard in the middle of summer?
I won the bid on my dress and luckily it came in a few days before the weekend.  I had to replace the slip underneath (don't you hate slips that don't line up?) and opted to wear my wedges instead of heels.  I was happy with my choice for this occasion.  Off I went to pick up my mom!

The black lace detailing was see through.  I bought a nude slip off Target which did the trick...

We got there early and the caterers were still getting everything situated.  I didn't know what to expect since I didn't know anyone there.  I met the groom and he seemed very content.  I admire people who don't seem nervous.  I wish I knew their secret on handling stressful events.  *sigh
Slowly the guests started to arrive and eventually so did the bride.  This was an unconventional wedding where there was no walk-down-the-aisle.  She continued to greet her guests in the yard and could not stop smiling.  It was infectious and people couldn't help but smile back.  She was on cloud 9 and we were all a part of this special day.

The yard had a buffet style setup with high boys.  There were no seating available, just a dance floor ready for the salseros. 

A bartender is pouring drinks ahead of time for guests to come and grab.

The happy couple.  The groom's mother did the table arrangements.

They had a friend ordain the wedding and again, the bride could not stop smiling from ear to ear.  My mom's friend was probably more nervous than the bride since she was in charge of the preparations.  Eventually, as the ceremony was under way, she loosened up and started to smile herself.  Her son's future wife was very happy to get married to him and she knows he'll be in good hands.  What a wonderful feeling it must be for a parent to witness this!



The flower girls!

Loved the chucks!

I started to get emotional watching my mom.  Since the bride COULD NOT STOP SMILING, my mom was smiling as well.  I haven't seen her look so happy in a very long time.  It made me think of everything she's been through these past 2 years.  All I wanted in life at that moment was to see that smile on her face stay on forever.  Nothing else mattered at all.  I was overwhelmed.
The rest of the night was magical.  Afterwards, the husband played a song to his wife on his guitar and started to sing.  She happily danced salsa with the guests.  Now it was time to party!

I truly enjoyed my night out with my mom.  It was such an unexpected surprise.  After a while I could see she was getting a bit tired with so many people around.  We decided to end the night around 10pm.  The party started to slow down by then and we still had to make our way back to the city.  I will never forget this night.  I wish I could thank the young couple in person.  If it wasn't for the bride and her domino effect she had on everyone with her smile, I would not have seen my mom so happy!  It was so wonderful to be a part of their happiness!