Whitney Got Married!

A man should choose a friend who is better than himself. There are plenty of acquaintances in the world; but very few real friends. -Chinese Proverb

I love this quote and I love the people that this quote makes me think of. One of my most precious friends is Miss Whitney Staggers.­ Whitney and I were both Phi Mu’s at Mississippi State and lived together for three years in an apartment in Academy Village. Whitney and I didn’t know each other well when as she asked me to live with her over corn dog nuggets at the Phi Mu House. I’m not sure if it was her one-of-a-kind personality or the corndog nuggets, but I instantly knew this person would be in my life forever.

Whitney is a true Southern Belle from Starkville, Mississippi. She instantly showed her Southern hospitality by welcoming me into her family, who became my “away-from-home” family while I was away at school. Whitney and I complimented each other well and she soon became so much more to me than a roommate- she became a best friend.

Throughout the years, Whitney and I have remained very close. We’ve seen each other through breakups, jobs, moves, and now finally our own weddings. She was one of my first calls when Ryan and I got engaged, and I was ecstatic when Whitney, my friend who never really entertained the idea of marriage, called to tell me that Michael was “The One.” When Whitney was a bridesmaid in our wedding last September, Ryan and I finally had the opportunity to meet the man that’s made our Whitney so happy. And he did not disappoint; he was even more precious than she described.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of serving as one of Whitney’s bridesmaids in her wedding. Here are a few of the reasons I was excited:

• Whitney is getting to marry the love of her life…
• ….at one of the coolest places on Earth…
• …in front of many of our college friends…
•  …and I love her.

So here’s a photo recap of the weekend:

Our Digs.

The Bridesmaid's Villa

Pretty sick, right? I'll spare you the "AFTER" photo.

Bridesmaid's PJ Brunch.

Jenny, Meghan, Jennifer, Whitney, Kaylan, Brittany, Catherine and Lindsey.

 

Our gift was beautiful handmade vintage earrings from Catherine Thoms.

She's so excited!

Poor Jenny doesn't feel well.

Pretty Girls in Dresses.

Lindsey and Jennifer

Brittany and Kaylan

Isn't Carley beautiful!?!?

I have really hot friends.

Me and Britt

She'd been working on her jazz hands all day.

Kaylan, my wedding weekend roomie & stylist.

The Beautiful Bride.

The Details.

The Groom's Cake

A beautiful painting of Whitney and Michael on the farm with their dog, Gus.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the most handsome man at the wedding (besides Michael, of course!) Ryan was amazingly helpful and flexible the entire weekend, which is really important when one spouse is in the wedding party. I loved introducing him to my college friends who had not yet met him and was so proud to be on his arm.

Some funny (and not so funny) behind the scenes facts:

• The husbands/boyfriends/dates bought and consumed 8 cases of beer for the weekend.
• I was in charge of steaming dresses before we walked down the aisle. Unfortunately, I got too close to Lindsey's skin and gave her a 3rd degree burn on her hip. I am SO sorry, Lindsey!
• Kaylan crushed her finger/fingernail in the bathroom door and whined about it all weekend.
• It took two people to attempt to get me into my dress for the rehearsal dinner and it still didn't work. Thank God for Plan B dresses and LifeTime Fitness!
• Right before Whitney and Michael exited the reception, she asked me to go get her prescription. Trying to rush, I fell down the stairs and broke my toe. It's black, blue and purple, but the bride had her necessary prescriptions before heading to her honeymoon suite.