A Wedding Planning Whirlwind Weekend

As I mentioned yesterday, I spent the weekend in the Outer Banks with my family to help them plan my sister's wedding.  We left early on Saturday morning and returned home at about eight last night.  It was a quick trip, but we got so much done.  Ryan and John picked out a cake, their flowers, their menu, and they got to meet with their DJ, ceremony musician, and pastor.  We also met with their photographers, and I'm so jealous of their talent!  Their wedding photos are going to be amazing.  I'm so excited for October 15th...it's going to be such a beautiful wedding!  Here's our trip in pictures:

Getting ready to get on the road

All five of us, packed like sardines (my mom and dad, Ryan and John, and me)

Five people packed for an overnight trip:)

A stop at a Harley-Davidson shop (nobody would let me document our previous stops at Denny's and an Exxon)

My hotel room.  {Side note: I will not be staying here for the wedding.  The office closes at 10 pm (as in, there is not a single staff member on the premises).  There were only four rooms being occupied, and we were three of them.  The lady who checked us in said that I had the coziest of three beds - I found it a little concerning that the concierge knew the comfort of the beds in each room...exactly how does that happen?!  The fire alarm went off from 1-1:45 am three different times, once for 20 minutes.  If I've never told you before, I have a serious fear of fire.  I was up and dressed and had my valuables packed in seconds, but I was alone in a hotel room and the rest of my family did not seem to be evacuating and I was afraid to go outside or into the back hallway on my own.  So I waited by my door until my dad came to check on me...which he did.  The fire department never arrived, but apparently the lady who'd checked us in gave my parents a number that we could call 24/7.  We believe it was she who answered the phone at 1:20 am when my dad called to say that the alarm had been going off for 15 minutes although there was not a sign of fire.  NEVER AGAIN.}

Outside the reception venue

A gorgeous gazebo also outside the reception venue

It was so cold and windy...colder there than at home!

We are freezing in this picture!

Ahoy Matie - I know Jack is going to love this pirate ship across the sound

We had breakfast at a very local diner on Sunday morning...the pancakes and bacon were delicious.  Although, I have to say, don't know that we would have gone to breakfast if we'd known that we'd be tasting cake and Ryan and John's wedding dinner 20 minutes later:)

{By the way - can you not just tell that John absolutely adores my sister?!}

The rehearsal dinner venue

The reception venue - Adrianna's on the Waterfront

Another view

A view of the gazebo from Adrianna's

A playground outside the reception venue that I know Jack will love:)

The Ceremony Spot - Kill Devil Hills, Mile Marker 9.1

We're hoping that it'll be at least 35 degrees warmer:)  Keep your fingers crossed!