Friday, November 6, 2015

Georgia On My Mind

Last weekend, my cousin Dan got married in Savannah, Georgia.
Congratulations Dan and Marie!
I was super excited for the wedding! I hadn't seen several of my family members in years. Plus, I had never been to Savannah so I was grateful for the opportunity to go.

For the weekend's travel, Adam and I opted to fly into Atlanta (airfare to Savannah was more than double the price by comparison) and drive to Savannah. The Atlanta pop-through enabled us to catch up with local friends on our way in and out. When we arrived on Friday night, it was so good to see Brenda, Clay, Sean, Boh, Shan-Ming and Teresa. Many thanks to Sean and Boh for hosting the gathering.
Top from L to R: Adam, Sean, and Boh
Bottom from L to R: Clay, me, and Brenda
Not pictured: Shan-Ming and Teresa
On Saturday morning, Adam and I embarked on the drive from Atlanta to Savannah.

The wedding that night was a blast! It took place at a restaurant called Vic's on the River. Everything was classic, elegant, and very Southern. I loved all the personal, artistic touches.
Prewedding
From L to R: Adam, me, my Aunt Anna, and my Aunt Janny
Love Potion (spicy ginger, bourbon, and soda)

Fill-your-own cookie boxes!

#DanMarieWeen

"Please sit wherever your heart desires"

My cousin Alex giving a toast

Balcony view of the riverfront

Adam was as happy as a clam when he discovered the wedding bar was serving Yuengling. His exact words were, "Best. Wedding. EVER!"

The wedding was made even more fun by occurring on Halloween. Check out the holiday-themed wedding cake:
The cake was red velvet, of course. =D

From the balcony, we saw plenty of folks dressed to the nines in Halloween costumes and parading down the street:
Not sure if this was a variation of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?

We even had some very special wedding guests: minions!
From L to R: minion, me, minion
My cousin Alex and my Uncle Tom
After dinner, the wedding guests all took to the dance floor and rocked things out.

At one point in the evening, the deejay played this song:

It was the perfect moment.

At the end of the night, guests gave the newlywed couple a send-off with dozens of sparklers:


The festivities were so much fun. I didn't want the celebration to end. I am so happy for Dan and Marie!

Let's also talk about Savannah, the incredible setting. Oh my gosh - the city is so beautiful and so charming. Everywhere you look, there are gorgeous parks, romantic architecture, and scenic tree-lined streets adorned with Spanish moss. I just loved it.



There wasn't a lot of time to explore Savannah other than briefly on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning. However, with the little time we did have, Adam and I squeezed in a meander through the historic downtown district, the riverfront, the Victorian historic district, and Forsyth Park. All the sights were incredible. Obviously we barely scratched the surface, so I am definitely hoping to go back someday and explore more.

Time to trek back to Atlanta. When we arrived on Sunday night, it was great to meet up with Dan, Rachel, and their three kids:
From L to R: Adam, me, Rachel, and Dan
Afterwards we made a mad dash to the airport! And so ended a fantastic, though very quick weekend in Georgia.

This Chicago girl is definitely in full appreciation of all that Southern charm. Until next time!

16 comments:

  1. That is one SCARY cake!! So fun for Halloween, though.

    I've actually never been to GA. I have family in KS/OK area, and friends in TX, but just never made it out past Houston. Maybe some day!!

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    1. Isn't that cake amazing? Whoever the cake designer was did a phenomenal job!!!

      Yes, go visit Georgia someday! I haven't spent a ton of time in the south, but Savannah is definitely one of the most charming cities I've ever been to. I think you'd really enjoy the atmosphere! Both Savannah and New Orleans are two of my favorite cities, ever!

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  2. I was at a wedding reception too, but there was only one costume, and it was the bride's niece.

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    1. Whose wedding did you attend? What did the bride's niece dress up as? A princess costume would actually go quite well with a wedding theme, yes? =)

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  3. The cake is awesome! I've never been to Savannah, GA but I've always wanted to go.

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    1. The best thing about the cake was that it tasted even better than it looked. ;-P I think you would really love Savannah!!! I hope you get to go very soon!!!

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  4. GA born and raised. And yes, I race to that song whenever I need to start out nice and slow! I have three different versions, but that one is my favorite. This looks like a fabulous wedding. So many extra touches. I love the pack your own cookie box. I think I'd want a bigger box though. LOL. Savannah is very charming.

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    1. HoHo you must be so proud to be GA born and raised! Where in GA did you grow up? I am going to add the song to my running play list now - and am going to explore some of the other versions out there, too. YES on those cookie boxes not being big enough, LOL!

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  5. That cake is so fun! And fill-your-own cookie boxes!?!??!??! Yes, puh-lease! So happy you got to visit Savannah. I have never been, but what I have heard about it makes me think you'd love it.

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    1. My cousin Dan is very artsy so the Halloween cake is right up his alley! In general, I think folks love to customize their food (hence why fro-yo is so popular, yes?) and this definitely applied to the cookie boxes. =D If you get a chance to visit Savannah yourself, I think you would love it as well!

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  6. This looks so fun! I went to Charleston last year, and we talked about Savanah! I'd love to go there, esp. after reading this.

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    1. Ahhh, Charleston! Another fabulous Southern city. Between Savannah and Charleston, I like Savannah a bit better because I think it's easier to get around - but both are wonderful. I hope you get a chance to visit Savannah very soon!!!

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  7. Thank you for sharing your photos from Dan and Marie's wedding in Savannah, Georgia. What a great write up about the wedding. It was great seeing you and Adam again! Hope to see you again in Chicago in June, 2016 when I will sing with the International Voices Houston choir!

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    1. Dear Aunt Anna, thank you so much for hosting such a beautiful and stunning celebration! Adam and I both had an absolutely amazing time. It was wonderful to see you and the rest of the family! We can't wait to catch up with you again next summer!

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  8. I went to Savanna in the middle of summer and loved it (heat and humidity and all) so I think that says something! Glad you got to see some highlights and what a beautiful city for a wedding.

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    1. Oh gosh - I can only imagine what the heat and humidity must have been like in the summertime! Even in early November, we could sense the potential for humidity! How long ago did you visit and what brought you out there when you went?

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