"First Day of my Life" - Bright Eyes

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!  As everyone else is patriotically enjoying their barbecues and pool time this afternoon, I am unfortunately at work.  What better time to make another blog post!  This post will be about one of my favorite topics: my wedding.

After nearly four years of dating, two years of cohabitation, and ten months of engagement, I married my best friend, and partner in crime, Eric Leimkuehler, on June 22^nd, 2013.  What can I say about my wedding?  It was the craziest/most intense/emotional/frenzied/hot/but most of all, happiest day of my life.  

Best Day Ever

Here’s the details:  Eric and I were married in the rose garden at Jacob L. Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri in a civil ceremony officiated by the Honorable Judge Tom Clark.  We wrote our own vows.  We were surrounded by our friends and family who were there to support us as we promised to begin a lifetime together.  After our ceremony, we celebrated our marriage with a reception at the 2000 Grand Event Space, located above the Cashew Bar in the Crossroads District of Downtown Kansas City.  There, we ate, drank, and danced until late.  

Wedding Party Group Hug!  Most badass wedding party ever.

Now, I have never really been a “wedding” girl.  You know, one of those girls who spends her childhood fantasizing about what kind of dress she’s going to have and watches Bridezilla in her spare time.  In fact, when Eric and I got engaged I wanted to elope.  However, my wedding was AWESOME, and I would not change a single thing.  

Why was my wedding so awesome, you ask?  Well first and foremost, it was the people who celebrated with us.  Eric and I have a really badass group of friends, and our families are pretty cool, too.  We always knew that if we just threw them all together and gave then an open bar, fun times would ensue.  But I was really overwhelmed with the love and support we got on our wedding day from our friends and family.  And I cannot thank you guys enough for that.  

Oh, and the cake was amazing, too. 

The other factor that contributed to the overall awesomeness of our wedding was the venues.  The rose garden at Loose Park is one of the most beautiful spots in the city, and was the perfect spot for a ceremony.  2000 Grand has an amazing view of the city skyline, especially at night, and the event planning staff really made everything easy for us.  It was a great place to throw a fantastic party. 

See?  You can't even tell how hot I was. 

Oh and the weather was amazing… NOT.  If you’ve been to Kansas City in the summer you know, it can be unbearable.  I think the high that day was 94 and the humidity was so thick it almost suffocated you.  But of all the things I felt on my wedding day, hot was not one of them.  Maybe “nervous,” or “overjoyed,” but I barely noticed the heat until I realized how crazy sweaty I was.  

Hot and Sassy Bride

But the thing that really made the wedding great was Eric and I.  Yeah, we’ve been to some cheesy weddings, but this was OUR wedding, so it was destined for awesomeness.  Eric is the love of my life, and we were ready to promise each other to always be there for one another, no matter what happens, and to always be best friends.  And I think we’re off to a great start.  

First dance of many more to come...