party

I don’t really believe in wedding season because I’ve been to weddings.. in every season. Each of them so pretty & special.  But I get it; spring is colorful, fresh, lush, & the weather is just right.  Below is a list I put together of the rather uncommon tips I have for the first time Maid’s of Honor (aka MOH).

There are millions of girls out there that have been in a million weddings, but then – there’s girls like me.  I have 4 friends. One of them is my dog.  I invest in the other 3 really well, but it’s hard for me to manage more than that. (Remember, this post?)  I’ve accepted I’m not a 36 BFF’s type person.  So this was the first wedding I had to wear a Maid of Honor hat.

If you’re like me & one of those 4 friends of yours is getting married & wants you to be their Maid of Honor – this post is for you.  Because you’ll likely be the only newbie, & w the coveted position next to the bride.

10 Uncommon Tips For A 1st Time Maid Of Honor

Show Up:  This sounds obvious but I’ve been to other weddings where the Best Man or the Maid of Honor is missing from particular events, if at all possible don’t be that person.  Just showing up, being present, smiling, is already making you a star at the duty.  And not just wedding day, I’m talking bridal shower(s), bachelorette parties, wedding weekend events, all of it!  Everyone wants to see the Groom, Bride, Parents, & then bridal party.

Only Do What the Bride Wants:  Don’t do more.  Have good communication w the bride so you know what she wants & listen to her.  Then stick to just that.  Something that’s cool or important to you, might not be to them, & vice versa.

A Petit Four is a Small Cake: Yeah.  I guess everyone else knows this?  Good term to have in your pocket, thank me later.  They’re served at bridal showers.  If you’re in charge of bringing dessert, this is probably what they’re expecting.  (You have no idea the amount of time I googled this)

A couple things;  I have fallen down a long, dark path that is Target Online Shopping… AND I hate throw away plastic more in the summer than any other time of the year.

UGH.  Throw away paper plates, red solo cups, plastic forks equal the sounds of summer days at the pool & BBQ’s.  I’m NOT into it.  I can’t stand how much trash accumulates.  Because glass isn’t allowed near the pool, boats, water – plastic is the next best thing.  Enter >> paper throw away crap.

This year I figured out a quick, cute, easy way to avoid this mess.  NICE PLATES that are plastic & reusable. Dishwasher safe.  Easy.  Pretty.  All from Target.  I was UBER inspired by the Opalhouse Collection at Target recently which is what sparked this entire shopping adventure.  Opalhouse is my summer style to the T.  And incredibly more affordable than it’s pretty counterparts: Pottery Barn, CB2., ect.

Wooooooof TA!  Austin City Limits music festival beat the crap out of me! Every year I go I hope it’ll be easier, but it never is.  I love the music & the break from normal life – but it’s H O T in Texas and that heat can really beat you up.

This festival came right on the heels of the Vegas catastrophe, which you couldn’t help but feel heavy about.  My friends & I did our best to not bring it up but that’s hard to do when there’s thousands of people stuffed in on top of each other at a concert.  I think that’s how it’s going to be from now on for our generation.  It’s hard to honestly say otherwise.  We have to live in a place where we’re cautious of our surroundings and listen to our instincts, especially when we’re in large crowds.  Unfortunately, that’s where we’re at in America.  Boo, all because of those mother fuckers.

One adjustment I noticed this year, I’m not sure if it’s new or just something I’m more aware of, is the huge crane overlooking the festival with police on it.  They had a birds eye view of the entire festival and you could see they had huge lenses to see everything happening on the ground.  That was about my only piece of mind.

On the 2nd night as Wafiq and I were watching one of the shows, we heard a huge bang come from the other side of the festival.  We told ourselves if we hear it again, we’ll leave.  Then we heard it again.  And again.  There were police near us that also looked concerned, as did most of the people around us.  To make a long story short, it was pyrographics at the stage on the other side of the festival. I’m thinking (and hoping) this part of live performances will have restrictions in the future.  I don’t think it’s worth it to risk confusing a crowd.  With our tensions a little higher than we’d like, Wafiq and I decided to leave early that night.  Again, we’re at a place where you have to trust your gut on certain circumstances, call us dramatic but I’d rather be the dramatic one all day than the one standing there when/if something happens.

I constantly brag about the incredibly insightful active shooter training I did with our city Fire Marshall – I need to do a whole post on that because it was way more helpful than I imagined it could be.

As I was growing up, teachers, parents, grandparents, cousins, graduates, & friends all stressed the importance of having good grades to get into a good college after high school.  That was the only option for anyone who wanted to be successful.   That’s why we worked so hard in high school, so we can go to college.  Because who doesn’t know what they want to do with their entire life at 18 years old?  And if you didn’t know, you can take classes until you find out.  “If you don’t go now, you’ll never go back!”

Pinterest got the best of me.  Last Friday I decided to throw an Olympic Opening Ceremony Party… with Myself, Wafiq and Bernice.  I found a few excellent…

For people who haven’t heard of it, 6th Street refers to a few blocks in downtown Austin full of bars & entertainment that is closed off to cars on the weekends –> Party central for Austin, TX.