It's a nice day for a white wedding...

...or an ivory one, as the case may be.

Last Thursday, I traveled to San Francisco to be in Dublin on Saturday for my friend Katie's wedding.  I worked until 4 on Thursday, hurried home for an early-bird dinner with Chris, and then he drove me to the airport.  I flew out of State College at 7:30 PM bound for San Francisco with a connection at Washington-Dulles.  I arrived in San Fran at 12:45 AM local time and hopped on a shuttle bus bound for the La Quinta in Millbrae where my friend Rachel was waiting for me (she'd flown out earlier in the day).  We were joined on Friday by our friend, Karen.  Bring on the Mahoney/Blackburn wedding!

Saturday was a lovely day in Dublin.  The wedding didn't start until 4 PM, so we used our free morning to walk to the Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton for some "real" shopping.  Stoneridge is everything a mall should be.  Nittany Mall is laughable by comparison.  Heck, let's be honest:  Nittany Mall is laughable, period.  Talbots, H&M (squee!), Nordstrom...it was Xanadu!  After doing our part to support the Pleasanton economy, we returned to our hotel to get gussied up for the wedding.  Three women, one bathroom, 90 minutes to primp and curl...could it be done?

Of course it could!  

My friend Steph - a recent transplant from PA to CA - picked us up at our hotel and took us to the wedding, which was held at the Shannon Community Center in Dublin.  It is the park where Katie played as a child.  Super cool!!!  Everything about the venue, the ceremony, and the reception was 100% Katie...laid back and gorgeous!  

I have to say - at the risk of sounding conceited - that all four of us (Steph, Karen, Rachel, and myself) looked fabulous!  But Katie...Katie was simply stunning!!!  It was so wonderful to see her during the ceremony and to FINALLY be reunited with her after over a year apart during the reception.  

Me, Rachel, and Karen

With Steph

Alex (R) waits patiently with the minister (L).

Here comes the beautiful bride!

With this ring, I promise to watch Sports Center...oh, and thee wed!

You may kiss the bride.

Looking to the left at the outdoor cocktail reception...

...and to the right.

The bridge leading to the reception was line with flower buckets
labeled with the fruits of the Spirit.

Rachel, Katie, Karen, and me.

I love this girl!!!

Steph catches up with Katie.

Inside for dinner - Rachel and Karen with me in between.

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Blackburn!

Cupcakes...lots and lots of cupcakes!

SWEET cupcakes!

First dance as husband and wife...

...as their moms look on (Katie's mom on the left, Alex's on the right).

Rachel and Karen sign the guest photo mat...

...and then it was Steph's turn.

Time for dessert - I opted for a Key Lime cupcake...yum!

Rachel and I take a break from dancing to snap a pic.

Katie's grandmother (white jacket, pink patterned dress) danced the night away!

Katie and Alex departed in a hay wagon as Mr. & Mrs.

Adios, newlyweds!

The wedding was wonderful!  The ceremony and the speeches by Katie's dad, the maid and matron of honor, and the best men were so touching.  The reception was an absolute blast.  And it was so good to see Katie and Steph again, to finally meet Alex and Katie's parents, and to spend the evening with my friends in celebration.  Katie and Alex's wedding was the reason for our trip to California, but it wasn't the only thing we did.  Coming up in the next few days...sightseeing in San Francisco!  Stay tuned...

To see all 154 pictures I took at the wedding, you can view my Picasa album.  (And yes, I know there are some doubles/duplicate pictures...I have a crafty reason for that!)