After I wrote about grief and a smartphone, I've been thinking more about how our ever-connected world has changed the big events in our life for better and worse.
While I do think that social media can sometimes make difficult circumstances even harder, I also believe that it can make the happy occasions even happier.
Last weekend I attended the wedding of a sorority sister in Oklahoma City. In my small clutch, I carried a little cash, my drivers license, red lipstick, and my iPhone. This was all I needed to enjoy the night and document it. Revolutionary.
In the same way that the internet let us grieve with my friend who lost her mother a few weeks ago, friends from near and far used the internet to celebrate Erin's marriage to Ryan on Saturday. It started in the afternoon, when mybestfriendfromcollege Alyson posted this from her phone on Facebook:
with a caption reading, "Happy Wedding Day!" Then, just as I took my seat before the ceremony, another friend texted me a picture of the beautiful bride just before she walked down the aisle. I was teary before the groom even took his place!
With just the camera in my phone, I was able to capture the spirit of the ceremony.
The zoom function was pretty grainy. Noted.
I love wedding details. Notice the aisle decor? Large clear vases with a floating candle and fushia rose petals. Simple and chic.
One of my very favorite things about the wedding were the buttons! On the table when you walked in were baskets of buttons with different sayings. The idea was to take the ones who applied to you.
So everyone had their little collection of pins on all night and it was so cute! Not to mention an icebreaker. I wore "I came from California" and "I'm a Theta" and "I love the Smiths."
The (very yummy) cake sat in front of a wall of cranes handmade by the bride's mom.
The guest book was a photobook like you would make through iPhoto or Blurb. Great idea!
The wedding colors were fushia and orange. The orange was brought out with bowls of goldfish throughout! Isn't that darling and fun. So Erin.
The centerpieces were just as elegant as the rest of the wedding.
Tight bundles of roses balanced in tall vases of water. Next time I'll think about my photo composition a little more - I was in a hurry to get to the dance floor!
What a beautiful bride.
I do love feathers in the hair. (Not to be confused with feathered hair.)
Friends.
Dancing.
(Can you believe this momma had her first baby five weeks ago? No, you can't. Gorgeous.)
Tweeting the fun.
It was a wonderful evening, made that much better because it was shared virtually with friends who couldn't be there.
I'll say it again: it's possible that we're navigating this whole social media/overshare world just fine.
**Best wishes to Erin & Ryan on the occasion of their marriage. We're so happy for you!**
(All photos except the top one taken with smartphone cameras.)
