Mama's New Ride

Meet the newest member of the Benyo clan!

Wedding Season

Well, we've made it through 6 weddings so far this summer with just one more to go in Key West, this November.  Summer has been filled with plenty of champagne toasts, hairspray, flights, road trips and lets not forget love - and it's been so exciting to celebrate all of these incredible couples we are so blessed to call friends.  It  was such an honor to be a part of all this!

I really hate to lump these all together because each wedding was so beautiful and unique in its  own way but lets face it, if you have to wait for me to do these one at a time - it may be a long wait. 

June 15, 2013
Annie + Andy 'The A-Team' Kay
Eldora, Iowa

This June we traveled to Des Moines then drove 2 hours to the heart of America - El Dora, Iowa to celebrate Annie + Andy's nuptials.  We were fortunate enough to stay with our favorite Aunt Fancy and her family on their farm.  In addition, A+A made us feel no short of special and included the entire weekend - we were treated like one of the bridal party and it was so touching.  This wedding was truly a work of love - as I watched all of the friends, family and neighbors come together on the weekend of the wedding to assemble the tents, tables, cakes (oh-wait til you see those cakes), place settings, etc... It was so apparent how much adoration  Annie + Andy have surrounding them.

One of the highlights of the visit was Nick got to drive a tractor around Fancy and Alan's farm - it was this moment that he declared he wanted to move to Iowa and 'live the simple life'.  BUT, me being the bearer of bad news insisted we get back into our lime green Kia Soul which we'd affectionately called 'the snot rocket' and make our way back to Denver.  Can you imagine me living on a farm!?     

The tent being setup the morning of the wedding while the guys golfed.

Loved this sign made by Annie's dad!

 

The cakes (plural)

 

Nick + Chris

Nick + I enjoying cocktail hour

Annie gave a speech at the reception.  Major kudo's to her for this!

 

 Me + the new Kay's!

August 24, 2013

Julia + Patrick Asp
Door County, Wisconsin

With Nick out-of-town for work, I headed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin then jumped into a car and drove 3-hours with girlfriends Emily & Amy to celebrate Julia + Patrick's wedding in Door County, Wisconsin.  As a kid, our family grew up going to Door County with our cousins and I was so excited to get back there - it brought back so many incredible family memories. We were able to eat, drink and shop around the various spots in town, hit up a few wineries and spend some time down on the lake.  Julia + Patrick got married at the Woodwalk Gallery, which was absolutely gorgeous.

The Door County Confectionery - A DC Staple

Amy and I on the trolley on the way to the wedding!

Here comes the bride...

 

Julia + her dad walking down the aisle

 

The beautiful bridesmaids

It's official

  

First dance:  Ray Lamontagne's - You Are The Best Thing

 

Me + the new Blunts!

 

August 31, 2013

Cole + Josh Cornejo

Denver, Colorado 

Cole and Josh were married downtown Denver at Holy Ghost Church and their reception was at Willis Case Golf Course.  Everything about this day just makes me smile as I have watched their relationship grow.  I was fortunate enough to know Cole back from my days in Iowa, then have her as a roommate in my early years in Denver, I got to watch her become an incredible mother to the most adorable baby this planet has ever seen, Cruz, and to finally stand by her side as she married the most perfect man I could possibly imagine for her.  I am over the moon for these two and was so excited to be a part of their most perfect wedding day.

Lovebirds at the rehearsal dinner @ Maggiano's 

 

The smiling groom on wedding day!

  

One of Josh's favorite foods ever are these fried meat & potato balls from this restaurant in LA.  Cole bought them in LA, froze them, then carried them back to Denver with her and had the chef at the Grand Hyatt flash fry them and deliver them to Josh the morning of their wedding.  Love!

 

Cole reading Josh's letter - we made her do this before makeup :)

 

The dress and the shoes

  

The beautiful bride getting ready to head to church!

The bridesmaids - all in various shades of purple

The Cornejo's!

Fireball for the bride.

 Mikey, Lax and I's introduction at the reception, ha!



The Cornejo family

The Benyo's at the reception

 

Allie and I enjoying the views at the reception

First dance:  Rascal Flatts - God Bless the Broken Road

September 1, 2013

Ashley + Adam Johnson
Golden, Colorado

Adam and Ashley kicked off September with a bang up in Golden.  The views from their wedding venue, the Bettecher Mansion were absolutely breathtaking - as well as was Ashley.  Everything about their wedding was so perfectly them - and the dancing was incredible.  So incredible, Robyn broke her foot on the dance floor :)  One of the most special parts of their wedding was that Adam's brother, Zach, officiated the wedding.  But the real highlight to me, was the letters that Adam and Ashley read to one another.  They were sweet, funny, raw and full of emotion.  There was not one dry eye in the whole place.  I was honored to be asked by Ashley to be a bridesmaid and stand by her side as she became a Johnson.

Ash getting her hair did, George Washington style.

And makeup...

The dress

Maid of Honor Lindsay and Kerri getting ready to dress the bride

This dress had buttons for days!

Antique hairpiece, so perfect

Sadly from this point on I have no pictures of the rest of the evening - this is probably due to the fact that we had finally convinced the DJ to play Hall & Oates and I was busy on the dance floor.  Instead I'll share a few pictures from Ashley's bridal shower that Kerri and I hosted back in August.

Myself, Ash + Kerri

The dessert spread.  Ash's fav - Fruit Pie!

The loot.

The party favors, made my yours truly - wine stoppers.

July 6, 2013

We've wrapped up all the showers, bachelor + bachelorette parties, rehearsals and the big day and the Benyo's are finally settled into reality back home in Denver, Colorado.  In between getting the thank-you's completed and trying to fit all these shiny, new presents into our storage-less kitchen, I realized it was about time I got down to business on this blog.  Although our honeymoon tans have faded, we've been settling nicely into married life.  I feel beyond grateful to have been able to marry my best friend, to have had the unwavering support of our families when my crazy-levels were reaching an all-time high, and above all to have been given the wedding our of dreams.  We're feeling pretty darn blessed. 

To kickoff the wedding festivities my family threw a 4th of July party for the bridal party and many of our out-of-town guests.  The party was held at Arlington Racetrack in my hometown of Arlington Heights, IL.  We rented out the Miller Lite Party Deck which had a private room with snacks, our own bartender, betting machines, and fabulous views of the park.  The highlight of the day was my Dad surprising Nick and I with naming the 5th race in our honor - the name?  Boots & Bacon!  We got to go down and present the winning jockey with the trophy and a picture of Nick and I flashed on the big screen for the entire track to see!  It was a moment Nick and I will never forget!  Following the races Arlington Racetrack throws off fireworks - it was at least a 30 minute firework show and hands down the best I've EVER seen!

First order of business--marriage license.  It's not really as romantic of an ordeal as you'd hope, but it was such an exciting moment for Nick + I.  We're official! 

Rehearsal day arrived and I met all my fabulous bridesmaids downtown for a blowout at Blow By Blow in Chicago before we met at St James Chapel for the rehearsal.  We celebrated with some champagne and laughter as I tried to keep my nerves to a minimum.  

Dad and I walking down the aisle at the rehearsal.

 

 

 One of the highlights of our wedding day was that my Grandpa Shaw got to play the organ during the processional and my entrance.  Here he is practicing at the rehearsal. 

Future hubby + his Dad, his Best Man!

 

Nick's parents, Nick + Mary threw an incredibly beautiful and delicious rehearsal dinner at Carmine's on Rush.  Nick and I had prepared a 'roast' of all our bridal party which had everyone in tears.

After wrapping up dinner Kate and I walked back to The Knickerbocker.  We fell asleep to Father of the Bride and said goodnight and goodbye to my last night as a Shaw!

Wake up call on Saturday, July 6th came bright and early.  The ladies all had a 7am start for hair and makeup.  Getting through 10 bridesmaids, two mothers and a bride is no easy task!  We popped on some Whitney Houston and popped open some Champs and I was thankful that all my girlfriends were keeping me calm and laughing.  Kate, my sister and Matron of Honor surprised me with a framed poem, a poem we've always related to as sisters, by E.E. Cummings:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)
i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

  After she gave me this frame she showed me two gold heart pins, one that she was going to wear inside her dress, and one for me to wear inside my dress.  It was the most thoughtful and sincere gift.  Nick and I later exchanged presents - I gave him an engraved fly fishing reel that said 'HOOKED THE BIG FISH - 7.6.13' and he gave me a beautiful Tiffany's bracelet that I wore that day.  One moment that really took my breath away was when Nick's mom and I were talking about my something old, new, blue, & borrowed.  I told her that sadly, I didn't have a 'something old' and she reached for her purse and said that she thought she had something for me.  She handed me a jewelry box and inside were emerald and diamond earrings - that her mother had given her on her wedding day.  It was really so moving and gives me goosebumps just writing about it now.  Below is a picture of me opening the stunning earrings.  (Don't mind what's going on with Brittany in the background :))

 The best girls a girl could ask for.

Kate, Mom & I - Love this :)

 First look between my Dad and I.  One of the most special moments of that day.  This picture gets me every time I see it.

 Walking and supporting me, like he always has.

St. James Chapel @ The Archbishop Quigley Center.  The chapel was inspired by Paris' Sainte Chapelle, it's absolutely breathtaking.

We're married!

I absolutely love this picture.  My Dad surprised us with a Packard to transport him and I to church.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our beautiful reception @ The Knickerbocker.  Selling point of this place?  The lightup dance floor.

 First dance.

 

Father Daughter Dace.

Our incredible cake designed by Mom!

Last photo of the night in the middle of Michigan Avenue.  Perfection.

Looking forward to a lifetime of love, laughter, and good wine shared with my best friend and new husband!