eva and duke

It was the middle of the reception, the dance floor was packed and Duke came up to me and said, "I expect to see this on the blog!" Ha! I didn't even know Duke read this little ole blog! So Duke, I would have done it anyway, but here it goes....

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I have known Eva forever. She is Meghan's cousin and despite being a few years younger than me, we went to the same grade school. It wasn't until recent years though that I would say we have become friends though. I think that tends to happen when you are in your twenties and age gaps become less obvious. Anyway, enough about me and Eva! This is about Duke and Eva. They met and started dating when they were 14! 14, people! Soon after they graduated from college, they took a trip to Door County where Duke asked Eva to marry him!

The wedding was on Saturday, September 26th at 4pm at the South Shore Pavilion in Bayview. Have you peeps been there? It is probably the cream of the crop in county park buildings. The building is really cool and the view is even better being right on the lake. There was threat of rain in the forecast all week, but thankfully it held out and it turned out to be a beautiful day.



We got to the outdoor ceremony, where good ole Tom was handing out programs.

The ceremony got underway and it was short and very sweet. They wrote their own vows, which were so nice and I doubt there was a dry eye in the place. I'll let the pics speak for themselves...

Meghan and her sister, Emily, were co-maids of honor.

Here comes the bride!

the vows (and tears)

the groomsmen having a laugh during the ceremony

the kiss :)

Mr. and Mrs. Duke and Eva J.

Since the wedding and reception were at the same place, we mingled outside for a bit and enjoyed the weather and scenery while everyone was taking pictures. Jon and I also took that time to take some fun candids

We eventually made our way inside and found a seat. I LOVED their centerpieces and loved them even more when I found out how economical they were. They clipped these hydrandeas when they bloomed a while back from a friend's bush (hello, free!)...then dried them so they would keep until the wedding. Then there is the sand which = cheap-o. Actually, if it were me, I would just go to the beach or something and take it. And those vases might as well be drinking glasses from the Dollar Store. So basically probably less than $30. They looked awesome!

And you know it ain't a party if Beyond the Booth isn't there, right? Oh yeah! Even though this isn't a new concept to me anymore, I still love it and I know everyone else at the wedding loved it too. I can't wait to see their guest book! Not quite sure why I look like I have a "Rachel" 'do in the upper right pic, but oh well.

For this one, we got creative with props. I love the lower left best. We did our best model poses: Tom with his male model glasses (which got a lot of laughs when he busted them out out of no where), me with my attempt at "Blue Steel", Emily and Vogue and Meg doing the haute couture pose that the models on PR always do.

For dinner, we sat down at long tables rather than circle - which I always see in magazines, but have never seen in person. (It looked really cool!)






During dinner, Meghan and Emily did their maid of honor speech, which was so cute and sweet! It was told like a fairy tale and incorporated all the milestones in their relationship perfectly...and to top it off, it was read off of a scrolled up piece of paper. KH and TN, Meg and Emily!

Soon after the speeches, the party got underway and we all danced until we literally were too tired to continue on. Things got a little crazy toward the end and I believe the face Eva is making in the second pic is proof of that.

and just as a side note, see that girl next to left of Meghan? I lllllooooovvved her dress.

It was a such a fun wedding and I couldn't be happier for Eva and Duke. They are truly a great couple and their love and support for one another is obvious. I am so happy for them! Congratulations!