eat, drink, and be married. hickok edition.

i love my college girlies.

the four years we spent together in tulsa, ok. were full of a lot of qt runs, laughter, tears, road trips, following the rules, breaking the rules, and everything in between. 

so whenever i get a chance to reunite with them, i don't think twice.

this past weekend i flew out to salem, oregon to celebrate the nuptials of high school sweethearts chelsea and jeff.

a love 10 plus years strong definitely deserves one heck of a party.

and, if you know the o'connors at all, you know they know always throw out all the stops.

first off, the venue was absolutely gorgeous.

the sun was shining, it was a perfect 75 degrees, and there was a slight breeze in the air.

in the middle of a forest, with the sound of the fountains in the distance and huge trees looming above us, the ceremony was ready to begin.

chelsea looked absolutely gorgeous as she made her way down the aisle, arm in arm with pappa joe, not only the father of the bride but also the wedding officiant. 

what an amazing thing to have your dad walk you down the aisle and pronounce you husband and wife.

the ceremony was short and sweet.

perfectly chelsea and jeff.

but these words got me a little choked up.

"Please hold one another’s hands so you may see the gift that they are to you. 

These are the hands of your best friend, strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to continue to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. 

 These are the hands that will work alongside of yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams. 

 These are hands that will passionately love you and will always cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. 

 These are the hands that will join with yours as together you pray to the God who brought you together and will keep you together. 

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy. 

 These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will help you to hold your family together as one. 

 These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. 

 And lastly, these are the hands that, even when aged, even when wrinkled, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch."

and just like that chelsea and jeff began their journey as the hickoks, with unmistakeable smiles on their faces and a whole lot of joy in their hearts.

our first stop post ceremony was the photo booth.

obvi.

i don't care who you are, cramming into a shoebox wearing a wig and sombrero while perfecting your vogue pose is always a good time.

always.

then there was the reception, filled with the perfect combination of whites and golds and greens, twinkle lights, and CAKE POPS {among other amazing things}!

can we take a moment of silence in honor of the amazing creation that is the cake pop?

they're so small that at least 15 equal one piece of cake, right? 

right.

chelsea knew exactly what she was doing when she insisted on the pops.

and i was definitely their biggest fan.

{pretty sure i was asking when it was appropriate to take one probably well...let's see...about 2 minutes into the reception.}

when the happy couple arrived, it was time to get the party started.

and party we did.

along with wining and dining, toasting and cheersing, there was obviously some more quality time spent at the photo booth.

we couldn't help ourselves.

but, as you all know, everyone comes to a wedding to break it down.

and in the time it takes to say "fist pump" we were on that dance floor.

busting a move with our favorite chelly girl.

as if the night couldn't get any more perfect, 

char caught the bouquet.

char, i expect to hear some good news in the next few months.

if anyone knows a handsome, hilarious, and holy man in the so cal region, please, email me asap! 

but as nelly furtado would say, "all good things come to an end,"

and as the night came to a close, i couldn't help but be so incredibly happy for chelsea and jeff. 

the newlyweds.

the hickoks.

so here's to your journey together.

may it be filled with a lot of love, a lot of laughter, a lot of adventure, a lot of forgiveness, and a lot of reminders that you have been given such a precious gift in each other.

oh, and chels, get your butt to denver.

because i miss you already.