Molly's Wedding slash A'dam reunion

So Molly got married last Monday in a park next to a Wilmette Beach. It would have been a stunning setup had it not been rainy, blustery, and downright miserable outside. The original plan was to have the ceremony outside next to the water, and then migrate indoors to a room on the second-floor with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake for the reception. Instead I dodged puddles in my high heels as I scampered as quickly as possible down the asphalt path to the lodge, as if the lights coming from within were a beacon of hope in the gray bleakness.

I've known Molly for three years, having met while studying abroad in Amsterdam. She, Reana, Stephanie, Emily, Anna and I made for quite the Motley Crew. We all couldn't be more different, and by now are used to the quizzical stares that come with us getting together. I think that's what makes our friendship particularly amazing. We are all as different as could be, but yet we all click. It just works. Emily is a lesbian feminist who is into social justice for women, speaking Portuguese or Spanish when you least expect it, throwing down on the dance floor like you wouldn't believe, and being one of the strongest people I've ever met. Stephanie is....well how can one describe Stephanie. She's utterly bizarre, into global issues, hysterical, QUIRKY, and very much into being natural/organic. Molly has one of the loudest laughs you'll ever hear, loves kids, is passionate about being a social worker, is more content with a pair of sandals than anything really girly, and is happy with the basics in life (as is Emily). Reana is opinionated, extremely loyal, artistic, extremely fashionable (although I could never pull off what she wears), tattooed, pierced, and sassy. Anna is soulful, artistic, extremely intelligent, poetic, and into really underground things (she's the most like me out of the group). The group sees me as the preppy one, most likely to be a suburban housewife, call me 'Sweet Bunnycakes', most 'mainstream', only conservative one in the bunch- basically as a Charlotte-type from Sex in the City. It's funny. In the picture it's (from left to right): Reana, Anna, Stephanie, Me, and Chris (Molly's best friend from grade school).

As you can see, the wedding was already bound for excitement. Every member of the A'dam crew was there except Emily, as she now lives in New Mexico. As I entered the reception lodge, I was greeted by fresh,vibrant decor, a small intimate setting, and the bright smiles of Anna and Reana. Stephanie, of course, arrived around 15 minutes late and burst into the room with the disruptive power of a tornado, along with the confused glances of strangers. There really was nothing else to do but laugh. We amused ourselves through the wedding by blowing massive amounts of bubbles that were placed all over the table. I'm pretty sure that everyone else thought were were slightly mad.

The wedding itself took about 15-20 minutes max, and I was surprised at how many people were chatting or whispering during it. Molly looked beautiful and kept all composure. She looked absolutely serene and happy which was all I cared about.

Her husband, Salvador, is a Mexican immigrant whom she met working in a restaurant. This marriage started off as a shaky one, because her Schaumburg-dwelling father would not sanction the marriage. He basically told her that she'd have to elope because he would never attend the wedding. I fully believe in soulmates and knowing when someone is the ONE. However this particular situation kind of scares me because Salvador can barely speak English, isn't a citizen, and I don't believe can support her or the large amount of kids she wants to have. Putting my worries aside- she's extremely determined, full of faith, and I'm sure she will make it work.

Watching them dance together made me realize just how happy Molly is. That's all I care about. Molly's mom and dad did show up to the wedding and even paid for Salvador's parents to come up from Mexico. The food was a Mexican buffet feast which was phenomenal. Think steak+chicken fajitas with all the fixin's, homemade guac/salsa, rice, etc. It was beyond delicious. They even had a Mariachi band come which was fantastic.

The wedding was very very small but it was just what Molly needed. The night ended by 9:30, which although deterred from the usual raucous wedding craziness that goes deep into the night, seemed to suit this one just fine.

My only regret was that I didn't take home one of the centerpieces, which were vases with goldfish swimming in them. Note my somewhat depressing wax-like face in this picture. I'm listening intently to Reana's story as Anna continually snapped photos of us. It's kind of hard to see the fish in the picture, but look at Reana+my face in the reflection. I think this picture is kinda really cool.

Anna is going to move to London in two weeks. She's going to be going to the London School of Economics, studying Multicultural Communication, Comparative Studies, and Globalization. I'm so proud of her, and admire her a ton. She really inspires me. I am in the beginning stages of planning a weekend trip to London to visit her, probably sometime this fall. She's going to move in, find out her class schedule and get situated, and then we're going to plan a long weekend for me to come out. I've already been all over London so I don't need to do touristy things. This time around we'll explore local haunts and get a real feel of what London is really about - and all for only the price of airfare and food. I'm going to show up with a backpack and have at it. I cannot wait.