evergreen drive: ben and katie

Hey there. I have spent this week unloading, unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning house, and other measures to settle back in from a busy couple of weeks. On Monday night, we returned from a six-day trip to Savannah. I am finally beginning to feel recovered...and it's Friday! We are excited about a relatively low-key weekend at home.

We celebrated my older brother, Ben's, wedding with a long-weekend full of events. Ben and Katie were married at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at 7:30 on Saturday night. It was a beautiful ceremony, with Joe presiding. Hannah and Joseph were there, despite the late hour, and behaved. Thankfully.

I am sorry to say that I took very few pictures. I did not take one single picture Friday night at the rehearsal dinner and that is a shame. It was at Old Fort Jackson and my mom did a great job, planning every little detail for a one-of-a-kind night. My cousins even dressed up as Confederate and Union soldiers, greeting guests with Chatham Artillery Punch. {You can find the recipe here. "Not for the faint hearted..."} Ben and Katie rode in on a pedicab and then ordered the firing of the canon. Cold night but very fun. I will try to get my fingers on a few pictures to post. Any readers that have one, send my way or comment and post a link.

I did manage to take some pictures throughout the course of the weekend, including this one from the bridesmaid's luncheon, held at The Olde Pink House, another historic location and Savannah favorite. My family frequents the Pink House a lot and it is popular for luncheons, as well as rehearsal dinners and receptions. We have celebrated various occasions here and recommend it if your travels bring you to Savannah.

We stayed at Wesley Gardens, a 130-acre country estate on Burnside Island. The property is owned by Wesley Monumental UMC, the church Joe served while we were in Savannah. The house at Wesley Gardens has many bedrooms with dorm-like furniture. A bunch of us stayed out there. On wedding day, my aunts hosted a breakfast there for family and out-of-town guests. Ben and the groomsmen got these t-shirts to wear.

The Brooks-Buck kids. Joe and I look especially tired in this picture. We didn't sleep a whole lot while we were gone. Thanks to the time change, our kids are waking up bright and early these days too.

I did get a few pictures at the reception.

...and that cake was delicious. Katie's dream was an all-white wedding so even the bridesmaids wore white. My earrings and charm bracelet (not pictured) were a gift from the bride and are part of John Wind's Cottonball collection. They are beautiful.