She Said Yes

There's times where I feel like "Sh*t. What do I have to write about?" and then there's times where I have a million ideas to write about and for some reason, they don't ever make it to this blog. Sorry!

I've been wanting to write a recap of our engagement party for a while now and no time better than the present to do it, right?

I won't lie – planning this was a headache. Having divorced parents makes things harder than it would be. My mom, for some reason, wanted to have something extravagant at a restaurant inside one of the hotels in Vegas. My dad, well, he just wanted anything I wanted. So we planned to have a sectioned off area in one of the restaurants in The Venetian. Well, about a month and a half out, we get notified that the restaurant is going under construction and will not be available for our event. You'll notice I mention "my luck" a ton on when I write – do you see why now?

After much back and forth, I finally got my parents to agree on having it at my dad's house – which is what I really wanted in the first place. I don't make it home as often as I'd like to and when I do, I love spending time with family and friends... and the home-cooked Chinese food. This was the perfect way to get everyone together, especially people I haven't seen in a very long time, in one place.

This was like 1/3 of the food! My parents and all the A-yi and Shu-shu (Aunts & Uncles in Chinese – even if they're not blood related!) really brought their A-game and made things that I didn't know I loved (that crab? Rice cakes under it. YUM!)

I really wish all of my Bridal Party could have made it but being that we flew home during Thanksgiving break made it a little difficult. Regardless, I'm so glad my Maid-of-Honor made it, along with my future Mother-in-Law!

(And if you're wondering, yes! We all have matching shirts (my two other Bridesmaids had their's mailed to them.) I was so happy to find AnythingGoesWeddings because these fit perfectly and were exactly what I was looking for.)

As much as part of me wanted some extravagant engagement party, more of me wanted quality time with my family and friends. It was definitely chaotic trying to maneuver between my best friends, all the A-yi and Shu-shu, and my family but it would have been just as chaotic in a restaurant or a ballroom. While I usually dread going back to Las Vegas, this was one of those trips that I really enjoyed. Dare I say, it makes me want to visit more often?

None of this would have come together as smoothly as it did without my father and all the women pictured with me on the right. Even though I've never had siblings and, growing up, my cousins and blood-related family were always far away, I've never felt that I've had a small family. There's that old saying that it "takes a village" – well, for me, it took an acrobat troupe to raise me.

My dad told me as the night ended, he went into the garage for a cigarette, with his best friend (who's also the man that's basically my second father – even though I'm fortunate enough to have one hell of a fantastic dad.) And they both let out a sigh of relief at how smoothly the night went. Well, Dad, while Nicholas and I were waiting for our flight home, I'm pretty sure I finally let out that sigh of relief too.