It's a fine time for a … weekend wedding

This past weekend was my oldest sister Lauren's wedding. My other sister, McKenzie and I were the maids of honor and it was held in Kellogg, Idaho. Since this was the second wedding I have been in and my first time as a maid of honor, it was definitely a learning experience.

My sister chose to get married in the Cataldo Mission Church, the oldest building in Idaho and to have the reception at Goldrun Estate, a gorgeous resort in the woods. We went to Idaho on Thursday and spent two days setting up the church and reception hall, and stayed at the resort. I have a rather large family, six siblings and numerous cousins, making it easy for us to fill up the seven bedrooms of the resort.

On Saturday, we got to see all our hard work pay off when the music began to play and my dad walked my sister down the aisle. The doors of the church were swung open and she looked captivating in her ivory, strapless dress with the pine-covered hills in the background and the sun illuminating her red hair. This tear-jerker of a moment was lightened when my dad tripped on her dress after giving her away to the groom. Leave it to my dad to be the comic relief!

The real fun started after the ceremony, after we headed to the reception hall. I was part of the parking crew and drove people around in a golf cart. Then I mingled with my cousins and other relatives, chitchatting about the wedding and the new developments in each of our lives. The food was served and I got to sit next to the bride and groom, considering I was co-maid of honor.

I was nervous for most of the toast I was giving to the new couple. All week I was pestering people for ideas and jokes to use. After all the stress, my toast ended up being "warm and heartfelt," and that's a quote from one of the guests. I began with an ice-breaker joke about how I used to look up to my older sister, but now, considering I am taller than her, I have to look down at her. Then I brought up old embarrassing memories. As the tears welled up in my eyes and my voice started choking, I realized I should probably wrap up my toast before I became a babbling idiot. I gave my cheers and the crowd gave a standing ovation … just kidding.

Next was dancing. When it comes to dancing at weddings, my family is the life of the party. We were all out on the dance floor getting down to the Commodores' "Brick House." I even learned the Foxtrot from my cousin's boyfriend.

When it finally came time to wish my sister and her husband farewell, my other sister and I were exhausted from all the excitement of being co-maids of honor. I just have to say that I absolutely love my family! We have the best time when we get together. All in all, I have to say that my weekend was a bit more exciting than usual and that I am just a little bit sore from busting so many awesome dance moves.

Marielle McKean is the Columbia Basin Herald high school intern. She is a senior at Moses Lake High School and known in the newsroom for her outstanding skills when "busting a move."