Just wanted to wish a very happy 68th birthday to my mom, Chau Nguyen! She and my dad have been extremely supportive during all of the wedding buzz, and I am so grateful for their love and support to me and Tom. (Side note: “Me” is mom in Vietnamese – I just can’t type the accent signs to reflect this. I’m not wishing myself a happy birthday ;) )
This past Easter weekend was a perfect example of both of our parents’ love – my parents flew from Louisiana to D.C./ Vienna, VA to visit the White family. Tom Sr. and Kathy hosted us to an amazing weekend – including an entertaining family dinner out, Easter mass and brunch, and, my favorite part, a fabulous bridal brunch/shower, which was co-hosted by Karina Fasullo and Robin Williams (2 dear friends of Elizabeth, Tom’s sister).
Thank you to the hostesses and Tom Sr. and Kathy for their hard prep work! Everything was beautiful, and it was the ultimate ladies day of mimosas and giggling over how precious a Starbucks coffee can be ;). It was terrific to see all the ladies together again in spring colors and under Elizabeth’s shining, smiling sun. Thank you Vienna family for welcoming me with such warmth and love.
Also, is it normal to have your shower cakes surpass your wedding cake? This time, it was a delicious homemade cake baked and decorated by our own Kathy White. The cake fit the Cherry Blossom theme of the day, which was (kind of) where Tom and I were engaged exactly one Easter ago.
The cute decor around the house! |
Super Hostesses (left to right: Karina Fasullo, Kathy White, and Robin Williams) |
Cherry Blossom cake – homemade by Kathy |
Happy birthday Me! |
Monogrammed aprons from Judi Kenney |
Cutting the cake |
Hat of bows to be worn during the rehearsal – crafted by Terry Gascgoine. Technically, I did not cut any ribbons while opening gifts. |
Some of the ladies (left to right: Karina Fasullo, Rosalie Schnittker, Chau Nguyen, Christina Nguyen, Teri Delgado, Kathy White, and Anne Rutherford) |
The Whites and Nguyens at dinner |
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A few weekends ago, my 3 sisters threw Tom and me an amazing shower in Atlanta. Tom’s parents also flew down to join the party, so it was great to have the family together in our city. The theme was “Around the Clock”, and a bon temps was had by all (which means “good times” in French). The event really made us feel the oncoming of a nearing wedding. We really felt the love from our friends in Atlanta, and are so thankful for the generous showering of gifts and time with us. Thanks Robert Cross, Tom’s groomsman, for taking excellent photos!
4 Nguyen sisters (From left to right: Anne Perch, oldest from Houston, Veronica Dugan, third daughter from New Orleans, Cathy Roush second daughter from Tampa, Christina, youngest from Atlanta) |
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Tom and his parents, Tom Sr. and Kathy, from Vienna, VA |
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Kitchen utensils! Exciting! |
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Cutting of the cake – standard protocol for all wedding-related events |
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Playing “shower games” after the gift opening, which involved flipping cups. First team to flip all of their cups wins. This definitely got the crowd going! |
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Southside team celebrating after a victorious win! (From left to right: Cathy Roush, sister of bride, Steve Pinder, Best Man, Jonathan Spillman, friend of Tom & Christina’s, Catherine Fitzgerald, bridesmaid, Heather Spillman, bridesmaid, and Jeff Gardner, friend of Tom & Christina’s) |
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Robert Cross, Tom’s groomsman and awesome photographer |
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So it turns out, Mount Rushmore was the end destination! We took a peaceful trip to one of America’s most patriotic destinations, and did make an honest attempt to wrap a feather boa around George Washington’s neck. It was a relaxing weekend to enjoy the quiet air and meditate about my last “single” night.
Just kidding! My bridesmaids spoiled me with a weekend in South Beach/Miami!! Quite the opposite of what I just described. They know my taste all too well and planned a perfect weekend that I couldn’t have planned better for myself. There was a fair share of dancing, laughing, and wining & dining. But the best part was having a weekend of uninterrupted time together – a rarity these days. Thank you girls for the best weekend a bride could ever ask for.
Tom’s trip to the Dominican Republic was full of fun and festivities – I’m slowly hearing the stories from him, and there are plenty more adventures left to tell. A bit of surfing, whale watching, road tripping around the island, and plenty of beach time.
I can’t believe we’re 2 months away and counting. The excitement is high, along with the stress levels!
Till next post…
Christina
