So, I posted the wedding speech that I wrote, but never got to read, last week. My cousin, my best friend, my much, much better half, finally got married last week Monday. Not even a natural disaster could prevent it from happening.

And I have to say, it was beautiful. The church was gorgeous and the reception ended up being an intimate sit down dinner by candle light. But that is not the way it began…

I don’t how my cousin’s morning started, but I can tell you might started off slow. I lounged about in bed for a little bit before I worked up enough strength to roll out of bed and shower. Half way through combing my hair, I get a phone call from my aunt asking me to bring her some hair at the salon. Correct me if I’m wrong but, if you’re going to get your hair done, shouldn’t you have everything you need before you get to the salon? Just asking…

Anyway, so here I am, 4 Haitian women, being loud and obnoxious and trying to get a discount at the crack of dawn at the beauty parlor. Meanwhile, my sister is staring at herself because she looks, and I quote, “Flawless.”

Fast forward 2 hours and my cousin is freaking out because she doesn’t have her dress and the photographers are there. So I rush in to save the day (as usual) and head over to her house to get dress, veil and bouquet. We make it to the hotel at 3:30pm and everything goes well. The photographers snap picture after picture and I stand to the side (or wherever they place me) quietly dying in my shoes.

After an hour of that, we finally head to the church. It was beautiful. There was an arch made out of crystals and candles – it looked like twinkling stars. The aisle had flowers in glass vases along the side. And the big surprise: A violinist and cellist. Absolutely stunning!

Fast forward to the reception at Scarpina, located on 88 University Place NYC by Union Square. Apparently, we were their first wedding and what was supposed to be a small dinner for forty people ending being a party so large they had to shut the place down for us. I have to insert here that if you are in the neighborhood and have never been, this is a must! The food was amazing, the staff was courteous and so quick to help a young woman up and down the stairs in her killer shoes! I didn’t get a chance to do it that night, but I wish we could have asked the chef to come out and be applauded because he managed to feed all those extra people without the quality of the food suffering. And the fact that this establishment stepped up and agreed to do this for us two days before is just…there are no words to how highly I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone who will listen! Again, if you can, please stop in and try their amazing food. SO GOOOOD!

At some point during the night, my sister went to say hello to my uncle and he whips out a CD full of Haitian music, as if its only natural that while he was getting ready he made sure he had his wallet, his key, and – oh yeah, that Haitian CD…

The party really took off after that and we danced the night away! I said my speech, the bride and groom cut the cake, threw stuff at us (bouquet and garter) and we cha-cha slid until the early morning hours.

BEST.WEDDING.EVER!