New York, New York ...

As my French manicured (read: totally fake) nails click, clack, click against my keyboard, it reminded me that I haven't yet blogged about my brother's wedding in New York.

He and my new sis-in-law are now on a month-long honeymoon to Fiji and Australia (yes, I know, must be rough...) and will return in a week or so...They'll be living in Long Island, where she's from.

The best way I can describe this wedding is that it was a celebrity bash without a single celebrity. Lindsay Lohan wasn't even snorting coke in the bathroom. We bridesmaids (Erika and I were two of eight) were treated to makeup and hair at a local salon...our makeup was flawlessly airbrushed on our faces ... I've never looked so good. (No, really, sad but true....) And the day before my sis-in-law, Erika and I got pedicures and manicures at a Korean nail salon...it was a little unnerving to have some dude rubbing my legs so I can't say I was too relaxed during the pedicure...but I loved my new nails. I got silk wrap nails with a French manicure...it took me awhile to get used to it. I liked them so much that I went to a salon in the Brainerd mall and had them redone last week.

I became so out of touch with reality while being pampered in the Big Apple that at one point during the six hours in the salon with the rest of the bridesmaids I thought that I could see myself moving there with Erika. Think of the writing possibilities and the higher salaries, I told myself... Ummm, yeah. I then remembered that I'm MARRIED and that since Nels is a wedding photographer he probably wouldn't be up for an East Coast move. I startled myself when I actually FORGOT I was married! And I'd only been gone for two days!

The wedding was at the 56-acre Flowerfield estate. The wedding was in this gorgeous atrium, complete with a bridge that the wedding party walked on over this pond with massive koi swimming inside. Our bets were on that one of my brother's drunken friends from Minnesota would end up fishing one of them out by hand by the end of the night (Surprisingly, that didn't happen.) There were several food stations for the cocktail hour, including crab, lobster, sushi - you name it. And not one, but two ice sculptures. The actual dinner was held in an adjacent ballroom with an incredible band. The dinner had several courses with lots of dancing in between. They had three photographers, a videographer and a wedding painter, a guy who painted the scene of the reception. I guess that hasn't caught on yet in Minnesota.

The photo of the portrait can be found above... I'm the one in the bottom center with the dark upswept hair with my back facing the artist, chatting with my cousin Shannon (to my left) and her husband Ryan. My parents are above me at the table and my daughter is standing directly behind my dad. The portrait artist is Martin Hardy. It was fun to watch him work. He places people and things that represent the night into the impressionistic portrait. Only in New York.

On Monday, the day after the wedding, I took the Long Island Railroad into the city by myself, about a two-hour trip, and spent a couple of hours in Central Park before nearly missing my flight home. I accidentally took the wrong train and ended up in Queens. Freaked this small town girl right out! But I made it. My twin cousins, who are both pregnant and due in September and October, told me they would have faked contractions if I hadn't made it. :) We were all on the same plane flying back home.

My brother and his wife are going to have their second wedding in October (Could I make this up?), this time in Minnesota. The New York wedding was a Jewish one while this will be a traditional Lutheran wedding in our hometown church.

It's sure to be less fancy or expensive, but should be fun. So for those who weren't privileged to see me dressed in my shiny gold bridesmaid dress, there is still one more opportunity.

Fabulous.