What a weekend I had. Not only was it one of the busiest I've ever experienced that wasn't related to work, but it was also one of the most important ones I don't think I'd ever forget, because my big sister officially got married on Sunday. ^^

Saturday started off with me arriving mid-afternoon at the hotel that was close to where the wedding ceremony was going to be held. After checking in, I got on a charter bus to the event center where the wedding would be held and had the wedding rehearsal (both outside and inside in case it would rain, which it did on Sunday). For the groom's dinner, we headed off to a bar where my sister and her now-husband used to visit and had a bowling alley in the basement; the best part about this dinner was that the bowling was unlimited, so we could bowl as much as we wanted (I ended up making 7 strikes that night, believe it for not). Finally, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for the next day; I chose to swim in the hotel pool and watched TV in the hotel room before I would eventually head right to sleep.

Sunday was the big day; after getting into my rented tuxedo and checking out of the hotel, we (the bridal party) took a few pictures in the lobby before getting on the luxurious charter bus to go to a few locations for more pictures (the interior looked very fancy, almost like riding in a limousine). The first stop was at the arboretum in a Japanese garden. Though it did rain outside, the rain was light enough so we could grab some snapshots before heading off to another location in the arboretum that consisted of a grand view of a valley. Then it was off to another bar for a few more pictures, and we finally headed back to the event center for the ceremony.

Since it continued to rain outside, we had the wedding inside a tent. After my rehearsal with the pianist and cello player, we were all set to go. Everything in the ceremony went without a hitch. Not only was I one of the groomsmen in the wedding, but I also got the opportunity to sing the song "You Raise Me Up" (Josh Groban style). It was a brilliant choice for my sister to pick this song, because the words in the song really do ring true, not only for the feelings she and now-brother-in-law have for each other, but for how much she had a major impact on my life as well. The outpouring I gave during my performance was so exhilarating, it was almost like when Susan Boyle performed for "Britain's Got Talent." When I was done, I did not expect my sister to want a hug from me, so I took up on the offer and held her for a bit; though I couldn't see this happening, I believe many people in the audience stood up to applaud for that moment. There were a few laughs and there were some tears shed (even I shed a tear a little bit); it was a beautiful ceremony. Many people came up to me afterward to give their unanimous praise of how well I did the performance.

After the cocktail and appetizer part of the ceremony, there was a dinner and then the big party celebration with a band, lots of dancing, even a photo booth. I was in and out during the party since the music did get really loud at times, but I still had fun. After the band finally finished around 11:30 PM (seriously, it felt like the party would never end!), we all departed for the night, and I headed home.

Monday morning involved me dropping off my tuxedo and buying a few things my mother forgot to get before arriving home just when the brunch buffet had started. This event lasted a couple of hours before everyone would go home.

This weekend was certainly a memorable one. Before she and my brother-in-law left for home this morning, she gave me a thanks for how much I contributed to the ceremony and that she would always be there for me if I ever needed it, and I hugged her for a short while. May her days be even more fulfilling now that she truly has someone by her side. :)