If you follow me on Instagram, then you are probably very aware that my baby brother got married last weekend, as I overgrammed way more than usual so they would have lots of pictures to scroll through on their [semi-inappropriate but still hysterical] hashtag.

People, I have been to many weddings, been in many weddings, and photographed many weddings. But let me tell you, being the sister of the groom is a whole new sort of awesome. When you are a relative of the bride, a bridesmaid ultimately connected with the bride above all else, or the bride herself, weddings are awesome. But they are also so much work. Yes, you will have a great time, but you will also lose all your sleep for at least a week, scramble around for tons of details, and inevitably get so stressed at some point that you stop having fun, even if just for a second.

But if you are the sister of the groom? You basically get to sit back and enjoy the perfect party, one where you have a place of honor but very little responsibility. One where there are just enough of your favorite people there to be amazing, but not so many that you feel you don’t have time to hug them all. One where you get to help out and be a part, but you really don’t have to make many big decisions.

My status of sister of the groom was made even better by the fact that Lyman and Ruth planned the best wedding. Yes, it rained, and yes, there were a couple things that got lost in the fray, as always happens at weddings. But all in all they planned a day focused around their families and friends coming together to celebrate. We all stayed in a lodge and bunkhouse together, staying up late at night to sit around the fireplace and eat snacks in the company of hundreds of taxidermy preserved animals. We ate meals together, laughed over old stories, and got to know each others families and friends. I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a wedding where I had as much time to be with people I love. And of course, the fact that I LOVE Ruth and all her family (and friends!) didn’t hurt either. This was a wedding where both sides of the aisle knew and adored each other and it showed.

Ok, enough prattle and on to pictures! Ruth and Lyman had an amazing photographer who already shared some of her shots from the day on her Facebook page. But for the moments before she got there, and after she left, I snapped some pics to fill in their day, as one of my few tasks as SOTG.

//Cutest flower girl and ring bearer ever! For the reception they changed into flower and ring “bear” costumes, and you can see the flower a little here, but Caleb had to ditch his bear suit to get his dance moves on.// //My date is a total stud. Also, my hair is inspired by Whitney’s, from the final rose ceremony of The Bachelor. Because if I could have HALF of her grace and poise, I would be a happy gal. I would also be a happy gal if mankind proved me wrong and did the right thing by picking Kaitlyn in this horrid two-bachelorettes situation, but I’m not holding my breath.// //THIS VENUE. It doesn’t get any better than old train depots and exposed brick walls.////My mom and her gal pals.// //If you are terrified by my square-dancing glee, I assure you, you aren’t alone. But I just can’t help it. We start square-dancing and I turn out all five chins in a show of excitement.////There is no wedding quite as fun as a college reunion wedding. Lyman and Ruth have the best group of college friends, and it made me miss my own college crew. Can someone please get married so we can all hang out again?//   //Should anyone be in the DC area and need a DJ, please contact me for Taylor’s info. We have all been to that wedding with the bad DJ. But at this wedding, despite the couple’s very specific song requests (nothing that would traumatize the mothers, nothing that would inspire gratuitous grinding, popular songs, lots of old swing numbers…), Taylor had the dance floor PACKED from the second the square-dancing stopped to the moment the couple left. I kept on trying to leave, but another perfect song brought me back every time. And NOT ONCE did I have to do the cha-cha/ cupid/ electric anything.// //Dancing with him is always my favorite.// //Pretty proud of how the Stone family represented on that dance floor, from my classy parents, to my big brother and his girlfriend, to five of my cousins who trekked in from various parts of the country.// Congratulations brother! You married the best girl imaginable and she is getting one swell husband.