our last weekend in chicago: the "bon voyage" party.

On Saturday, my parents threw Radley and I a "Bon Voyage" party to send us off and give us the chance to see family and friends one last time before we go. My mom and her best friend are quite the party hosts, so the entire beer garden at Casey Moran's was decked out in Chicago/San Francisco-themed decorations. There were flowers and posters and balloons and candies colored to match our city's sports teams--not to mention some seriously hilarious lollipops...

Great food, great drinks, cupcakes from Sweet Mandy B's, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, dancing, strings of lights, plus sixty of our closest friends and family. I was overwhelmed with gratitude--giddy--and found myself laughing until I cried at several points throughout the night.

The next day, Radley and I kept looking at each other and saying what we'd already said, over and over again, all morning: "That. Was. The best night. Ever." And it was--it really was--because it isn't every day you get to see so many of the people you love all in one place. As one friend put it, the party was just a bit of practice for our wedding day :) 

A heartfelt thank you to all our family and friends who came out this weekend--and an even bigger thanks to Mom and Dad for thinking to do something so special for us. It truly was the perfect ending to the most incredible couple of years, and I couldn't think of a better way to kick off our next chapter.