Palm Springs King Wedding Weekend (aka Our Mini-Babymoon)

Last month we took one last final family vacation with Taj before his little brother enters the world, this month Brad and I took a solo 3 night trip of our own...... our friends Jane & Griffin's fabulous wedding extravaganza weekend at Le Parker Meridien Resort in Palm Springs, CA! Even though we mingled with friends every night and partied it up in celebration of our friends tying the knot, I like to think we had a "baby-moon" (yep, just like a honeymoon!) of our own. Why? Because it was the first time we left our 1st baby for 3 nights (Taj was on his own fun vacation with cousin Chloe and the whole Fetters gang), we wined and dined each other (I only had wine one night), dressed up every night, slept in every morning, and got some much needed and uninterrupted quality time together. Even though we missed our little stinker and can't wait to meet our second little stinker, Brad and I enjoyed not having to chase around a toddler or shovel down our food, or rush back home to relieve the babysitter, or have to get up early in the morning. :) The first night, we attended Jane & Griffin's rehearsal dinner, as they referred to it, because they opted not to have a wedding party this was a very special dinner for the close friends that would have been in their wedding:
but first, quick flashback to 3 years ago, just before our wedding with the couple. I can't believe how young and skinny I look in this photo, hope I can look like this again after 2 pregnancies!
Rehearsal dinner:

Brad was the first to stand up and give a speech, toasting to his CA best friend Griffin, who he has known since he moved out here from NY.
Lovely 1st night catching up with good friends and girlfriends I haven't seen in a while. It felt like a reunion since a lot of our friends that attended this wedding also attended ours. How life changes in 3 years right? We are on our 2nd baby, and Baby Jax got so much attention all weekend long. The belly was a hit and everyone loved rubbing it! I have never received so many compliments and been manhandled as much in one weekend, let alone when I wasn't pregnant!
The next day, Brad and I ventured out to downtown Palm Springs and had the most delicious breakfast date ever, at Cheeky's. The expected desert heat and sun unexpectedly turned into cold and rainy weather, so we took a nap in our room, met up with friends later in the day, and then had a fabulous dinner out with 12 of our friends. We ended up back at the resort for the wedding's 2nd night: Meet & Greet Welcome Night at the firepits.
You can't see in this photo but we are roasting marshmellows above the fire, which made for yummy smores on a cold evening (temperature at night was 40 degrees!)

Here is the bride-to-be Jane on the night before her wedding:
On Saturday, the actual wedding day, Jane & Griffin couldn't have been any luckier and happier to wake up to blue skies and a gorgeous day. Got my "push present" from my hubby: my make-up professionally done once again (LOL told you I am spoiled these days..... this has become my guilty pleasure this pregnancy). With my hair and make-up done and Brad handsome as ever in the tux he wore at our wedding, it sure felt like a walk down memory lane for us.... for a second we felt like it was our day! I love how weddings remind you of your own wedding and the emotion/ excitement felt that day.
Jane & Griffin had a beautiful garden wedding, and there was not a single dry eye in the audience as Jane's sweet father officiated the wedding, making it super personal and emotional.

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. King!!! Did I mention the bride had 2 amazing wedding dresses? One sparkly princess dress for the ceremony and an awesome abstract artsy wedding dress for the reception.
There was a wine-paired 5 course dinner, and this surprise show put on by the lebanese follk dancers (Jane and her family are Lebanese).

It was so much fun!!! After the performance, others joined the dance floor dancing to Arabic music! Can you believe my crazy husband was on the dance floor and dancing with a sword?! Ha! That's an example of how crazy this wedding was!


Congratulations to our dearest friends, and thank you for such an incredibly fun adult only weekend away! And thank you to my friends Jane, Laura, Salma, and Michelle who kindly allowed me to borrow dresses, shoes, and skirts for the occasion (since I'm at such an awkward size and have swollen feet!) Couldn't have asked for a better babymoon with my husband!