The Rehearsal Dinner.

On Friday, August 7th, Jesse and I prepared for festivities. He was hanging out with his mother and father, and I was bustling around my parent's house waiting for my lovely bridesmaids to arrive at midday. Most of them were coming from New York or Connecticut, but Christy flew in from Austin, Texas, and Amber from Lansing, Michigan. I'm sure it was a task to coordinate the arrivals, but coordinate they did and arrived by the wheel of Jiscilla. (For those interested, no, she does not ride a unicorn everywhere.)

We had a nail salon appoint for mani/pedis for all - lika ya dooo - and we went in and relaxed and chatted. We might have relaxed a bit more if the overhead televisions weren't playing that show where the host goes around eating the nads of every animal on earth - because we definitely saw some vom-inducing bull-penis chomping. ((Shudder))

Afterwards, we had to get ready for the ceremony rehearsal. I was wearing a fabulous dress I had found in LA in May; it was marked down hundreds of dollars to $60. See what I mean about fabulous? And you haven't even seen it yet - but you know it is. I wore my heels I had dyed purple for both the rehearsal and wedding, and donned a purple feather hair get-up that I had also bought for all my bridesmaids as part of their bridesmaids gifts. Then, I hightailed it to the hotel because my lovely, amazing, superb make-up artist Kristy Konopka was going to do a make-up trial.

You may remember Kristy as the woman I wrote about when I went to LA, where she gave me a facial and threw a pool party. Yeah, she's pretty great. The make-up turned out great as well, and I went off to find my bridesmaids and head to the church!

Before the process began! Sans make-up!

After!

I felt fab!
(Pictures courtesy of Kristy & her husband Dan!)

At 6pm, our parents and wedding party converged on St. Joseph's Catholic Church and Father Bob had us all get lined up and practice how to enter and exit the ceremony. It was a little nerve-wracking, but we got the hang of it.

Me and my bridesmaids - Christy, Kelly, me, Erica, Jiscilla, and Amber!

The rehearsal dinner was at my parent's home, nearby the church, and was provided by Jesse's mom, Sandi, who hired caterers. The italian cuisine was delicious and all of the wedding party, relatives, and my nine visiting Panamanians devoured it.

Christy, me, my brother Travis.

(All rehearsal dinner pictures provided by Jiscilla!)

During dinner, one of Jesse's Best Men (we had two BMs and Maids of Honor!), Jason, gave a speech, as well as one of my Maids of Honor, Kelly. Jason told the sweet tale of first becoming Jesse's friend - which he details on his blog here - and as he got to the end of his speech, he started welling up with tears and I think everyone in the house did, too.

Kelly brought the house down in a more humorous way - by telling everyone she was also marrying into the Parker family, by announcing a "surprise engagement" to my brother Travis. Travis looked directly at me with a confused look on his face, and then started high-fiving everyone at his table. They were known as The Fiancees the rest of the weekend, and some people actually thought they were engaged. (For the record, I would be totally okay with my best friend marrying my brother. I mean...Kells & Trav - I'm just saying.)

After dinner, my mother and the Panamanians got everyone on their feet to dance! Even Jesse, who was reluctant to dance, grabbed me and started swinging me around. Diaz jumped right in. My mom got Jason to dance, and I pulled in Brendan and Tony, while Kristen took care of Matt. These are dudes who usually refuse to dance! That's the way y family does it. Eventually, nearly everyone was on the dance floor, having a great time.

I think you can surmise how much fun we had by looking at these pictures!

Jesse and I went back with the wedding party to the reception hotel a few minutes away; I wanted to say hi to everyone who had already come in the for the next day. We hung out in the bar and I got to say hi to a lot of people I hadn't seen in a while. Then Jesse walked me to the car, and we had our last hug and kiss as single people. I wouldn't see him again until I walked down the aisle the next day!

Down the drain, down the drain.

I'm not the biggest fan of Los Angeles, but I love visiting. Jesse grew up in LA, so he knows the city pretty well.

I got in Thursday night - after many hours and two flights (in middle seats!) and serious jet lag. He picked me up from LAX and we fled to his apartment that he shares with Matt for their time in LA recording. The next morning I was up bright and early at 6am, and when Jesse eventually woke up we started our Friday at the studio and then shopping.

At one point, Jesse got a text from our friend Kristy who informed him that she had a cancellation in her schedule, and she wanted to know if I wanted a free facial! She works at a great skin care center that caters to celebrities - after the fabulous, fabulous, fabulous and my FIRST EVER facial, I saw the model Gisele in the waiting room. Quality, people, QUALITY. Felt pretty great walking out of there...and my skin is still beaming. YES!

(Kristy! And a couple of her friends. If you don't know already, Kristy = amazing.)

Afterwards, Jesse took me to a lively and delicious Latin American restaurant called D'Cache. We had way too much to eat that we couldn't dance when the musician got lively. We did open our mouths for the waiters pouring sangria in everybody's mouth, though.

On Saturday, Jesse and I had brunch with our friend Colin, who is one of my favourite people to talk about tv and movies with. (We're both huge Aaron Sorkin fans!) Then Jesse and I went shopping again and I found a perfect winter coat - orginally $400 marked down to $100. As well as a pretty dress. We went by a glasses shop and I think I need to get some cat-eye sunglasses for this summer. Of course...some variations can be a bit silly -

But I loved them! I didn't buy them. Mainly out of how much they cost, but also because Jesse thought I should get some less crazy ones. Sometimes we need a little crazy though, no?

Then Jesse took me on a drive along Mulholland Drive, and I got to see the sprawling city below. I'm not much of a touristy person - when I have visitors I'm not much for taking them around the town to see landmarks. It's actually quite annoying for me...and when I go sightseeing somewhere else, I tend to get bored. It's just the way I am, I suppose. But. I felt in the spirit on Saturday. Jesse took me around the curves and I told him stories and legends about old Hollywood and then I made him stop so we could get a picture. Very progressive behavior, let me tell you.

Jesse and I spent the evening with his father who was visiting from northern California, and some of their old friends from when they lived in LA. We had a long, five-hour dinner party where the conversation never stopped. Great times.

On Sunday, Jesse had arranged for their daily workout to take place at a beach in Santa Monica, so I could enjoy some sun and sea. It was quite fun for me and Lindsay, Justin's ladyfriend and fellow blogger, to sit back on our towel as we watched them exercise. Ah, but they did great! Jill was also in town, and she was brave enough to work out next to them!

When I e-mailed Kristy a while ago to tell her I was coming into town, I suggested we have a get-together in her and Dan's backyard like last year. Well, she went all out and it was a big pool party! And so, so, so much fun!!

We spent most of the day into the night in the hot tub or pool or poolside, all talking and cracking up and catching up. The definition of good times. Also, I won't explain this one, but....speedos:

Also, unfortunately, during the trip I only had so much time, and didn't get to hang out with some people - namely, my friend Erin, Joyce, and the Monty Are I boys who were playing the Knitting Factory on Sunday night. Next time, next time!!

Yesterday, Jesse and I went back to the studio and then had lunch with his dad before he drove me back to LAX. Obviously, saying bye is not fun. I don't get to see him for another three and a half weeks. ARG! But, so it goes.

After saying bye, I did get a little comfort from the fact that I flew home on business class - which I never have before. I was awkwardly figuring it out: when they came around before take-off with a tray of water, orange juice, and champagne, I reached for my wallet before realizing that it was free. Then I had several courses of a meal and a glass of wine during the flight. And my seat reclined way back and a foot rest popped up. Made the six hour flight much, much more comfortable.

Forgive me for gushing, but there were a lot of things that happened this weekend I might not get to try out again! :) The rest of the pictures (all taken on my iPhone) are up here - check them out!

Got a body like a battle-axe.

How was everyone's weekend?! Mine was quite spectacular.

Friday night, Jesse and I stopped in at a new art gallery around the corner called Eastern District. They're currently exhibiting the works of a comic book artist known as Juan Doe. It also has some Kaws art and clothing. Our friend Jesse Lee works there, and I usually only see that girl out in the city, so I'm excited that she's like a "new neighbor." Next month Eastern District is exhibiting the works of Poster Boy - the guy who remixes subway posters.

And Erica got her hair cut!!! She looks RAD. (That's her above with Jesse Lee!)

On Saturday morning, Jesse, Erica, Sean, and I headed to the 72nd Street IMAX at EIGHT AM from Brooklyn. We met up with Keller, Perry, Katie, Adam, and Eli in a giant-email-threaded meet-up. Seriously, we've been planning this for three weeks. We got there an hour before Watchmen, and there was STILL a line!

Of course, my thoughts on the film will be brought to you in a separate post, lest some readers don't care for all the details! Anyway, it was such a wonderful weather day that we decided to walk all the way from W 72nd Street and Broadway to E 14th Street and 3rd Avenue. That's about 65 blocks on foot. And it was glorious!

On Saturday evening, Jesse took me out for our two-year anniversary dinner at Peter Luger's! If you don't know, Peter Luger's is a fantastic steak joint in Brooklyn, that I've seen profiled a zillion times on the Food Network, and has won the New York's Best Steakhouse prize every year since like 1985...or something. It's very hard to come by a reservation. And it didn't disappoint! Jesse has the pictures (maybe I'll add later!), but we got the steak for two and it was HUGE but we finished it all - even the meat of the bone. It's that kind of meat that just melts in your mouth...yummmm. A food coma ensued, of course.

That night, Erica and I went to Kelly's luau where there was some epic renditions of classic songs via karaoke. And everyone was dressed up in beachwear - even a dude in board shorts and a long-sleeved wet-shirt or whatever they're called. Amazing.

I finally made it to bed (remember, still Saturday - I had woken up at 7am!) and on Sunday I clean, clean, cleaned. Then Jesse and I met up with our friends Dan & Kristy, who were in town for Dan's show (he plays in OkGo). We went to dinner with them, Alexa and her boyfriend, Kafi, and Tim (the bassist). It's always so much fun to hang out with Kristy! I look forward to every time she's in town! Exclamation points don't do it enough justice!!!

Okay. After the catch-up, we went to the Music Hall of Williamsburg for the show to see openers Longwave. Then OkGo took the stage, and I couldn't help but dance. They played a lot of new songs, all of which ROCKED. And yes, there was lots of fun paper confetti! I couldn't make the afterparty (given my jobby job job), so I headed home. And thus concludes the adventure that was this weekend.

In other news - I'm messing around with the design of this page, so it'll be changing for the next few days until I find a way in which I like it! Thanks!