72 hrs in LAs Vegas for my best friend's wedding! Pt.2

What they wore, + what we ate

Hooray for love!

If you follow my personal page on insta (this is not a plug), you have undoubtedly seen my face smashed up against the flawless face of my best friend Bianca in more than a few posts. Bianca and I have been walking in tandem for nearly 20 years. And when I say tandem I mean, physically side by side, happening at the same time, working together cohesively and harmoniously. Even after I moved away from Vegas 16 years ago we kept walking or dancing in our case, side by side through terrible relationships, having and losing babies, parental trauma, depression, relocations, many highs, and many lows, enmeshed, intertwined, joined at the…ok fine…we’re co-dependent ok?!...No need to judge.

For the record, co-dependency is a circular relationship in which one person needs the other, who in turn needs to be needed.

Characteristics of co-dependent people include…

1. Lack of maturity and moderation ( shamelessly guilty)

2. Lack of Boundaries (guilty)

3. Out of reality (Ha! gloriously guilty)

4. Lack of Self-Care (on occasion...guilty)

5. Lack of Self-love (until I was 30... guilty)

Guilty on all counts. It's true, we are co-dependent. We need one another's laughter, support, tears, letters and gifts in the mail, songs sung out of key, many many toilet talks, fashion advice, legal advice, silence, warmth, intellectual conversations, stupidly ridiculous conversations, family recipes, vaginal health tips, puppy horror stories, and baby goat videos.

We lack maturity and moderation. We lack boundaries. We are severely out of touch with reality. We’ve cared for one another when we couldn’t care for ourselves and we love one another when we can’t seem to love ourselves. For 18 years of co-dependency, I am forever grateful. 

Bianca has stepped into a new kind of dependence as she begins a new chapter with a man who is more than dependable. This is a love letter to my favorite couple

B and G and their journey, the love between them, and my gratitude to bear witness to it all.

What I wore: Wedding Edition

From the time Bianca sent me this photo after the Rock Star proposed to her in bed

And she responded "I'll think about it"

I agonized about what to wear for her wedding. Along with every thought and idea, other people's wedding photos are usually sent in rapid-fire at least once a month until we land on one that deserves an in-depth analysis of fine details, guest looks, and the couple's origin story. Since I was now going to be a wedding guest at an effortlessly chic wedding and because I'm not where I want to be weight-wise I had a small panic. Nut's right? I mean I do this for a living. Well, my friends, I've been so focused on my family and our lives ( See what I mean here) that I didn't realize that the last time I got dressed up for anything was December of 2023 and I am a size and a half larger than I was then. Ok...2 sizes...again with the judging

I took into account the theme of the wedding, "cheeky chic, vintage Vegas" and ordered 2 dresses, on Poshmark, one from Zara and the other from Anthropologie. Both were cute but horrible and wrong. In hindsight I should have shopped my inventory first but, we mustn't look back on past mistakes. I landed on a vintage 60’s house dress in lavender silver, blush, and teal and a 70's butterfly collared jacket in the same color pallet. I loved the way they looked together in theory, but your girl was still Christmas fluffy and I wasn't confident it would fit or even be the right vibe. I girded my loins with a body shaper and went in for the kill. It hugged in all the right places and I felt like a black Endora from Bewitched, magical. I paired it with a pair of Marc Fischer mules and a silver leather bag by a local designer. Bianca loaned me stones on stones on stones and voila, I looked like her hippie bestie from the Bay. 

What she wore: The Bride

A stunning cream sequin dress by Rotate with a ruffle around the collar. Hailing from Copenhagen Rotate bosts effortless silhouettes cut from luxurious materials and cinched with a dose of covetable Danish quirk. Golden taffeta knotted mule, a gorgeous multi-layered fascinator, pearled heart and jewel earrings from J Crew, and a bouquet with flowers chosen by the Rock Star. Her something borrowed was a sapphire ring the size of a small village loaned to her by a dear friend's mother. Perfection.

What he wore: The Groom

A gorgeous oxblood suit by The Kooples.The Kooples is a French fashion brand, founded in 2008 by the Elicha brothers, known for its blend of rock & roll and Parisian chic, offering clothing and accessories for both men and women with a focus on androgynous silhouettes and accessible luxury.

The ceremony was at a cheeky chapel called  Sure Thing Chapel in Downtown Las Vegas. They were married at 4:30 pm. The groom was misty-eyed, and the bride was the most beautiful and full of joy. 

what we ate:

Cake: tsp. Baking Company 

It was perfectly moist, delightfully dense, and beautiful to boot.

Tsp. is a local small business bakery. The owner Kari does monthly themed cakes, and a mystery mini cupcake every month. If you can guess the flavor it’s free!  

Pizza: Good Pie 

Award-winning Brooklyn-style pizzeria authentic Grandma, Brooklyn, Detroit, and Sicilian Pizzas. De-stinkin'-licious.

The cake was cut ( well more like butchered...by me...accidentally) and the couple tried to dance but I kept pressing the record button on my phone forgetting that my phone was connected to the AV system because... extra strength Mucinex and multiple cans of champagne. Even after toasts and tears, the night was still young and we were still full of joy. So we decided to go out in the Arts District to drink and be merry and merry we were!

My husband and I flew out early the next morning, and the night was a blur because *see above. After a long hot shower to drain my face, I promptly climbed into bed upon arrival at home still basking in the glow of the night and day before. Eyes still crusty, head still a mess, and heart still full. It is from the bed that I write to you now, grateful that good love has found my twin flame.  

And to my twin flame, I’d do it all again a million gazillion times because…sandwich.

All my love,

Shauntee