Seeing my sister get married was one of the happiest moments in my life. Not everyone has the opportunity to see someone you love fall in love. My sister is one of my best friends, and although I had already watched her leave for college, getting married was different. It felt more final, like she was leaving for real this time. When I first met Chris, my sister’s now husband, he won me a unicorn at the arcade. He immediately won me over, and I was instantly convinced that he was the perfect person for my sister. 

My sister is someone I look up to and admire. She is the strongest, bravest person I know. Our relationship is different from other siblings because we have a 12 year age difference, but I see it as an opportunity to become closer as I get older. As I mature, my sister is able to relate to me more, and I’m able to relate to her more as well. Only seeing my sister once or twice a year is hard but it makes the time we do spend together that much more special. 

After a year of planning and phone calls, the eventful and stressful wedding week arrived. It was finally going to happen. As my sister’s maid of honor, I had many duties, like getting her anything she needed and taking many phone calls. Instead of a speech, I was asked to sing a few songs during the ceremony. I was nervous because I had learned the songs in two weeks. 

The bridal suite was where most of the fun happened before the ceremony. All the girls in the bridal party got dressed and did each other’s makeup while we drank starbucks and ate McDonalds. By the end, my sister had gotten completely ready and had stepped into her dress. She looked absolutely beautiful; I’d never seen her look like that before. The task of actually getting my sister to the aisle would be a challenge in itself since there was no way to get to the backroom without all the guests seeing her. As a solution, we put a blanket over her. Luckily, it worked. 

Singing at the ceremony was a very frightening experience. Standing in front of my entire family and Chris’s entire family was intimidating. The singing part was a surprise, no one was supposed to know I was singing until I stepped up to the microphone. Half of my family had no idea I even sang. Although it was scary at first, it ended up being a really great experience. It helped me get over my fears and do something nice for my sister. Watching her walk down the aisle was incredibly emotional, she looked beautiful in her dress, her face lit up with happiness. However, seeing Chris’s reaction was the best part.  

The reception was amazing. I loved seeing all the lights and everything decorated. The colors were so beautiful and reminded me of fall. It was so good to see all my family again. Since none of my extended family live in Colorado, I don’t get to see them very often. The whole experience brought everyone together in one place and it went great.

Saying goodbye to my family is always hard. Being surrounded by people who love you and feeling absolutely at home is an amazing feeling. Saying goodbye to my sister was different this time since she was leaving with her husband. We wrote, “Just Married” on the back of their car, and they drove off. After leaving West Virginia, I miss everyone so much and I look forward to seeing them all again.