That one time I got married and it was the coolest day of my entire life.
So. Sometimes you intend to take a little break, and it ends up being an actually kind of large one.
I never meant to take so many weeks off of blogging, but life happened, and it was really big, and I kind of just had to participate. I have so many things to tell you about (I love my readers intensely, and truly missed writing here) but the abridged version is this:
I got married.
I went to Kauai for a glorious two week vacation.
I got my first book deal, a little something you will see on the shelves in the Summer of 2017.
and
I left my beloved Oakland. I am now an official, for-real Portland resident. 
There is a ton to say about ALL of these things, but first, I want to tell you about my wedding. I have some AMAZING pictures, from what truly was the best day of my life, and I am beyond stoked just thinking about the time we had. This post is long and picture heavy, but I promise, we will hop right back into fitness, feminism, vegan food, and all the other good stuff you have come to expect from my little corner of the blog-o-sphere really soon. I just had to share this first.
So first, let’s talk about getting ready. 
I am not a makeup girl. Like, at all. My face is generally bare, and half the time I sort of think I wanna be all fancy in the face and then I try to go about imagining how that would fit into my life and I feel a tremendous wave of overwhelm. For this reason I was STOKED to have a little help from my very talented friend, Lauren. I’m gonna be real, I felt really pretty on my wedding day, which is not a thing I have in my life a whole lot. (I usually feel more cute-goofy-tough-funny) It was nice to feel like the belle of the ball while people were celebrating my partnership around me. Although makeup can’t be an all-the-time thing for me, it is a definitely wonderful sometimes-accent. 
This is my friend Meg. She was my very first friend in college, and one of the first people to truly see the depths of my personality through very thick and very thin and still come out loving me. This is my crying my eyes out and saying “I am just so glad you’re here!”. 
I love my friends so much. If there are any wedding-day regrets I have, it is not getting a chance to talk to more of them more. 
This is basically just a gratuitous calf picture. I work hard for my gunz and it shows mostly in the lower half of my legs. I’ll take it!
So, have you ever tried to put a dress on with a beehive and a full face of makeup? That shit is HARD. This is my mom and my sister helping me try to weasel my way into my wedding dress, and it very much not working. Laughs were had all around and finally I just kneeled down like a pauper being knighted while they lowered the dress down to the ground. Very classy.
Like I said, more than ever in my life, on this day I felt really fucking pretty. It’s a good feeling!
Now, onto the wedding site!
Kett and I were told we were supposed to do a “first look” to officially reveal ourselves in all of our wedding finery. Both him and I had a hard time wrapping our minds around having to conjure up emotions for the camera so early in the day, and decided that the only right way to do such a thing would be to have it take place in the matrimonial bounce house. I rolled up to the wedding site, waited a bit, and when I was given the okay, climbed my way into the bounciest carousel in all of Oakland. 
Where a very fly dude awaited my arrival. 
In case you couldn’t tell by the carousel, our wedding was super duper fun/carnival/block party themed. We had a bounce off, croquet, cornhole, a strongman high striker, bocce ball, horseshoes, and a potato sack race. Custom trophies were made. 
Table favors were red sun glasses, a button with our emblem (a flag with three hearts containing a barbell and a kale leaf, a cup of coffee, and a pencil and a paintbrush), old McDonald’s toys from the early 90’s, and a comic. Instead of flowers we had hollowed out dinosaurs with succulents.
I immediately ripped my dress, of course, and strategically used my button to remedy the situation. You can paint a lady’s face and put her in a fancy dress, but that’s no guarantee that she’ll keep it clean and rip free!
Costumes were very encouraged , and thus we had such esteemed guests as Boba Fett….
Kamala Khan….
…And a fantastically revealed Superman.
Everyone basically looked amazing nailing the high striker.
The bounce-off was so intense it was kind of hard to watch. 
But nothing beats the potato sack race. NOTHING.
This dude managed a double somersault and STILL came out victorious.
Have I mentioned how amazing my friends are?
Okay, so here’s the deal.
Kett and I didn’t know the exact moment we were to be wed. We entrusted our best friend with a wedding horn and asked her to give it a long and loud toot when she felt it was time for some sweet words and legally binding contracts. An hour or two into the ceremony, Monica blew the horn and Kett and I darted to the vista where we were to be officially wed.
While Kett and I got a head start, our MC, Nishat, waved the flag and assembled the troops.
A parade was lead up a little hill….
where we waited, trying not to cry. 
Then, maybe the best part of the whole day, I got to talk about Kett.
I love this man.
I love that he is patient, and has integrity and makes me laugh. I love that he supports me, and calls me on my shit, and let’s me cry when I need to. I love that we make art together. I love that I plan to become an old ass lady by his side, and that we can seal the deal with a tremendous high five.
And a smooch, of course.
HUZZAHHHH!
Neither Kett nor I drinks or really likes cake, so the whole dessert thing was kind of a conundrum. After trying multiple non-cake dessert ideas, we came to what seemed like an obvious answer: coffee and donuts. Nothing says “love” more than donuts, especially when they are vegan and gluten-free.
So, we broke the donut…
We dined…
And speeches were enjoyed.
Of course the day wouldn’t have been complete without an epic group photo. 
And a few nice solo ones, too. 
Thank you so much for sticking with me through the long break, and the immediate schmoopy love fest. I am very much ready to be back in action around these parts, and can’t wait to write all the things that have been swimming around in my head for the past 8+ weeks.
Until next time!
(All photos by Holly Feral )
I think I got back into blogging because of wedding blogs (most A Practical Wedding and Offbeat Bride, which you send you story to them!) so when I see blogs I follow post their weddings I get so excited! Like fun wedding stuff, plus the bonus of seeing an awesome person have a great day! I feel like people I follow will all get married, and then what? lol. I love how you are enjoying your wedding, which I think most people don’t anymore. I was pretty much like “We got the ceremony done! We are married! Times for food booze and dancing!”
It is so interesting to see you all dressed up, since we mostly photos of you in your workout gear. I think weddings are the best time to get dressed up, in any way you can. Bitchin suit? Do it. Poofy dress? Hell yeah. Fluffy suit? We can figure it out. You both look amazing and so happy in these photos!
haha, yeah it was pretty awesome to be all fancy lady USA for a minute. Except i couldn’t WAIT to get out of that corset thing by the end. Kett and I both wore cut off jean shorts and tuxedo t-shirts to our after party, which felt like heaven :) I truly am a casual kind of girl. can’t help it!
Yay for you being back and yay for your amazing wedding. It looks like SO MUCH fun and I super love your dress and that you had doughnuts!! Rad! Also, the photos are stunning!
Thanks so much, jojo! I’ve been LOVING reading about all of the places you’ve hit up lately and what I can eat when I someday go there, too. It’s a true inspiration!
welcome to Portland! this was an amazing recap of what looks to be a perfect day. thanks for sharing, reminds me of my own vows a year ago… <3
Thanks for the welcome! I saw you were at the vegan food + beer fest and totally hoped we’d run into one another….but it turns out there were so many people I saw almost none of the bloggers I admire. DAMN.
What an amazing wedding! Thanks for all the photos and commentary. And I love the idea of vegan doughnuts and coffee for the wedding cake.
Thanks so much, Anne! the doughnuts and coffee were so exactly what I needed at that point in the day. I actually can’t imagine drinking when going on so much adrenaline and so little sleep. I think champagne woulda conked me out immediately! Haha
Glad to hear your wedding was everything you wanted and more. :)
Thanks, Janet! I just made my first recipe from the Dreena Burton book and totally thought of you. It was the BBQ chickpeas and green beans and holy cow, it blew my mind!
Lovely! Hope all is well in Portland
what a post! First off dont feel bad for 1 mili second about taking some time off blogging! much deserved!
Secondly I do not know you or Kett personally I was seriously tearing up reading the post and seeing the pictures! I could see and feel the true partnership! Freaking wicked awesome wedding activities/theme/pictures! If people didnt have fun at that wedding its their own damn fault! Nicely done!! congratulations on wedding,book deal,moving and any other major life events you have happening.
thank you soooo much. I kind of have a secret dream that you and Holly and I will all lift together some day. You inspire me, girl!
The feeling is mutual! I am not at all against making that a reality, you ladies inspire ME in so many ways! Thanks for saying that it totally made my day a notch awesomer
LACY!!! Thank you for showing that a wedding can be fun!!! In the middle of planning our wedding, pulled between so many expectations. This is a breath of fresh air!! What a joyful gift to your friends.
A wedding can be so, SO fun and so worth all the planning. to avoid too much overwhelm, Kett and I only planned things on Saturdays, and as soon as we got overly stressed on the day, we called it quits and went out to coffee. Breaking it up into achievable chunks was SUPER helpful, and also helped to sooth the burn of constantly spending money, too. Good luck! I know your wedding will be fabulous and wonderful and that all the turmoil will feel worth it in the end :)
Welcome back!!!!! Yay you for sharing all of these awesome sauce pictures of the most epic looking wedding ever. It looks like you guys did exactly what you wanted, had a super cool & fun day. That’s how it should be. And you are SO PRETTY! Always actually, but especially on your wedding day. You are gorgeous inside and out. I’m a little bummed that you are alllll the way in Portland now – but at least I can still catch you here and maybe I’ll make a trip out there some day.
Congrats!!!! So happy for you and Kett =D
ps. love the wedding favours & dinosaurs – you rock!!
Now you just have an excuse to come visit! The vegan food is amazing here, there is so much to do, and we can totally write restaurant reviews, take photobooths, drink coffee/tea, go hiking, visit farmers markets, etc all over town! DO IT.
Coolest wedding ever! Congratulations to you both and welcome back to your blog :)
Thanks so much, Jay!
Hi, it’s Elise, I am crying like a baby. Kyle and I are reading this simultaneously on different laptops and crying like babies. It feels so fucking good to see joy, this specific joy, that you can relate to. You both rock the goddarn house.
awwwwwww! I Love thinking of you and Kyle sobbing awesome happy baby tears! A punk wedding is a truly wonderful thing, and I am so glad you appreciated the depths of the weirdness :)
Totally just teared up at my work desk when I got to the photos of you standing on the buckets. Man. You guys. Killin me. Just the raddest.
Your wedding looked amazing!!! Congrats!