Kim and Nien's Wedding

This weekend, our friends Kim and Nien got married. Dan originally knows Nien from his California days, and he plays poker with these two every Tuesday night.

The weekend started on Friday, with a bachelor party, a night of debauchery that Dan participated in.

Saturday evening, the couple hosted a pre-wedding party at 1920s speakeasy for all the guests. Apparently, speakeasies are all the rage in NYC right now. I like a trend that supports classy looking bars that serves old-fashioned cocktails. If it wasn't for Dan, I would have never found the place. There is no sign outside and to get into the bar, you have to walk down a stairwell that looks like you are walking into a garbage dump. Usually, you give a secret code at the door at these places. Our code: "Um, we're here for Kim and Nien's party." We were escorted right in and indulged ourselves with lots of (perhaps too many) cocktails, hors d'oeurves and good company (the rest of Dan's poker buddies). Dan lost half of his voice by the end of the night, which ended late at a diner nearby.


Dan sticks out his tongue at my guns.


Dan tries to lick bride-to-be Kim's ear. (Not sure why all the tongue).


Dan attempts to take a group shot. Takes a good picture of mirror instead.


Dan, me, Tom, Kayleen and Julien.


Dan and Julien, silly by the end of the night.

Nien and Kim booked their Sunday wedding over a year and half ago at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (yeah, there is an insane waiting list). While I had been to the gardens before, this was my first time attending a wedding there and I could see why it was so popular. Even though the event had to take place indoors because of the rain, it was a stunning location. The ballroom, where both the ceremony and later the dinner and dancing took place, felt like we were in a giant glasshouse. To go to the cocktail hour, we walked through a room full of bonsai trees. It was one of the most fancy weddings I have ever been to; many men were wearing tuxedos. The most memorable parts of the evening for me was the pulled pork sandwich appetizer (yum), the best man and fellow poker buddy Justin breaking out into song during his speech, and THREE different desserts (cookies, poached pears and cake)--now, that's my kind of wedding. And of course, the bride and groom were lovely to watch.


Me, sitting with Matthew, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Note Kayleen's awesome shoes. Only in my dreams can I wear high heels like that.


Kayleen and Julien during cocktail hour. At this point, we're dying to get some of the jumbo shrimp being passed around.


Dan, Julien, the groom Nien, Matthew, Kayleen and Jason.


Dan, me and my hair thing.


The only picture of the bride and groom together I took before my camera died. Lame, right? And it's the worst picture!


I kind of love this one Justin took that was posted on his Facebook page.