The first time I saw this mug, I immediately started laughing. It's a pretty big joke within the wedding world how popular mason jugs are - at weddings, for centerpieces, and even in our homes. I can't tell you how many mason jars I have owned, donated, and were given to me throughout the years. I guess it's just a creative's favorite way to drink!
Strangely enough, this mug is both a funny reminder of the industry I work in and a memory about an amazing impromptu trip I took with my best friend Chelsea. Last fall (I can't believe this was almost a year ago!) she texted me and asked if I wanted to visit New York City with her. There was no hesitation as I answered a big, "YES!" and our trip was planned.
You can read more about our trip over on this blog, but the part I didn't talk about are the hours we spent in the car together, talking nonstop about where life was then and where it was headed. At that point I was still working a day job and she was still pregnant with her sweet son Noah. After our trip to Raleigh-Durham last summer, we knew the New York City bridal week road trip would be our last vacation for just the two of us in awhile. We laughed, we mourned, and we looked ridiculous walking through the city in the pouring rain with the smallest umbrellas you could imagine.
This mug is a reminder of the joy we have in our friendship. It's a reminder of a spontaneous weekend trip to New York that the Maria of a few years ago would have said no to because of money or time or some other silly excuse. It's a memory of the adventures that life takes us on because we have good friends and say yes to something that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
My trip to the Aisle Society launch party did not re-invent my business. I met a lot of wedding bloggers, but the photography world didn't suddenly explode with me on the scene. I ate some gluten free appetizers, stared longingly at the cupcakes, and got into way too many silly photo booth pictures. But as I look back I realize that without the party, without the wedding bloggers, and without the fancy dress I would have gone again in a heartbeat just to spend a crazy last-minute weekend with my best friend.
It's a memory I'll hold dear, and the mug (a wonderful gift from OFD Consulting) will always remind me of that special time in our lives.
