The Road Trip
A couple of weekends ago, we were honored to attend our amazing next-door neighbors’ wedding in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. The weather was perfect, the location was breathtaking, and the wedding was SO MUCH FUN. We had a couple of odd moments along our travels, but we didn’t let that stop us from having an amazing weekend.
The weekend started early for us. We dropped the kids off at my parents’ house Thursday evening and headed home to pack. We were leaving at 4:00 the next morning so that we could make it through Washington, D.C. and Fredericksburg, VA before rush hour. It was brutally early, but we would do it again in a heartbeat because we hit NO traffic! If you live in or have visited the D.C. metro area, you know what a miracle that is. The only downside of leaving that early that we discovered was that sometimes when you pull off at a gas station at 6:30 in the morning, the entire town is still shut down! Until next time Atlee, VA.
All along the car ride we listened to a Spotify playlist (on shuffle). There was a 30-minute window of not having a signal, when we had to listen to whatever station was playing classic rock or pop music. We made it to my aunt and uncle’s house a little after noon that day. It wasn’t until our arrival and sitting down in something other than a car that we realized how exhausted we were after the 8-hour long road trip. My aunt and uncle were fabulous. They were extremely kind and flexible with their schedule, offering to show us around or hang out at their beautiful home. We decided to take it easy and stay in, and then enjoyed a relaxing lunch with them. Their home was a perfect getaway and we absolutely will be scheduling another visit!
Beach and Cocktails
The downtime definitely helped us recharge before heading out for drinks with the honored couple that evening. The Cocktail Reception was located at The Claw House. The only drawback to the evening was after a somewhat terrifying Uber ride (heavy gas and heavy break), Travis slammed his thumb in the car door. Fortunately, the staff at The Claw House were very helpful providing us with several band aids. Another positive note about this location, the outdoor seating was fantastic with a view of the water. Neither Travis nor I knew many people, but I did manage to connect with an old swim team buddy of mine from childhood (Baltimore is a really small town and there are so many degrees of separation!). It also helped that I attended the Bridal Shower, making it easier to chat with familiar faces.
The next day was spent in ultimate relaxation mode, brunching on the beach with my aunt and uncle, and then checking out some of the places around Myrtle Beach. We also made sure to walk the beach to find some shells to bring back to the kids. Our kids would love visiting Myrtle Beach – and they would love my aunt and uncle! After a few hours of sightseeing, we headed back to get ready for the wedding.
Wedding Fun
The ceremony at Wachesaw Plantation Club, and also the reception, was gorgeous. So much so that we shared our first Instagram pictures for the Winey Parent. The outdoor wedding had perfect skies, the occasional passing boat on the inlet, and a celebration that followed with a bunch of friends of our friends, who treated us like their own best friends. It also helped that we ran into my friend the night before. Travis and I spent most of the reception hanging out with her and her husband. Well, them and a lot of cocktails. Also, the food was a-mazing. Honestly, we could’ve sat on the enclosed porch eating bacon-wrapped scallops all night long. But, if we would’ve done that, we would’ve missed out on the fun after the cocktail hour.
How much more fun could we have? Well, in addition to good food, drinks, and conversation, there was also a dance floor – and dare I say it – a photo booth. You know we had to take advantage of a photo booth. We all took part in wearing various hats, sunglasses, and other accessories to capture these moments forever. Although, Travis’ attempt to wear a hat during each of the four back-to-back photos did not quite work out. Sorry, hubby, you were so close!
Weekend Recharge
Now, Travis and I had been excited about this wedding weekend for a very long time, and not because this would be the longest amount of time away from the kids – three nights. I think we knew how much of a break we needed for ourselves. It wasn’t until we were heading home that we could describe how wonderful this trip was, because we felt recharged. The return trip back home to Baltimore took over 11 hours, but that didn’t matter. We just had one of the best weekends ever, not just wedding weekends, and we were excited to have been a part of it.
If you’re interested in knowing what we were drinking, check out our picture below. In the meantime, keep tabs on our Winey Parent Instagram page, and we might just have some Throwback Thursday posts that might include some more of those photo booth pictures. Personally, I think you’ll think Travis looks stunning in purple, too.
