Tyler and Courtney's Wonderful Wedding Weekend, Part II

Scenes from the pre-wedding photo shoot in downtown Sioux Falls. Lots to do before a wedding!

Adam found a copy of Awkward Family Photos, which kept everyone entertained for a good 20 minutes.

Grandma Mary Barondeau, above, and Grandma Regina Senger, below, escorted by Tyler.

No one wanted to sit on the sunny side of the aisle. Or else, no one was willing to admit to being a friend of the groom. Courtney is pretty awesome.

Bonus points if you can name that baby. Hint: one of these babies is not like the others.

Adam with his parents, Doug and Janice

FYI: this baby looks drunk.

The humidity was so intense, even at night, that outdoor shots had a soft glow. Here, Christopher and Amanda pose for a family shot with Grandma and Grandpa Barondeau.

A successful night. Time to take my candy from the candy bar and head to bed.

The next morning at breakfast was Kennedy and Raleigh's first experience with a real banana. Neither one appeared to like it, but both continued to reach for more. Babies. Go figure.

Congrats, Tyler and Courtney "Mrs. Barondeau". Job well done! 

If you need to view all 347 photos from the wedding weekend, you can view them from our Picasa album. Be warned that they are heavy on the dog and flowers photos, though.

Tyler and Courtney's Wonderful Wedding Weekend

Tyler and Courtney's Wonderful Wedding Weekend, Part I

Throw the sleepy dog in the car! It's time for another road trip to South Dakota!

We generally hit the same rest areas every time we travel, which usually center around deli sandwiches, caramel apples, coffee, and/or soda in glass bottles, but since we were in festive wedding mode, Adam obliged my wish to stop at the Gustavus Arboretum in St. Peter, MN. Our own rehearsal dinner was held at the Interpretive Center in the Arboretum almost five years ago, which brought back many happy memories. Gustavus was lovely, as always.

Adam lounged in the shade with the laptop and TJ, while I wandered around smelling the flowers and wondering why I never took advantage of the Arb as a student when it was literally in my backyard.

It seems the heat got to everything this year, so we cut our side trip short and got back on the road. We'll catch you later, Arb!

My youngest brother Tyler married sweet Courtney Lerew on July 22 on what turned out to be a beautifully hot July summer evening at Tuthill Gardens in Sioux Falls. We arrived early for the rehearsal on Thursday.

Adam is a seasoned pro at weddings and gladly stood in for my other brother Christopher, who was trying to cram in all the last-minute law knowledge he could handle. So, while Adam worked the wedding party, I again wandered around staring at flowers. Tyler and Courtney picked a perfect location for that!

The rehearsal dinner was held in downtown Sioux Falls, which is quickly becoming one of my new favorite places. Throw in some all-you-can-eat pizza, an exchange of treasured gifts, and a few public art projects and it really becomes a night to remember!

This was, seriously, the best family photo I got. Also, the most representative.

An example of the public art. Pretty awesome, really, although it seemed a bit behind the times. Maybe they were trying to connect the lost days of the telephone booth with the prehistoric nature of the humble river rock. Or they liked the color red and had a lot of rocks hanging around the studio. Hard to say, but I really do enjoy street art and secretly wish I were more creative. I have hundreds of rocks taking up space in my yard, and they're not doing anything as useful as this.

Part II Wedding coming shortly.