Kansas City! Whoo-hoo! Last weekend was one for the record books when it comes to what I crammed into just two and half days. I picked Kelsie up around noon on Friday and we hit the road to KC in the middle of an absolutely torrential downpour.
While we were initially optimistic about our travel plans and arrival time, even discussing where to get some KC barbeque for dinner, we quickly changed our tune as the rain combined with construction traffic and Des Moines “rush hour” to tack a few extra hours onto our travel time. We stopped for a fast dinner on the way, and checked into our beautiful room at the Hilton President around 8pm.
Our road-weary moods lifted as soon as we got upstairs, cleaned up a bit, and broke into the gorgeous welcome bags Kathryn and Dom had prepared. Their thoughtful inclusion of local snacks and, even more exciting, Boulevard Brewery beer, definitely made the weekend more comfortable. I also can’t wait to try out the Jack Stack barbeque seasoning at home!
As soon as we were presentable again, we met up with this lovely!
Michelle and Kelsie have been friends for as long as I can remember, and she now calls KC her home along with her cute man, Matt, and their one-year old, Alexa. I hadn’t seen her for years, so getting to catch up was a pleasure! Michelle graciously played tour guide for the weekend and got us over to Power & Light, the local bar and entertainment district, right away.
We stopped in at The Flying Saucer for beers first…the bride and groom had invited all the younger wedding guests to swing by to toast to the weekend, and they couldn’t have picked a more fun location to do so. The restaurant has more than 200 beers on tap, and if a patron tries them all, they get their name on a “saucer” on the wall or ceiling of the bar. I tried a super random raspberry-wheat beer and had a blast reading the hilarious blurbs on the saucers, which covered every surface.
We soon moved outside and enjoyed the free concert going on in the center of Power & Light before hopping to McFadden’s for a better view. The gin and tonics flowed freely, we got called “Johnson City soccer moms” by a drunk and flirtatious K State fan, who also told me (repeatedly and aggressively, and with very little reason) that my intellect was hot. All in all, not a bad night. For my intellect, or my ego…ha! Kels and I called it quits around midnight and headed home to sleep off the long road trip.
Saturday morning dawned chilly and rainy, but we beat the weather with a great brunch at a little hole in the wall called The Brick, a few blocks from the hotel. The atmosphere was college-divey, the mimosas were $2.99, and the biscuit breakfast sandwich was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. For a brunch that added up to less than $10 a person, definite win. From there we met up with Michelle and little Alexa over at Country Club Plaza, a beautiful and ritzy outdoor shopping center about ten minutes outside downtown. Alexa couldn’t have been cuter at Barnes and Noble, and I was devastated to leave the three of them to go get ready!
And now for the wedding!
What is there to say? As expected, Kathryn looked beautiful and everything was completely thoughtful and full of tradition. One of my favorite touches? Kat and Dom’s Gospel reading was the wedding at Cana, where Christ turns water into wine. Kathryn and Dom chose to use wine from Cana to consecrate as the Eucharistic wine, bringing everything full-circle. Thoughtful touches like that added such a special dimension to the day.
The reception, too, couldn’t have been prettier. Hosted at the top-floor ballroom at the President, the room was lit softly and decorated to the nines with stunning flowers and candlelight everywhere. Kathryn’s sister, Dom’s brother, and Kathryn’s dad gave heartfelt and hilarious speeches that roasted as much as they toasted and left everyone laughing. And the meal? Delicious…the risotto, steak and salad were all WAY better than I ever thought wedding food could be. The second the dance floor opened up, everyone was out of their seats and the party was unparalleled. All in all, a stunning and totally memorable wedding—nothing less than I expected from Kat!
Kels and I woke up bright and early on Sunday to get on the road before traffic could ruin our day, but quickly decided to grab one last brunch before heading out. We headed to EggCetera in Westport for amazing Benedicts and mimosas (just one, Mom!)…definitely hit the spot. A short hour later, we loaded back into the car for a trip home fueled by Starbucks, licorice, and a very eclectic mix of music ranging from Disney to nineties throwbacks and country hits. I arrived home totally exhausted but with the best memories.
Congratulations, Kat and Dom—what a wonderful wedding and weekend!