Royall Realness: 27 Dresses- Almost

Ok ya'll think I can name/remember all the weddings I've been in. Now all of mine are not bridesmaid dresses, but any good southern girl knows you ALWAYS need a new dress for the wedding. So whether the dress was picked out for me or I picked it out, they were all (mostly) paid for by ME. So I totally think that counts. Away we go... oh I'll try and find pic's of all of these. I'll see if I can do them in order

1-Bride: Kathryn Brady (Hooks)
Bridal party: Flower girl
Relation to Bride: Old babysitter
Dress: My sisters and I got matching off white dresses, with lace around the collar and I got to wear a head piece with flowers and flowy ribbon. This also doubled as my Easter Dress the same year.
Thoughts: I was a kid what do I know... I wish I would have been older, because I'm sure that was a great party.

2-Groom: Brian Benton
Bridal Party: Acolyte
Relation to Groom: Dad's best friend
Dress: Got a new blue dress with white polka dots, but that didn't matter because I had to wear a robe
Thoughts: I was like 10 and Sarah Gaither and I were both acolytes and I had a big fat perm and my hair was huge and that is probably all that anyone saw of me.

1996-

3-Bride-Nicole's (her first wedding or as we now refer to as the party of 1996)
Bridal Party:Bridesmaid
Relation to bride: First cousin
Dress: The dresses were dark green, halter, two piece... if only I could wear that now
Thoughts about wedding:I was a freshman in high school and had bad hair and didn't know what make-up was yet. My sisters and I attempted to sing a little toast at the rehearsal (per my mom's doing).

December 2000
4-Bride: Gail Royall (Narron) (second marriage)
Bridal Party: Bridesmaid, Witness
Relation to Bride: Mom
Dress: Pick my own, short purple, with a scoop neck
Thoughts: I just remember my mom wearing this really pretty silver dress with an asymmetrical hem line. Oh and we had dinner in Mt. Olive and I choked on steak and had to go to the hospital, so much for the wedding night.

October 2001
5-Groom: Jimmy Royall (second marriage of course)
Bridal Party: Bridesmaid
Relation to Groom: Dad
Dress: Pick my own, we all wore Royall Blue...get it
Thoughts: It was small just family and a few friends at Nannie's house and we had a party at the Country Club afterwards and I charged mixed drinks to my dad's account even though I was only 19...haha. The bartender called them tie me to the bed post...haha

2006
6-Bride: Melissa Barbour (Anderson)

Bridal Party: Bridesmaid
Relation to Bride: Friends since middle school
Dress: Black Strapless, with a little black belt with rhinestones. Always need a good black dress, yet again can't fit into it
Thoughts: Love Melissa's husband Al, he is so nice and fun and so are all of his friends. Melissa's brother Nathan is sooo cute and he was groomsman and right when they were saying the vows, he was about to cry and looked at me and I just stuck out my tongue and made a silly face...haha

2007

7-Bride: Ruth Stephenson (Cowan)

Bridal Party: Greeter
Relation to Bride: Past childhood enemies, who had become friends as we got older and realized how much we have in common
Dress: Pick my own, it was black strapless, with these tan, black and gold splatter on the front...love it wish I could fit into it.
Thoughts: Ruth's wedding rained cats and dogs and I hate that is what people will say about it. It was beautiful at White Memorial Church in Raleigh, reception at Capital City Club, the food was awesome and so was the dancing.

November 2008
8-Bride: Yorke Denning (Johnson)
Bridal Party: Honorary Bridesmaid

Relation to Bride: College friends
Dress: Pick my own, but had to be black. Wore a black dress of my sister Julia, had a sheer overlay, with a little bit of sparkle
Thoughts: By far the biggest wedding I have been a part of. There were lots of kids involved, which walked down the isle before the bride with bells and then walked to the side and out. I thought this was a great way to include them, but not steal the show during the ceremony. Craig Woolard band ROCKED IT OUT. The food was the biggest spread and great.

June 2008
9-Bride: Jamie Lane (Foy)

Bridal Party: Bridesmaid
Relation to bride: Softball team mates and friends for a long time
Dress: Rosebud from Jcrew, with a tangerine sash
Thoughts on wedding: June 7, 2008...6/7/8...aka the hottest day of the year for an outside wedding. Now also a super duper fun wedding, lots, of sweating, lots of drinking, caterers had to make three beer runs because they kept running out. There was some dry heaving, one over heated night, well two over heated nights, some lost bridesmaids and I some how slept in a hotel in my own hometown??

May 2009

10-Bride Carrie's Dales Avera (Purnell)
Bridal Party: Bridesmaid
Relation to bride: Childhood friend
Dress: Dresses were black strapless from J Crew, so cute and the greatest green necklace
Thoughts about wedding: Wedding was in May at the Yacht club in wilmy, by far one of the best weddings, being in a childhood friends wedding is just so much fun, especially when you have remained close and have lots of the same friends and friends that like to drink... we had several gatherings of Smithfield vs Charlotte drinking festivities... I think Smithfield came out on top.

11-Bride: Alyssa Mendenhall (way)

Bridal Party: Reader
Relation to Bride: Sorority Sister
Dress: Pick my own, it was halter, with big different colored flowers, that matched bridal party
Thoughts on wedding: It was at a winery outside of Atlanta, the place was really cool. They got married over looking mountains and vineyard, breath taking. Tons of fun young people and most were strangers, so that was fun. Since all of the guest were from out of town they had a party in hotel after wedding for everyone, Casino night!

12-Bride: Amanda Ward (Dengler)

Bridal Party: Greeter

Relation to Bride: Cousin
Dress: Got to pick my own, purple empire waist I think
Thoughts on wedding: Wedding was fun to be a part of a wedding in my hometown and greet people because I got to talk to everyone and knew them. Amanda handmade the flowers, which was really cool and she and her sister most of the same bridesmaids (cousins) so they wore the same dress, saving everyone $$$.

13-Bride: Jennifer Davidson (Williams)
Briday party: Honorary Bridesmaid

Relation to Bride: Step sister
Dress: Pick my own, long black, square neck with sequences. I didn't even like this dress and Cathy picked it off the rack and I said ok, tried it on and it looked GREAT.
Thoughts: The wedding was really nice and at this fancy country club in Greensboro. I remember dancing with some children and then driving back to Raleigh afterwards...whoooo

2009
14-Bride: Kelley Davidson (Johnson)

Bridal Party: Bridesmaid
Relation to Bride: Step sister
Dress: Pick my own, but had to be long champagne. It halter, kind of net and was $25, looked like a million bucks.
Thoughts: The wedding was in Chicago, my first hotel ballroom wedding reception and it gorgeous. Was also my first sit down dinner reception, which I found to be really nice. The only thing I had to cut it short because a good friend was getting married the next day in NC and flew out at like 5am.

May 2010

15-Bride: Sam Thomas (Connor)

Bridal party: Bridesmaid
Relation to Bride: Roommate in Wilmington on Loblolly Ct
Dress: Cornflower blue, with white sash... did not love because it hugged all the wrong places
Thoughts on wedding: It was in May at Wrightsville Beach, beautiful weather, the most beautiful wedding I have ever been a part of. Reception at Shell Island, and some of the groom's friends did the "Bernie" as in weekend at Bernie's it was awesome. Oh and Sam's Brothers are two of the hottest guys I've ever seen and I got to walk down the isle with James...whew.

March 2010
16-Bride: Laura Kyle (McQuillian)

Bridal party: Speech giver

Relation to Bride: Roommate
Dress: Pick my own, dark green with ruffles
Thoughts: This wedding was small and intimate it was a dinner with family and close friends about 30 people. It was great because you really got to talk with everyone and the FOOD from Milano's was GREAT! Laura had the best dress, long silk Lilly Pulitzer, with green flowers, and beading around the neck

October 2011
17-Bride: Amber Outen (Straley)

Bridal Party: Bridesmaid
Relation to Bride: Friends
Dress: Grayish/Blue from Jcrew, had a v-line neck and empire waist
Thoughts: This wedding was really pretty on the water and we arrived by boat, which was totally cool. The groomsmen were cute in their tan suits and green ties. I loved that I got the help decorate and be apart of this wedding.

18-June 2012
Bride: Ashley Herring soon to be Finch
Bridal party: Bridesmaid
Relation to Bride: Roommate
Dress: Long flowing a-line, toast (champagne) with a lovely layer of crinoline underneath
Thoughts: TBC... but this will be the biggest wedding (over 600 ppl invited) I have ever been a part of and am really looking forward it. It's probably going to get it's own blog.

19-July 2012
Groom: Vic Ogburn
Bridal party: Greeter
Relation to Groom: Next door neighbor and first childhood friend..we go way back
Dress: I guess I get to pick my own
Thoughts: It's going to be in Charleston, which will be tons of fun and a group of us have a house together, so it should be interesting.

November 5th, 2012
20-Bride:Robin Quick now Burkhardt
Bridal Party: Witness
Relation to Bride: Co-worker/friend
Dress: Well I wore a black dress and so did the bride
Thoughts: It was a cold Monday night at the Johnston County Courthouse, it was very romantic. I just really felt a part of it because there was 5 of us in a 4x6 cinder block area.

So that is a TON of weddings!!! And not that I'm counting my chickens before they hatch, but I'm going for 27. I currently have 20.
I'm thinking here are a few more I might make the cut on:
Jane-21
Julia-22
Blair- 23
Kim- 24
Jackie- 25
And I guess if I ever get married I get to count mine... 26

Just need one more and in a few years, I'll be done 27 dresses!!! My new goal needs to be 30, so people above ask me to be in your wedding and I need 3 more takers out there!!!

A few other wedding photos, from my travels and just think of all the bridal shower presents, wedding present, bacelorette weekends, make-up, hair, shoes and jewelry that I have had to buy/spend for all these weddings... and you wonder why I'm poor. But I'm rich in FRIENDSHIP!!!