The Inside:
When putting these together I thought about the absolute necessities! Meds to fix any possible aliments, caffeine, something to wipe the tears away, snacks, fresh breath, and a vitamin pick-me-up for the day after!
The Outside:
Claire was going for a vintage vibe at her wedding, so I tried to stick with the theme. The little burlap bags, crochet dolies (2 per package), and kraft paper tags (16 pieces per package) were a buck a piece at Michaels. The cute clothes pins were a Target bargain bin find, again a buck (2 per package)!
These were the perfect little gift and the bridesmaids were super appreciative! (You might have seen on Instagram that Claire bought us these glittery TOMS. LOVE)
For the Mushy
Here's my toast/MOH Speech to the Bride and Groom- Dedicated to a couple that I love dearly, The Gallos-
"Hello I’m Amber Kneibel, Mrs. Claire Gallo’s Maid of Honor and friend! I first want to thank everyone for being here tonight and sharing this special occasion with Claire and Dom. It means a lot to them. Thank you to the Gould and Gallo families for their hospitality and having us all at this beautiful event. Weddings can be stressful, so cheers to both families. You finally made it to the main event! Thank you to Claire and Dominic for asking me to stand beside you on your big day, I’m truly honored.
I’ve known Claire for almost eight years. We met in college at Ferris State University through our love and involvement in Student Government.
I wish I could tell you that our friendship was a fast and instant connection, but I would be lying. If you would have told me eight years ago that I would be standing up in Claire Gould’s wedding, I would have laughed, mostly because I was deathly afraid of her…
Those that know Claire know that she doesn’t take no for an answer, she is very strong willed, and at times can be a little bossy…ok all the time…and more than a little! Those who know me, know that I happen to be the exact same way, but Claire happens to be one of the few people I would not pick a fight with…and that’s when I knew we had to be friends!
In 2008, I decided to run for Student Government President. The campaign trail was rough and full of competition. I honestly didn’t think that I stood a chance to win. Then there was Claire, a girl I barely knew and her side kick Ian, suddenly they were my biggest advocates and supporters. When Election Day came, I found out that Claire was going around campus instructing people to vote for me or threatening them within an inch of their life if they didn’t! I didn’t know whether to be impressed or to seek a restraining order…
To my surprise, I was elected Student Government President and decided on that day that it was better to have a girl like Claire as close to my side as possible rather than making her an enemy, so I asked her to be my Vice President. Although our friendship started out purely political, Ian, Claire and I soon became inseparable friends.
When Claire met Dominic, again I wish I could say it was an instant connection….and it might have been for Dom, but Claire as intelligent as she is, can be very oblivious at times. Claire and Dom lived on the same floor of Cramer hall at Ferris State and were friends long before actually dating. Claire somehow talked Dominic into helping with the Big Event (it’s a community service project Claire started at Ferris) If you don’t know about the Big Event, I dare you to ask Claire tonight after she’s had a couple more drinks…Good luck! When Dominic agreed to help, that’s when Ian and I both knew Dom was in love with Claire….Claire on the other hand had absolutely no clue!
One Day while working on Big Event stuff in the Student Government office, we all got on the topic of Dom and Ian and I were both like “You know he has a thing for you right? And in classic Claire fashion she said “Oh my gosh you think so?” I reassured her by telling her that no man commits this much work to an event they had no previous interest in to be yelled at and berated by a crazy woman barking orders through a mega phone at 5AM on a Saturday if he isn’t interested….(I may not have said exactly that, but you get the drift)! It wasn’t long after that Claire and Dom started dating.
Dominic before you spend the rest of your life with one of my best friends, there are a few pieces of advice that I must share with you….
1. Let her be right…most of the time. Even if you know she’s not. Claire needs someone who will let her be the boss once in a while, but also knows when to bring her back down to earth.
2. Don’t allow her to push the shopping cart at the grocery store. Chances are by the end of the shopping trip she will have accidently misplaced her “buggy” (that’s what Claire calls as shopping cart), stolen someone else’s “buggy” without even realizing it, and you’ll have to start all over again.
3. If the cable goes out at your house, don’t let Claire call and complain. Chances are she will make a scene and you will never have cable again.
4. Please don’t get upset when she goes on her annual antiquing trip with Ian and I. Just smile and nod when she shows you her treasures, you can hide them later.
5. Love her! Love her when she smiles, love her when she is planning world domination, love her when she’s sick, love her when her knees are warm, love her when she is bossy, love her when all you want to do is fight with her, love her when she becomes the mother of your children, love her when she’s standing in front of the TV ranting and the Red Wings are about to score the winning goal, love her on the bad days and the good. Please just always remember that funny, beautiful, strong willed girl you met on the 10th floor of Cramer hall and always love her.
I often joke about Claire’s bossy and domineering outlook, but I truly admire her and the woman she is. Claire even if you never knew it, I have always looked up to you. I’ve always been an older sister, but in another lifetime if I had an older sister, I imagine she would be just like you. Claire has always stood beside me and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. She’s my Student Government VP, best friend, biggest cheerleader, the first to offer constructive criticism, my muscle when I need to win an election, a bridesmaid in my own wedding, and a constant in my life. I’m truly blessed to call her a friend.
I love you both and wish you a lifetime of happiness. Please raise your glasses and join me in a toast to Mr. & Mrs. Gallo
From Big Event t-shirts to wedding dresses….Here’s to One Big Day, One Big Thanks, One Big Event! Cheers!"
END Mushy
Hope you had a fantastic weekend! Do you have your own version of a Bridesmaid Survival Kit?
Cheers to a great week!