Newlyweds in NOLA

No, we aren't the newlyweds to which this post title is referring.

Since I still have almost a month to wait until we have pictures from our wedding, I think I'll blog instead about the gorgeous wedding I attended this weekend in New Orleans. Wheat had a game on Friday, so he wasn't able to attend, but I met up with some of my best friends from college as we celebrated Ben and his new bride, Amie, in true NOLA fashion.

Jenn, who drove down with her sister and mom, proved yet again why I have the coolest best friend in the world by saving me the ridiculous cab fare I would have paid by picking me up from the airport. After checking into our hotel, we wasted no time before hitting Bourbon Street. We stopped for dinner at Olde N'awlins Cookery, where I promptly crushed a blackened chicken po-boy. We followed that with a leisurely stroll down Bourbon Street, admiring the chaos of a typical Friday night in the Big Easy. I'm not even a drinker, but I'll never get over the intoxicating combination of good music, old architecture, and debaucherous people-watching.

When we'd finally had our fill of watching the crazies (who included a face-down, unconscious guy with a massive hole ripped in the butt of his jeans), we made our way to a packed Cafe Du Monde for Jenn's family's first warm beignets. As expected, they loved them. With happy bellies and powdered sugar-stained shirts, we made a brief stop at Hotel Monteleone before heading back for some much-needed sleep.

The next morning, we ventured out early in hopes of some more breakfast beignets. We changed our minds before reaching Jackson Square, however, and stopped instead at a ridiculously charming gelateria called La Divina. We regret nothing. Everyone else raved about the coffee, but I can attest to the delicious Belgian waffles. While eating, we saw some local kids run in for what appeared to be their daily gelato sample from the older shop owner they've clearly befriended.

After breakfast, we did a lap around Jackson Square, admiring the gorgeous St. Louis Cathedral and the remarkable local artwork that vendors sell along the walls of the park. The line for beignets was ridiculous, so we opted to watch the mighty Mississippi River roll by carrying its steamboats, instead.

Next, we stopped at Pirate's Alley Cafe and Absinthe House so Jenn and Kelly could sample the absinthe. The bartender, who was fittingly dressed as a Johnny Depp-style pirate, started the process and explained that ice cold water must gradually be dripped onto a sugar cube that will then dissolve into the absinthe positioned below. Another gentleman, dressed as a Jean Lafitte-style pirate, stopped in and sipped a coffee while telling us a little about the local piracy in the early 1800s. By the way, the girls wouldn't recommend the absinthe.

For the next hour, we wound our way through the French Quarter, drooling over the wrought-iron balconies, historical monuments and landmarks, gorgeous flower arrangements, and candle-lit lamps. By the time we hit Bourbon Street, we determined it was time for a Hand Grenade break at Tropical Isle and even I indulged in half of a frozen one. We posted up on the balcony, enjoyed the beautiful day, and were eventually joined by some of our friends from Miami.

Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for the wedding, so we sauntered back to the hotel. Shuttles picked us up from our hotel and delivered us to the New Orleans Country Club, which was just as incredible as it sounds. The ceremony was held outside under a 332-year-old oak tree that covered the entire space and actually took my breath away. As the sun started to set, I watched one of my best friends marry the love of his life alongside so many of our friends and it was honestly perfect.

The reception was much different than any other wedding I've ever attended. Following New Orleans tradition, the reception included no speeches and no set dinner or dancing time. Instead, the entire evening was filled with food and music performed by a live, nine-piece band. Intentionally, there weren't enough seats to accommodate all of the guests at once, so guests were encouraged to share tables, mingle, and eat and dance all night.

The venue, complete with a beautiful chandelier and several different rooms, was gorgeous. The flower arrangements blew my mind and so did the food. Any wedding that offers a loaded mashed potato bar and hot beignets at the end of the night is okay with me. Between dances, we rushed back for more food (oysters, turkey, pasta, hors d'oeuvres) and we almost didn't want to eat the cakes they were so impressive. A local artist was commissioned to start from scratch and paint a picture of the wedding reception and it was incredible to watch him go from a blank canvas to this beautiful keepsake by the end of the night.

As the wedding wound down, the bride and groom followed NOLA tradition again and paraded throughout the venue as the brass section played "When the Saints Go Marching In." They danced and hoisted their white and black 'Just Married' umbrellas as they boarded the limo that would take them to the after-party on Bourbon Street. In other words, it was awesome.

After a quick stop back at the hotel, we set out for the private after-party, which was held on the second floor of a karaoke bar called The Cat's Meow. As always, the karaoke was entertaining, but nothing beat the balcony that faced Bourbon Street. We spent several hours throwing beads, people-watching, laughing, and reminiscing on our college Spring Break trip to New Orleans. Between the inside jokes, singing, and dancing, it felt nice to realize that we don't just have to relive old memories - we're still close enough to create new, special ones.

The night ended by hobbling back to Canal Street for some late-night food. Jenn, Kelly, and I found it at a tiny, 24-hour, hole-in-the-wall po-boy joint and we screamed, then laughed hysterically as a rat ran across the cobblestone street right in front of us. And just as it always does, the trip ended far too quickly. I set off for Atlanta only to endure a two-hour delay (during which I scoured every gate for members of the cast of The Walking Dead to no avail) before finally arriving in Indy. I can't really complain, though...I had one handsome chauffeur pick me up.

Ben and Amie, I wish you a lifetime of happiness and many, many new memories together! Love you both!

He's mine, ladies!

Well, it's official.

I'm now Mrs. Brittany Hotchkiss (not legally yet), which makes me sound ultra British and will also make me much easier to track down on Facebook once I get around to changing my name.

Almost two weeks later, I'm still trying to recover from the whirlwind of our wedding weekend. If I received one piece of advice from anyone who has been married before, it was to slow down and soak in the moment because it would fly by. There's a reason why everyone warns you of this - it's so painfully true. One second, I was riding in the passenger seat of Wheat's car on the way to Ohio and the next, I was unpacking back in Indianapolis.

This is the first of many wedding-related posts to come, but I wanted to get a couple quick thoughts out in the best way my disjointed, still-recovering, likely-still-fighting-a-sinus-infection brain knows how - bullet points:

- Wheat and I are ridiculously lucky to have such incredible family and friends. I'm honestly blown away by how many people traveled from all over the country to share our special day with us. People I've known all my life and people I've never met before. They danced with us, cried with us, laughed with us, prayed with us, and as a result, made us feel like the luckiest people in the world. Don't even get me started on the meaningful cards and generous gifts we received. Guilt overload.

- I'm so in love with my husband it hurts, but guess what? I already was. Throughout the last week, I've been asked countless times how married life has been so far and I've given the same response every time, "The same as before." I've actually started wondering if maybe Wheat and I missed out on some magical overnight transformation and we're the weird ones, but really - it's been the same. We're still head-over-heels in love with each other, we still argue over what to eat for dinner, and we still watch way too many hours' worth of reality singing competitions. We're just doing it with slightly heavier left hands.

- Overall, everything went really well. If you read my previous post, you probably surmised that I was just a little nervous about the finer details of the day. Aside from a few slight miscues (forgetting my dress at home, rain during outdoor pictures, the bus driver stranding us at aforementioned outdoor pictures, flowers being nothing like the ones we ordered, etc.), things went smoothly and I can honestly say I had a wonderful time. In full disclosure, I had a full-on meltdown approximately 20 minutes before the ceremony started (not out of nerves, but out of overwhelming emotion and frustration) and the only person able to coax me out of the bathroom was my brother. How'd he do it, you ask? He told me the first words out of a distant relative's mouth when he saw him for the first time in almost ten years were, "You've gained weight!" Cracked me up immediately.

Ultimately, the entire weekend felt like a dream - a dream filled with loving faces, lots of happy tears, hugs and kisses, cake, and, of course, the "Wobble." My biggest regrets? Not hiring a videographer (I already want to relive the weekend in its entirety) and not dancing more. I don't know how you're supposed to spend time with all of your guests while also eating dinner and enjoying the dance floor. I do know, however, that this was my best Halloween costume to date:

A letter to Wheat

To Wheat on the night before we're married,

I'd like to tell you that I'm calm, collected, and excited about tomorrow's events, but you know me better than that. You know I'm freaking out inside - about little details, things we might have forgotten, chances of rain, and people who might not show up. I'm freaking out about falling during the Cha Cha Slide, crying too hard during our vows, and not having a conversation with every single one of our guests. I'm freaking out about wearing a dress all day, not stopping to soak in the moment enough, forgetting one of your relatives' names, and passing out during the ceremony. As you probably imagined, I'm freaking out about all the uncertainties, but there is one thing I'm sure of...

...and that thing is you.

Ever since I met you, you have been the one sure thing in my life. You make me laugh, push me to be a better version of myself, and make every moment I'm with you infinitely better than it would be otherwise. You've comforted me in the hard times and carried me through my grief when I couldn't walk the path alone. You laugh with me, cry with me, pray with me, dance with me, read with me, sing with me, cheer with me, and play with me. You simultaneously lift me up while keeping me grounded. You're the best part of my day and the thing I miss most the instant we part. You're the reason I love looking back, but more importantly, you're the reason I'm excited to move forward.

When I moved to Indianapolis for sports journalism graduate school, I thought I'd become a writer. I thought I'd leave a year later with a master's degree, some new friends, and a hockey writing gig. Instead, I found you, something far better than any job I could ever dream to find.

At a point that was probably far too early in our relationship for me to be saying creepy things like this, I told you that I felt like I wrote you. You seemed too good to be true - too funny, too smart, too handsome, too sweet, too romantic, too kind-hearted to be in love with me. I felt like I conjured you up in my mind, put pen to paper, and willed you into existence. But instead of being afraid that I'd lose you (which I imagined would be my subconscious natural state throughout our relationship), I felt sure. Sure that you weren't ever going away, sure that we met for a reason, and sure that I would spend the rest of my life loving you completely.

So, I transitioned from writing you to writing with you, which I assure you has been much more fun. Although the last three years have been the hardest of my life, they've also been the best, simply because you held my hand through them. You've cared for me when I was sick, wiped away my tears, put up with my celebrity crushes, slow-danced with me in the living room, introduced me to so many new, awesome things, and shown me the real definition of man meat. I can't wait to write the rest of our lives together.

You are, bar none, the best thing that's ever happened to me. I couldn't be more proud to be marrying you tomorrow.

I love you, baby bear.

- Britter

An Insincere Pumpkin Patch

I seriously don't know where time is going, so please don't judge me too harshly on my blogging inconsistency. My excuse? I'm getting married in nine days and I think I finally understand the phrase, "I feel like a chicken with its head cut off." Between seating arrangements, detail prep, and last-minute decisions and purchases, it's been a bit overwhelming. This is mostly because I'm a normal human with a full-time job, chores, and other obligations to handle. I still haven't had one single bridezilla-type meltdown, so I'd say I'm doing okay so far.

I also seem to have caught a little bug that's making me cough like crazy and sound like a grown man when I speak. So, that's cool. Hopefully that has resolved itself by the time I'm repeating my vows in front of 100 people. What should I do if I'm still hacking at every other word?

This past weekend, Wheat indulged my stereotypical, girly side by accompanying me to Waterman's Farm Pumpkin Patch. We'd never been to this particular patch before, so I was surprised to find more of a fall festival than a traditional pumpkin patch. Vendors were selling all kinds of food, arts, and crafts, while children rode on spinning pumpkins, ran through illusion tunnels, and climbed rock walls. A mechanical T-Rex was periodically fed large pumpkins that were then smashed between its metal jaws and dropped to the ground (this was also accompanied by Jurassic Park-style roars, of course). A massive blow-up monster called The Beast beckoned people inside its mouth for $5.

Wheat and I opted out of most of the festivities, though we did pet some goats and trek through the corn maze. At my insistence, he joined dozens of children at the top of a huge hay bale mountain for a picture. I bought an apple cider slushie and we took a hayride over to the "pumpkin patch." I use that term very loosely because it was actually just a muddy field with hundreds of pre-picked pumpkins scattered throughout it. Not very sincere, if you ask me.

Despite his intense frustration with carving pumpkins, Wheat picked out the perfect victim and I'm still deciding whether we should carve or paint it. For now, it's serving as the perfect, untouched seasonal decoration in our living room.

On Sunday, I attended my very first Pacers Fan Jam, which is basically a free, preseason pep rally to introduce fans to the team and get them excited for the upcoming season. I'd say that I attended to watch the players scrimmage each other and play knockout, but that would be a lie. I went for the free hot dog, Dr. Pepper, chips, and t-shirt. Unexpectedly, I also got autographs from C.J. Miles, Rodney Stuckey, Solomon Hill, and Shayne Whittington. The highlight of the event, however, was the rookie showcase, where Joe Young performed "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" and Myles Turner sang The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face."

I predict my posting (and reading/commenting) will be a bit sporadic for the rest of the month, so please bear with me. I promise I'll be back in a big way with lots of pictures and excitement from the big day. Stay tuned!

The WNBA and 28 hours in Baltimore

It's official. I've tried everything in my power and life still refuses to slow down. Stubborn punk.

I can't even complain about my work week anymore. It feels like as soon as I drag myself into the office on Monday morning, it's suddenly Friday afternoon and I'm like, "Did I even accomplish anything over the last five days? Is this how adulthood works? How am I already out of Lean Cuisines?"

It doesn't help that Wheat is currently in the throes of the WNBA Finals. He's been jetting back and forth from Chicago, New York City, and Minneapolis for the last several weeks, which means our wedding planning productivity is hovering right around zero. The Indiana Fever play the Minnesota Lynx in a winner-takes-all Game 5 tonight and I'm a little concerned because I can name more members of the Fever roster than the current Pittsburgh Penguins team. I really hope the Fever win the championship - in part for the team, staff, and city, but also selfishly because I want to feel like Wheat's constant travel and my lonesome nights have been worth it.

This past weekend, I was able to attend Games 3 and 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Game 3 on Friday night ended with a heartbreaking, 3-point buzzer beater from Maya Moore to win the game for the Lynx, but the Fever fought back on Sunday night to force the rubber match. I was amazed at the intensity and excitement of the home crowd on both nights. The atmosphere really felt like Pacers playoff games and I must admit - those girls are fun to watch.

Sandwiched between the two Fever games, Wheat and I made a blitz trip to Baltimore for my cousin Bryan's wedding. We left at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning and arrived at the airport only for me to realize that I'd left my purse and ID at home. PANIC. Wheat, who I'm sure also secretly fights crime on the side, drove back home at no less than 90 mph to pick up the purse. We sprinted to the shuttle, which miraculously was so full at 6:00 AM that it had to skip all the other parking lot shelters and head straight to the airport. Hallelujah. We bypassed check-in, anxiously made our way through the longest security line I've ever seen in Indianapolis, and ran to our gate. Well, let me clarify - Wheat did his best Usain Bolt impression while I huffed and puffed behind him, lugging our suitcase and pulling up my pants. As I stumbled along the moving walkway, I heard them announce last call for Brittany Johnson and Thomas Hotchkiss on the intercom.

Miraculously, we made it three minutes before the gate closed. Thanks to Southwest's seating policy, we had to sit separately in two middle seats, but I'll gladly take that as punishment for my forgetfulness.

Fortunately, the rest of the day was glorious. We spent the entire afternoon with my mom's side of the family, including the groom. We ate Subway sandwiches and cookies, watched Ohio State beat Maryland (which instantly made me the biggest villain in Baltimore, thanks to my loud 'O-H's), played Heads Up, and spent some much overdue time with my cousins, aunts, and uncles.

The wedding was an absolute blast, too. The ceremony was short and sweet and followed by the entire wedding party doing a shot of Fireball. I finally got to meet my cousin Tabitha's precious new baby and had to fight the urge to stare at him all night. Most people, myself included, did a surprise flash mob dance set to "Turn Down for What" for Bryan and his new bride, Ali. We danced like maniacs, posed in the photo booth, ate lots of dessert (pumpkin cheesecake, pies, an ice cream bar, cake!), put on temporary tattoos personalized for the wedding, and cried at my cousin Cody's touching Best Man speech. Most of all, we celebrated an incredible, fun couple and I felt lucky to be there.

Bryan and Ali, here's to a lifetime of happiness and many more family reunions!

All the Awesome is Happening

I'll preface this post with the following (just to keep it real): As always, I have ridiculous levels of anxiety about various things in my life, including personal health concerns, health concerns for loved ones, and oh yeah, planning a wedding. I'm so very excited, but also understandably stressed about everything that needs to happen between now and Halloween. Also, wedding tip #1: Don't have your wedding on Halloween. Lots of people won't come and it will make you sad.

Now that the bad is out of the way, let me share all the awesome things that have happened lately in la vida de Brittany.

- First and foremost, Mommles is doing awesome. The oncologist has scheduled her for a scan in early November and when (cheers to the power of positive thinking) the scan comes back clear, she gets to reduce her chemo from every two weeks to once a month! Obviously, this extended recovery time will make a huge difference in how she feels and hopefully reduce some of her bothersome side effects. We're still so ridiculously proud of how well she's handled everything over the past year and a half. The oncologist really thinks she's a miracle because she's gone from stage four colon cancer to no sign of disease with no recurrences or major issues with treatment. She's a total badass, guys.

- I got an office at work. A dear friend/coworker resigned last week and I inherited her spacious office. I'm thrilled to finally have windows...because, you know, all I need is another distraction.

- American Horror Story: Hotel premiered this week and I'm finally feeling all of the October warm fuzzies. Pumpkin-scented candles are burning, Charlie Brown is wearing his ghost costume, Halloween candy is on the table, and hoodies, boots, and scarves are slowly making their way out of the closet. I really want to visit a pumpkin patch and/or haunted house at some point this month, but I'm not sure it'll happen with all the wedding festivities. Also, can we please talk about Matt Bomer as Lady Gaga's beau in AHS? Was he expertly chiseled from a slab of marble? Perfect specimen.

- Wheat and I are heading to Baltimore this weekend for my cousin's wedding. It's going to be the shortest trip imaginable, but I'm so excited to see my family and celebrate with them.

- My little brother bought a house in our hometown. I'm super proud of him and can't wait to crash on the unfurnished guest room floor. He's so much better at adulting than I am. Any suggestions for manly housewarming gifts?

- Indianapolis continues to blow my mind. For the last few months, Monument Circle has been transformed into this incredible, interactive public space with ping pong, foosball, board game rentals, a listening booth (where someone will listen to whatever you have to say), lots of seating, an outdoor library, and various performances (historical reenactments, musicians, artists, movies, etc.). When I stopped by with my mom last weekend, you could send a free postcard anywhere in the world and color Frida Kahlo. I love living in a city with pleasant surprises around every corner.

Have a great weekend, friends!