Being a list person (I’m also into flowcharts, but we’ll save that for anther blog post), I’m going to share with you my pre-flight checklist before a recent “wedding weekend getaway” in Texas:

1. Something old: my weekend bag from Gant. It sports a canvas body, leather trim, and is perfect for flying—big enough to accommodate my fear of not packing enough socks, but small enough to be considered carry-on.

2. Something new: I downloaded La Roux’s latest album for the trip. The UK duo’s genre is something of a new hybrid called “electropop,” and when I listen to it, I totally pretend I live in the Lower East Side. It’s pretty darn hip.

3. Something borrowed: Little Bee, a novel by Chris Cleave. I’m currently halfway through it, and I can already tell I’m going to need a Kleenex for the end.

4. Something blue: Well, metaphorically speaking, I packed my “blue suede shoes.” I love (if this were a dramatic reading, I would emphasize this with both hands: loooove) wedding dances.

All set with my “somethings,” as well as my folder of sheet music, I was ready for the nuptials of my friend Calliegh and her fiancé, Michael. Though I’ve been playing piano for weddings since the eighth grade, I always get excited when I’m asked to be a part of such an important day.

Adding frosting to the cake, the wedding was planned to be a fairy-tale occasion in its truest form: set in a castle. About a half hour drive from San Antonio is Castle Avalon: a majestic event venue with a grand ballroom that could easily double as the set for Beauty and the Beast.

Don't worry: I slayed the dragons before the wedding.

"Tale as old as time..."

It was a great weekend. The “I do’s” were said, the champagne corks were popped, and I got to boogie down like it was 1999…I just hope my chicken dance doesn’t wind up on YouTube!