Jill's NYC wedding

Brad's little sister got married last week!!

Jill and Maroof planned a small celebration in New York City, but when family and friends heard about the wedding, they flocked from around the world to witness the big event.

We arrived late Wednesday and spent Thursday seeing their new Long Island City apartment, meeting Maroof's brother and family, and getting instructions for reception setup. In the evening, Jill and I went for wedding mani/pedis at a place near her last home in nearby Astoria.

Allison took Jill early Friday to get her makeup done. Meanwhile, the rest of us gathered at their apartment and then made the subway trek to the courthouse in Manhattan. 

Mind you, it was rush hour and we literally crammed onto the trains. Then we had to transfer. Maroof was the perfect guide, making sure we all got where we needed to be and taking up the rear when we separated. Moving that many people was a challenge!

Jill's makeup took longer than expected, so we waited anxiously outside the courthouse. There may have been a few nervous jokes about the bride skipping town.

She finally arrived, and we all acted like the paparazzi.

Then it was time to head into the courthouse for what we expected to be a several-hours wait for our number to be called.

 

For some reason, there was almost no wait at all! Jill and Maroof took a number and were immediately called to the desk to sign their marriage certificate. 

 Then we were ushered into a little alcove where the paparazzi again went crazy.

A few minutes later, a short black woman with purple hair opened the West Chapel door and invited us in. A few minutes later, they were married!

What a whirlwind!!

A few more pics outside the chapel:

With all that legal stuff out of the way, we followed Jill and Maroof around town as their official photographers got some amazing shots. The unofficial photos kept coming, too.

It was so fun to watch complete strangers on the street, bridge and train congratulating the couple and taking pictures.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on Jill and Maroof's roof, chatting with relatives and eating pizza. What a wonderful day!

In the evening, Brad and I went to dinner with Steve, Donna and Donna's brother's family:

Debbie, Nathan, Brian, Abby, Donna, Steve, Brad, Liz

We stumbled on Il Bambino in Jill's old neighborhood, and it was fantastic!

Next up: Saturday's "intimate" reception with 80 guests :)