I got to hang with Dani for a bit over the summer. I had not seen her in almost 6 years. The last time was in Seattle. While we were catching up, she mentioned that she was getting married in September and I should head out for the wedding. I agreed and got everything set in place to go.
I headed out on the 18th. I woke up a little early and checked in on work. I grabbed the last few things and got them in the car. I decided to try my luck a little and show up a little later than normal. As soon as I parked at the airport, I got a notification that the flight pushed an hour. I cleared security and got some food. I then headed to the gate. I was flying cheap Southwest and got my suitcase gate checked after moving my clothing to my backpack. I lucked out on the flight; it said it was full but I ended up getting a full row to myself. I landed in John Wayne airport, got my stuff, and got my car. With everything in place, I headed south.
Friday was a busy day for me. I stopped first at the pre wedding reception. I hung out for an hour, met Josh and his mom, hung with my friends, and ate a little. Once fed, I jumped back in the car and headed further south. I made a quick stop at Best Buy before heading to the Mission Viejo Mall. I decided to upgrade my phone and had my iPhone 18 Pro waiting for me. I got that and then headed to WalMart for a few things for the room. From there, I headed to my hotel.
My hotel was 30 mins south of the wedding. I had a free night and some points and decided to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach. I chose not to valet and parked on the street. I got in and got checked in after a small delay. There were events going all weekend and a lot of people. I headed to my room and started the process of swapping and restoring phones so the new one was ready for the wedding. It took a good number of hours and I just hung out in the room, got room service, and relaxed. Around 11, I got to sleep.
I was up relatively early Saturday. I headed back to the pre wedding reception. I hit some traffic but got there and helped as I could. I hung with Jeremey and Bobby and had some diet cokes. It was wedding time so I caught a ride with Bobby to Aliso Beach. We took in the ceremony and then headed out just as the time was starting to really come in. From there, we headed back for the reception. I hung out for a while, had some great food, and got to spend some time with great people. I headed out and saw Irvine Center across the way. I stopped there and that was a mistake. I got back to the hotel, got settled, and called it a night.
Sunday started at 4:30 in the morning. Someone set off the smoke alarm in my wing and it took 30 mins to clear. Then it went off again at 7:30. By then, I decided to get up and get ready. I preordered room service breakfast and grabbed something to eat. I wandered the property for a bit after to take pictures and check things out. I wrapped up and grabbed my stuff. Check out took a while and I headed out to the car to head north. I stopped in San Juan Capistrano as they had a penny machine and postcards. I made a stop in Irvine again that did not go well. I finally got the car returned, caught my flight, and headed back to Phoenix.
It was a full and happy weekend. I was excited to see so many great people and do so many fun things. The hotel was great, but not worth the price point in my mind. I am happy for Dani and Josh and grateful I was able to be there for the wedding.
