I’m finally getting to share all of my favorite photos and moments from graduation weekend with you all! The weekend entailed so many special and fun times— cocktails with Johnny’s family, a celebration with the Jepson Leadership School (I minored in Leadership Studies), a wine and cheese reception at the Business School, dinner with my best friends and their families, a candlelight ceremony with fireworks over the lake on campus, and champagne popping and present opening after the graduation ceremony on Sunday. It was a lot, but in all the very best ways 🙂

I’ve realized that there are few moments in life when all my very favorite people can get together (the last time was my junior year ring dance), so I’ve learned to take advantage of them as best as I can. We ate, we drank, we laughed, and we cried. I actually handled it a lot better than I expected, and think that all of the fun festivities and excitement took my mind off of the reality that I would be leaving behind the best four years of my life.

Here are a few snapshots from the weekend— and scroll all the way down to see what I did afterwards to keep my mind off of the reality of it all.

My sorority little, Elizabeth, brought me a bottle of pink champagne, because of course.  

He’s literally still two whole heads taller than I am even when I’m in wedges, ha!

The most supportive sister… who still has three years of college left, jealous. 

My fam bam and my amazing godmother 

We never last long with the serious pictures… 

My big sister from my sorority, who graduated last year and is now killing it in politics in D.C. 

A look at the details of my dress and jewelry 

Popping and drinking champagne on the Westhampton Green 😉  

Caps off with my favorite crew 

After graduation on Sunday, I kept myself moving constantly, especially when I got back home (which is when I thought it would be the saddest), by doing the following:

• I Facetimed Johnny (he started studying for the CPA exams almost as soon as he got home to Illinois, so he had it even worse… eep) and stayed in communication with my best girlfriends who had also graduated as we all went home after packing up. 
• I unpacked everything from both of the cars that I had packed full of my stuff from my dorm and apartment. I made throw-out, donate, and sell piles which made me feel better. There’s something about de-cluttering and organizing that just makes me feel so much more at ease. Sometimes I swear organizing has to be one of my love languages… ha.
• I listened to the S-Town podcast as I drove home from school and unpacked, which really helped take my mind off of what I was doing. LMK if you have any more podcast recommendations! 
• I packed for Italy! As I was unpacking and sorting out all of my school things, I kept building a pile of “Italy Clothes” to pack with me for our trip. It was so so helpful to have that to look forward to— which came up 72 hours after I graduated! I’m so thankful to my mom for being so smart in planning that right after my graduation. If you have the chance to plan a trip closely after graduation— even if it’s a weekend getaway to the beach— do it!!

In all of these things I kept my loved ones close, distracted myself with entertainment (the podcast) and organizing (my form of entertainment, ha), and moved forward. I know that it’s so much better to celebrate than to be upset so that is what you’ll continually find me doing throughout this month! xx

Graduation Outfit Details: dress: Anthropologie {bought in Nashville this past fall and out of stock but if you search “White Anthropologie Beaded Fleur Shift Dress” on Google you can find some re-sale stores selling it} // earrings: J. Crew // heels: Sam Edelman {another similar pair here}

p.s. I wore so many daisies because it’s the symbol of Westhampton College (you’ll see a familiar face on the homepage, ha!), which is the college I’m in under the “umbrella” of the University of Richmond.

p.p.s. See the graduation party I had with my girlfriends, the night before graduation, here.