Wedding Party Bio: Bridesmaid Dunlop

To give you a break from reading about boring wedding prep details and discovering just how OCD I am, I have decided to create a bio for each member of our wedding party (with some help from Jay for some of the guys). I am going to post them in alphabetical order, so let's start with Andrea Dunlop, Bridesmaid Extraordinaire.

Bio of a Bridesmaid: Andrea Dunlop

Andrea and I became fast friends at a fabulous Midsummer's Eve roof party that two of our friends threw in Soho in 2006. It was a white party and it was a gorgeous summer night. We took lots of pictures and the best part was having a famous backdrop: Sky Studios, where the party was held, is where Sex and the City shot the infamous pool scene with Samantha and Richard. And that first night set the tone for our entire friendship.

After that night, Andrea and I became part of a close group of girls who were completely inseparable. Whether it was a girls' night at an event downtown or a weekend in the Hamptons, we bonded over Manhattan living, Betsey Johnson, and Sunday Brunch Club (where brunch lasts from Noon until 10 pm).

(This picture is a flashback to September 2007. We were at the In Touch Magazine Anniversary Party that my close friend, and one of our groomsmen, Tom Castaneda was in charge of. It was such a fun night and I got to touch Kanye West's hand while he performed, which is one of my only real claims to fame. Andrea also shared my other big claim to fame with me, including celebrating my 27th birthday with Josh Hartnett, a former teen heartthrob.)

(This is a picture of Andrea, myself, and three of our close friends from New York on vacation in Buenos Aires over Thanksgiving 2007: Kate, Meredith, and Hordan von Hordan, or Jordan. This was the best accidentally planned trip I have ever been on, and one of the most fun overall trips I have ever been on.)

(This is another old-school picture from 2008, featuring Mayako, me, Kate, Jordan, Mayako, Liz, Andrea, and Margaret. Another fun night on the town with part of our crew - we have a big posse! More pics to come in another post).

About Andrea:
Andrea is an accomplished writer who has completed two well-written novels over the last six years - she impresses me every day! During our time together in NYC, Andrea was a publicist for Random House's Doubleday imprint. She quickly became a beloved Aunt to my dog Charly when we lived together in Greenwich Village, which was one of the most fun and one of the most exhausting years of my life (exhausting in a fun way). Andrea currently lives in Seattle, where she grew up, and is enjoying life in another big city. Andrea is a freelance book publicist with a busy line-up of authors, and writes a column for TheGloss.com called "Chasing Thirty" in addition to keeping her own very entertaining blog about all the things she wants to accomplish before turning 30. In addition, she is an experienced salsa dancer, having salsa'd on three continents to date. Last, but certainly not least, Andrea is also one of my most-trusted travel buddies, with trips to Miami, Bahamas, Buenos Aires, and a roadtrip along the East Coast of Australia under our belts so far.

Even though she is hours away by plane, she is still one of my closest friends and confidants. Our multi-part phone calls during the week while I walk to work help us stay in touch and involved in each other's lives.

Here are ten words that remind me of Andrea...

QUATTRO FEMME!!!
Walkoff/Danceoff
The Hoon
Horatio Cain (and Erik Delko!!!)
The Met Opera
Gen Art Events
Gina P
Flight of the Conchords
Boo Bear

Best. Birthday. Ever.

**Some are inside jokes so feel free to ask one of us about them at the wedding.