Some Wedding Photo Selections

The Skinny

I know I said I wouldn't be this sparse again but I have good reasons, I swear! Your head will spin.

June
I got married and planned the whole thing almost on my own. Almost. I had many consultations with friends, help from family and both from the dude I married. But still, it's exhausting and incredibly time consuming to have an almost total DIY wedding. (And we got pictures back so I'll load some soon. Promise.) Every time I was on the Internet I felt guilty if I wasn't doing one of two things- finishing the wedding and one other research project.

I also did a new triathlon on Lake George that kicked my ass. But it was a lot of fun and I think with proper training I can do it better next year. Mike found us a lovely place to stay on the water and I got to try out my sexy new wet suit. It's a sleeveless onsie that makes me look like a seal. Sexy is an understatement, yeah?

July
I did my other triathlon, my last of the year. I was within a few minutes of my same time last year and can safely say I did well. This guy decided to cross in front of me with .05 miles left in the entire race and I yelled at him while huffing and puffing my way around the corner.

My good friend Karen asked me to be in her wedding and her bridal shower was this month. Lyndy and I got so fucking lost in New Jersey but we found a White Castle AND two Texas Weiners (a restaurant you perverts.) Then a weekend or so later I went to NYC for her bachelorette. I got to go a night early and she and I went to see an awesome concert. The next night she got in a fist fight with a bouncer. It was great.

August
Mike and I honeymooned in Napa, CA where we drank, ate, hung with new friends, hiked and ate some more. It was nice- our first vacation together and I'm glad it could be our honeymoon. Though we shouldn't wait another six years to go away together. Needless to say, I didn't tan. At all.

I quit my job only to be fired a week later. Over the phone. While at a wedding rehearsal for my fist-fighting friend. If I hadn't quit a week prior it would have really, really sucked. Then I started a new job which didn't pay me enough so I got ANOTHER job.

September
I started the OTHER job. I now work six days a week and have colorful bus commutes an hour in each direction. Three days I go to Troy (I like to do the 10 mile bike there as much as possible and Mike picks me up since I work so late) and three days I go to Schenectady in the other direction. That bike ride would be too long so I take the bus for that one. The inter-city buses are fine. Intra-city buses are not...

And I started training for a half-marathon. Woot! It's in Philadelphia the week before Thanksgiving. Wish me luck!!

I'm going to do my best to do better. Look forward to November when I post every day. I'm going to have to flex my muscles in the next six weeks. I have to make it up to you, to my creativity and man- I miss blogging.

Now I Can Have a Breather

My mother is a nutjob. Yeah yeah yeah, everyone's mom is a little crazy. And mine does not take the cake but she most certainly takes the cookie. I have contemplated cutting her out simply because I don't want to mother my mother. I want my mother to mother me. I can't call her for anything because she takes a quick how do you boil an egg phone call into whatever current boyfriend is or isn't doing to make him her knight in shining armor. It is exhausting. What the hell did I do in the last round of life to get such a wackadoo for a mom? I dunno but I'm trying to do better for next time. Because this blows. I can't do it again in the next life. And the kicker is the only person who understands my frustration is Mike. My siblings just think I'm a jerk. They think Mom and I just know how to push each other's buttons but the reality of the situation is my mother shares things with me that as my mother, she shouldn't- and I won't share them on this blog, and she doesn't share it with either one of them. Their ignorance is their bliss and my eternal frustration.

Since Mike and I did so much, all, of the wedding ourselves short of cooking the food we needed help from friends and family. Some people were a pleasure to work with. My mother made me want to pull my hair out and cry. And it was because she just didn't listen to me. She would hear me but not pay attention to the feelings I was sharing with her. And she never really has. Mike thought this post crosses my line of things I could never say to someone but write about. I don't. I've told her about this blog. I've showed it to her. She could even find it on my Facebook page because somehow Facebook friended us without me knowing. But the reality of the situation is if this has nothing to do with her current boyfriend, how much I love her and need to be her friend or a video of me singing from high school she's not interested. I have no outlet other than this blog and no way of bettering my relationship with her.

I rant and rave and laugh and scream about how unavailable and emotionally immature and irrational my mother is. But my pseudo life coach and holistic nutritionist gave me a pack of affirmation cards and one card I happened to select after a coaching session said, "I forgive my parents for their childhoods and they are in my life to teach me exactly what I need to learn." It really freaked me out. My mom is the way she is because that is exactly how she was raised. And though I want to blame her for it, I ultimately can't. In the mean time, thanks to Mom, I've learned how to have an open and honest communication with everyone in my life. I've learned how to have a functioning romantic relationship. I've learned how to really listen to people. And I wouldn't have learned any of it if I wasn't forced to work my way through this relationship. She taught be by example. In the totally opposite way.

The Book of Love

The new masthead is from our wedding. That's how Mike and I decorated the ceiling of the pavilion. I've posted the whole picture of the finished product here. I just want to say how much I love and appreciate everyone who was a part of our wedding. There really is no way it could have happened without them. My heart is full. Thank you.

My dearest readers, would you like to see more pictures? I'd be happy to post them if you'd like. I don't want to cram them down your throat. What I will cram down your throat are some crazy ass stories about the worst customer service I've ever heard of. And about how my mother got engaged after knowing a man for three weeks and told me on my wedding weekend by insinuating out of her ass. Oh, I guess I just told you the whole story.

Quickie

I woke up this morning with no appetite. Hhhmmmm. I never wake up with an appetite. What I mean to say is I woke up this morning with a case of nerves that made food unappealing. I got over it eventually but if I feel like this now, I don't want to know what Saturday morning is going to feel like. Holy heck I'm excited but nauseated. There is so much to do how will I remember to do it all? Someone tell me I will.

[I found a post that I wrote and edited but never published back in April about the cleanse. Check it out. Now it's totally random but still good. And very tasty looking.]

More Than My Groove Thing Shaking

You know how there are more articles out there about bridal weight loss there are about what centerpieces to choose? Ok I am exaggerating but that's what it feels like. I ignore most articles about weddings unless they have to do with the couple's relationship. I don't need someone telling me that my size eight dress of the rack is too big. Because it is not. That being said, I regret I didn't get in better shape. I haven't worked out since my last race and I've been a little carefree with the caloric intake. Man, I love Taco Bell. In fact, I could really go for some right now. What time is it? Drive thrus are totally open late, yes? Yes!

I digress. Though I'm really hard on myself right now (I kind of cried to Mike about how I wish I was in better shape for him for our wedding- for the record, he thinks I'm an idiot) I realize that I simply look like myself. I still look like the healthy Katherine who competes in triathlons. I still look like the Katherine who enjoys baked goods in, ahem, moderation. Isn't that all I can really ask of myself? There's a blogger I really enjoy who was in the best shape of her life for her wedding- who wouldn't want to be? But she doesn't look like that day to day. And she's mentioned how much that bums her out. She looks great now, but she beats up on herself whenever she looks at those photos. I never want to do that to myself. I am enough of an asshole about what I see in the mirror without adding my wedding album to that list of bummers.

So instead, I'm going to relish the fact that I didn't kill, deprive, or knock myself down in order to look like someone I'm not in my wedding photos. Yes, I wish my arms were a little more toned but frankly I've wished that for years. Maybe one day I will look at my wedding photos and wish I still looked like that. Maybe I'll look back and think, what was stopping me from being that much more fit? I won't know until that day comes. But for now, my dress fits me perfectly and I never went hungry. I'm taking what I can get. And that's totally cool by me.

A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Lately I've been really unfocused. At first glance I shouldn't be. The spring cleaning extravaganza *explosion of confetti* is as close to done as it's going to get (I could tear through the office and throw everything out. I don't think Mike would notice for a little while. If/when he does, though, I would put myself in some deep shit. Deep shit in a clean office. Hmmmm, I think I could live with that...) especially considering all the wedding gifts I can't open or put away and the massive amounts of left over food from the Best Wedding Shower Ever. And spring cleaning ALWAYS makes me feel totally and completely refreshed. There are a few things left for the wedding that are not my responsibility- and I'm sure as hell not making them my responsibility. And my diet is out of whack. Maybe I just explained to myself why I've been unfocused. I suppose the real problem isn't why I'm unfocused just simply that I am unfocused.

How do I get myself back on track when my routines have been changed? I no longer track my calories, my gym routine is out, and all the new foods I want to eat require a ton of time to prep. Today I grabbed a Lean Cuisine for a few reasons- I want to see how it feels after weeks of not eating one, I didn't want to make another salad, I didn't want to make something else, and I want to eat meat and potatoes while I feel a little under the weather. Which routine do I tackle first? Can I change all these things at the same time? Should I? Was it a bad idea to change a huge part of my being before the second biggest change in my life?

Perhaps I'll go back to tracking my calories while at the same time trying to change what and how I eat. There could be an epiphany. Or not. Maybe it'll just help me feel more focused until I can give my diet the real focus it needs. That's okay, right? Doing everything at once is not always the best idea. Right? The wedding is only three-ish weeks away. I can put this huge change on hold. Or at least slow the hell down. When I get excited about something, boy do I go full steam ahead. I just never want to run out of steam. Maybe that's why I need so many balls in the air. I'm afraid I'll collapse on myself.

Some Syrup With That Waffle?

I still haven't made a decision about what I'm going to do exactly with my last name. I thought I had until we came back from our honeymoon in August to make a decision. The plane tickets were bought with my current name and we all know the name on the ticket has to match the name on the identification of the traveler. Super! I could waffle on this massive decision for that much longer. I've only had years to think about it and these next few months were going to give me the right amount of time I needed.

No matter, I was wrong about how much time I had anyway. Last week Mike and I got our wedding license. And for filling out a form and dropping $40 it was pretty thrilling. Before we went I made sure we had all the documentation we needed, there was no wait and the City Clerk's office is a few blocks from my place of work so it was 30 minutes and bam! Done! We can get married. So simple and painless- even a gay person could do it! There was one hiccup- on the form we had to put any name change plans. When the clerk asked me if I was going to change my name I panicked and after some indecipherable babbling said "Stephens-DiMaio!" The smirk on Mike's face could be seen from Mars.

I didn't know that had to be decided for the license. I guess most women already know by that point? Am I that much of a rarity? The marriage license isn't an identifying document so I'm not bound to change it to Stephens-DiMaio. I could do whatever to my name. Whatever I FINALLY decide on, and believe me when I say even I'm irritated at the lack of decisiveness, can't become my legal name until after August 21st. But I should probably just make up my mind already.

What Lovely Greener Grass

The wedding is coming along very well. It's fairly smooth when it's only Mike and me doing things. When the parents get involved it can get really painful. For some reason or another it is perceived that Mike and I have no idea what we're doing. This may be the first marriage for both of us, but it is not the first wedding- we've been to about 15 since we've been together and have a very solid idea of what we want out of ours and how we get it. If we don't know, we'll ask.

Unwanted advice is what happens when people plan a wedding. No surprise there at all. What does surprise me is the apparent lack of faith that we are competent adults. We know what and how much people drink at weddings. We know how to fit the number of people we want in the space we have. We know how much time things take. We know how a rehearsal is supposed to work. So on and so forth. So why are we being spoken to like we are idiots? Is it because we're planning it ourselves? Is it because we are doing this in a way very few people do this? Sometimes I regret going comparatively so "grass roots." I wonder if I went the conventional way that people would leave us alone. Probably not. But maybe it wouldn't be this. I can't stand being spoken to like I'm this idiot I'm not.

Drink Myself to Sleep?

I'm not a sound sleeper by any definition but the last two nights have been exceptional in their crappiness. The cat had nothing to do with it- she's been going solo lately- and Mike hasn't snored in ages. I don't know what I can do to make my sleeping better. Sleeping pills are not something I ever want to resort to and I don't usually eat after 9pm and I especially don't drink black tea after 5pm. The only culprit I can find is stress.

Two nights ago I had nightmares that these small hives I've gotten lately turned into full on lesions and that I maxed out my credit card on the wedding and even went over by a dollar incurring hundreds of dollars in fees. Both things are weighing heavy in my mind. I haven't used my credit card like this ever. It's been around and whatnot but it's never seen a billing cycle like this before. Any wedding vendor that can take credit card is getting a credit card and since we're working with so many family friends, there aren't a lot of those. As for the hives, I went to a doctor and she didn't have any answers for me. She prescribed a steroid cream, a move I fully anticipated, and put me on my way. How helpful.

Last night I woke up every hour on the hour. I was awake enough to probably have a good workout when my alarm went off but I didn't go. Instead I chatted with Mikey and petted Fluffy in bed. Is it better to stay up when you're up even if you haven't had that much sleep? That and what was I going to do at the gym, swim for two hours? I may be lazy, but I thought I would have a better fighting chance if squeezed in some more sleep. Am I sabotaging myself? If so, tell me and I'll do get my ass in gear.

Like I said, I'm not the best sleeper but sheesh. This is killing me. My bed is no longer the refuge I thought it was.

Something Must Be in the Water

My fiance and I met with our DJ on Friday and I can't tell you how friggin' jazzed I am to have him be a part of our day. Our taste in music is totally aligned and we just want people to dance the night away (until 9pm.) Every song he suggested that I didn't know, I loved. And everything I suggested to be played, he loved. This party is going to be cracking!!

Now that all the big, scary hurdles are out of the way and it's appearing we will, indeed, be on if not under budget, the anxiety has drained out of me. Well, things that don't include my mother. She is anxiety. ANYWAY. She's coming up to help me out sometime in March and I'm looking through my favorite wedding blogs for crafty ideas that she can help me make for decor. Because that's really all that's left. That and finding stuff to sit on and eat with. But that's a small problem. ... Since my Mom's really craft-inclined, I'm sure she and I can crank out a plethora of pompoms in no time. I'll make her watch a movie I like and we'll have a grand old time. Right?

No matter what her visit will bring I'm actually enjoying these next few steps. Looking at wedding blogs and wedding magazines is fun now that the biggest hurdles are out of the way. We have a caterer, the flowers made and the DJ and photographer set. It's just for little ideas here and there- carefree like pompoms in the wind. Until shit gets real, I'm having a great time. Now to taste test cupcakes!

My Wedding Shoes are Indeed Purple

And what are you going to do about it?

Just Don't Suggest an Open Marriage

Mike and I are getting unsolicited marriage advice all over the place in these final months leading up to the wedding. My boss told me to never get married in the first place (recently divorced), our caterer says to always communicate (divorced twice) and a mutual friend said never go to bed angry (still married as of the time of this writing). I find it sweet and kind of funny that everyone shares their nuggets of wisdom. It comes from a good place. Even my boss' lovely tidbit.

The advice is welcomed. I watched my parents' marriage dissolve over years of terrible, if any, communication. Any arguments that I caught wind of were always accusatory, one sided and never reached a conclusion let alone an understanding. It was always just so terrible. Perhaps that's why I used to avoid conflicts like I avoid wearing shorts- it never ends prettily. But after being in a long term relationship I realized that avoidance doesn't work. So I now address what's bothering me when it's bothering me. I don't do it with with reckless abandon. It's not like I start screaming about the empty jar of peanut butter on the counter and expect that to never happen again. Instead I patiently ask for its removal. Over and over again.

Mike and I have totally different conflict-resolving skills, he runs hotter to the touch than I do, so we have to do a lot of communicating. Sometimes we have to sleep on it. That's why I don't really believe that going to bed angry is really all that terrible. I'm sure it depends on the caliber of the fight and what's exactly going on but whenever I've slept on it the morning brings a fresh perspective and usually a calmer sparring partner.

It's not like anyone really has the answer- I'm not saying I do. I'm sure people who've been married for sixty years still have arguments and pet peeves. I welcome this advice because I have a lot of learning to do. I'll probably welcome advice even when I've been married for decades. I'm sure at that point I'll take any advice I can get. Whether or not I'll use it is another story.

Shaping Up to Be Awesome

I'm forming my goals for 2010 and this is what I've got so far:

1. Since I have a wedding to pay for- have no more credit card debt at this time next year than I do now.
2. Learn how to Chi-run. I've got the book and I just need to read it. This feels like a resolution since it takes time, patience, and long-term commitment but it's a goal I have- whatever the definition.
   
3. Do an Olympic distance triathlon. I have my eye on one in Cambridge, NY- just east of Albany- in August and the Lake George Triathlon in September.
4. Do four triathlons. By myself.
5. Shave some time, any amount of time, off of my half-marathon.
6. Get married.
   
7. I'm going to yell at my mother no MORE than three times during the wedding weekend. I need to be realistic here. I fully expect to want to slap her across her face. Yelling thrice seems a reasonable limit. But then again, this all depends on how many times she'll ask me if I'm sure about marrying Mike. Or remind me that I'm going to wake up next to him every morning until I die. Any more than three good snaps and I'll turn into a pumpkin. I'm also going to help the achievement of this goal by severely limiting her interaction with me that weekend.
   
8. Weigh the same as I do now, if not less, this time next year. I was looking at my weight loss chart over the past year and I gained overall. No excuse. Just laziness. If I reach my goal in this quest, so be it.

I think I can accomplish these things. Looking at this list I'm getting really excited about the way 2010 is beginning to take shape. It's strange not putting "get a new job" on this list as I've done it for the past four years. If something comes up, something comes up. I'm just not in any rush to get out of the job I have. And that's already giving 2010 a great head start.

The Beginning of Something Worse?

I've begun having nightmares about my wedding. Last night was a doozy. I dreamt I didn't finish making the bouquets so only some of the bridesmaids had flowers, I didn't order my bouquet or Mike's boutonniere, my dress didn't fit, my brother and dad had to fly out the night of my wedding so when I was running late after all this they were yelling at my sister to get me to hurry up, I was alone getting ready and kept ruining my make-up, the flower for my hair was flopping around, my hairpiece wasn't staying put, and I was marrying the wrong dude.

None of that will happen. Right?

Project This

I really love going to weddings that have pictures of the bride and groom from before they met, after they met and all the friends and family they've had along the way. It's fun for many reasons- you get to see your friends as babies, you get to see them as awkward teens and you get to see their parents at their age. I've been trying to figure out the best way for us to do this at our wedding. One couple took time to show everyone, one couple had it playing in the background during dinner, and another had pictures near the desserts on a poster board. I think playing it on a loop in the background is the best for us. We want to have a massive, four hour long dance party as our reception so time is of the essence and space is limited. The biggest problem, how are we going to play the slide show?

Mike has been taking a class for professional development that seems to have a lot of grant money to throw around. The class is about using multi-media in the classroom so it makes sense when Mike comes home with a ridiculous loot. He's come home from one class with a net book, and another class with a video camera and a projector. All to keep. For himself. Even if he never teaches again. Since then, I've become an Internet widow who is constantly being videotaped. As is the cat. The projector is still in the box, thank goodness. So, the problem of playing the slide show is solved! Now we just need a scanner. I wonder if Mikey has another class coming up?

Is a Name Just a Name?

When talk of the wedding comes up it is inevitable that someone will ask me if I'm taking Michael's last name. It's a fair question to ask. I appreciate people asking. It's funny their response when I tell them I don't know yet. It's still a hotly debated issue with us. He wants me to take his name. I want to keep the name I have. That's what one calls a little bit of a disconnect.

We've discussed me taking his name, we've discussed me keeping my name, we've discussed hyphenation, we've discussed both of us hyphenating (ok- I discussed it.) Why shouldn't I keep my name? It's the name I was given and it's the name I've had for 28 years. Why should I change it simply because I am making my relationship a legal bond and not just an emotional bond? Michael and I are married in almost every sense. We have a joint checking account, we live together, know each other in the biblical sense and I clean his shit. No one expects me to change my name in these circumstances. If we stayed unmarried but had children, owned property together or were able to put one on the other's health insurance then no one would expect me to change my name. Why? Simply because we wouldn't be married.

Michael feels that in order for a family to be a family, for the children to feel that their parents are a unit, the wife needs to take the name of the husband. He argues that our children wouldn't understand that I'm part of their family if I don't have the same name. Family is such an easy concept my cat understands it. I seriously doubt my children will be unable to grasp the concept my self-licking cat can grasp. Is a family defined by name? By marriage? Are unmarried people who live as a family unit less of a family than married people? No. So why would married people with different names be any different?

Taking the husband's name comes from the same patriarchal traditions as the father "giving away" the daughter at the ceremony. The daughter/wife-to-be used to be considered property and the marriage ceremony was the cementation of the transfer of property from one family to the next. It was a way for rich people to keep everything with-in the rich people. The tradition that women are no longer property is a recent development. And only in Western cultures.

Though I have very strong feelings about this I really don't give a shit about women who change their names. It's their prerogatives. But I don't understand why I'm the one who needs to give up my identity. Why I'm the one who has to make the massive shift. It's fucked up and I'm apparently the only soon to be married or recently married person in my immediate vicinity who feels like this. I guess I'm just old school feminist. And I'm feeling pretty lonely right now.

Let Adam Marry Steve

I moved out of my parents' houses before junior year of college when I got an off-campus apartment and lived there year round. Mike was out of his parents' right after college and he and I have been living together for three years. We have all the stuff you need to live in a home. We have blenders, a toaster, kitchen mitts, pots and pans and a drying rack. If we really need anything it's more towels and a wedding dish set. And maybe more, real silverware- the cheap pieces we currently have keep breaking or melting. That's all I think we need anyway. Mike hasn't been too clear on what he wants on the registry. I'm assuming he's not going to add that much stuff to it since he's on the same page I am when it comes to stuff- we have enough of it. In fact, we're trying to get rid of stuff not amass more of it. This makes birthdays and Christmas difficult.

So, the wedding registry. I'm thinking we'll register at Macy's. Or really anywhere that has a dish set he and I like. I was thinking about possibly creating a honeymoon registry when I found out that many charities have wedding registries! Mike and I were already tossing around the idea of giving money to the American Cancer Society instead of wedding favors since we both lost godparents to cancer. It isn't much of a stretch to register with a charity in lieu of more gifts. The charity gets money, we can make the day about something bigger than ourselves and the donations are tax deductible for those who make them. This is win-win-win people!

With all the hubbub over same-sex marriage these days I've begun to feel guilty about marrying Mike. I feel like such an asshole by participating in a discriminatory institution (don't even get me started on feminism and marriage) but I want to get married. Why are Mike and I any different than Adam and Steve? When it comes down to brass tacks we aren't. I want to bring awareness to marriage equality on our wedding day but I've been struggling with how to do it. When I found out about registering with charities, not a day later did MissZoot voice the very thoughts I've been having about marriage in today's political climate. She linked to a donation page with the Human Rights Campaign that earmarks the donations for the fight for marriage equality. On that very page are couples who are foregoing conventional gifts for this awesome cause.

I immediately emailed Mike and pretty much demanded we register there with no debate. He laughed at my fervor but ultimately agreed. He and I both support equal rights. Of course we need to iron out the details but as soon as we figure out how we're going to approach this I am going full force on this. I will be sure to post about it here. I am thrilled! I feel like karma brought all these elements together to answer my plea. Way to go Universe.

Wedding Project #1

I mentioned some wedding projects I've been working on and here is the flower project. I read on one of the fabulous wedding blogs I browse about making fabric boutonnieres so I bought a bunch of fabrics in my colors of purple, teal, and gold. My crafty friends Karen and Lyndy helped me cut and put some prototypes together and here's what we came up with:



We have enough to make bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages. The whole gang will have their flowers of fabric and made by hand. I love it. These are just the beginning. I hope the others will look less... smooshed. I bought the wrong gauge wires and trying to wrap the wires around the fabric was proving difficult and resulted in the smooshed look. I haven't touched the project in months but it's so much fun. I need to get it in sight so it's in mind- right now it's in the office. It's so easy I can just pick it up whenever I'm sitting around watching Golden Girls- which is turning into three hours a day. I never realized how funny that show really is. It totally stands the test of time. I digress. If you need a project I totally suggest you take up making some fabric flowers.

The thing that's most exciting about them is surprisingly not how cheap they are to make but the fact that everyone involved will have a souvenir that lasts. I know the fellows aren't going to use them as book marks or something but their lady friends can. It's also really fantastic putting more than my money into the wedding. I'm putting my sense of style into it. I'm very excited.

And I'm Just Your Type

Mike and I are trying to plan a wedding for under $10,000. We would both love for it to be a smaller budget but considering our guest list is a pretty solid 160 people and we have to feed said people a reasonable amount of food, our budget must remain as such. (I am totally counting Barack and Michelle Obama in that number because I am SO inviting them even though I know they won't come but wouldn't it be super cool to have something with the president's stamped signature on it in lieu of attendance? Maybe Michelle will send a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a hand written note about how lovely it was for us to think of them but they must politely decline because they will be feeding starving children in Moldova for the weekend. How thoughtful of her. I'm sure she'll look fabulous no matter where she is. Gosh, I think she's sooo pretty.)

I've been looking at recommended blogs that share the goal of having a fun, inexpensive wedding that shows the couple's individual style. I've already gotten some fantastic ideas from these:

A Practical Wedding

2000 Dollar Wedding

Ten Thousand Only

Once Wed

I've gotten great ideas for all kinds of things. We'll see if we can do it and we're very confident we can. I love $2000 Wedding the most because though our budget is $10,000, I aim for lower. No matter, these sites fit the attitude I have to planning the wedding. And so far Mike's been on board with everything I've proposed. Yay!

I just don't understand why people are okay with spending an AVERAGE of $24,000 on a wedding and reception. I'm not saying that spending that kind of money makes you a bad person it just proves you have very different priorities. We have debt to pay and a house to someday buy and braces to put on the kids we want to have assuming I'm not sterile (really, my orthodontia work is something to behold.) Maybe these people are loaded or saved up for a wedding or just don't care to rack up more credit card debt. I'm not comfortable spending our current budget but we can't have a BBQ (we can but I don't think Mom liked that idea at all...) that we make ourselves for 160 people and the PRESIDENT AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE. We need to have something professionally done.

Anyway, I'll be posting some stuff I have planned if you're interested. Hell, even if you aren't interested this is my blog and I'll write what I want to. I'm very excited about what we have brewing but I won't let it dominate what goes on here. I think I've already proved that since I've been engaged for four months and hardly ever mentioned it. But I think you'll like what you see. I'm crafty.