...The eye beholds the heart's desire. A. E. Housman
Who knew wedding planning could be so stressful? So I don’t have a date yet since I don’t have a ceremony/reception venue yet, but we are looking for a weekend in September 2012 and every place makes me feel like I need to reserve it now because someone else is already looking for September 2012 (seriously? I feel the pressure, no need to remind me and make me make an impulsive decision).
In addition, we are looking to have 200ish guests (rdm’s mom has EIGHT brothers and sisters plus spouses plus kids; each of my parents have three siblings with spouses, with kids, and some even have grandkids).
So I cannot get married in my home church because it is too small for 200ish people (I mean we might be able to fit them in there, but it would be like sardines in a can).
rdm’s home church is a little too far for my grandparents to travel plus it has bright plush red pews and carpeting which will clash with all color schemes I’m considering. But it is beautiful.
Above is a picture of my first wedding ceremony choice:
Isn’t this church beautiful and perfect for a wedding?…Not exactly perfect because the owner does not allow any weddings. :(
Second and Third choices:
Too expensive. Cost per person ranges from $130-150 and multiply that by 200 is $26,000+ not including the site fee ($3K - 6K), flowers, cake, music, photography, the dress, etc. And even though they are picture perfect, I cannot justify the costs. And I can’t even think of 10 people I love enough to spend $150 on food, especially when I know they probably won’t eat it or like it. That is one downside — if it isn’t fried chicken, most people won’t eat it. P.S. That food price does not include alcohol.
Fourth/Fifth Option:
These two are little more reasonable in price and are beautiful venues…
Problem #1. For the fourth option, I have to use this gazebo for the ceremony, which is alright but concerns me for various reasons (grass stains, rain, boats, geese honking and droppings, and some unsightly pipes in the background). So yeah, sounds like a deal breaker? The rain back up is also no where near as beautiful as Choice #1 above.
Problem #2. For the fifth option, it is much farther than Option #4…google took us up this long narrow sharply windy mountainy road with a drop off into a lake beside me and big rocks on the other side. It was pouring the rain, and I thought I was going to die. By the time we got back down the mountain, I vetoed the place for the mere fact that I didn’t want to be sick on my wedding day. But later I looked it up and found a much safer and easier (but much longer) route to take minus the sharp curves of death—thanks google.
Problem #3. Option #5 also has a menu that does not have southern fixings, or other things that my picky family and friends would enjoy, on the menu which may make it problematic if they have a set menu and cannot make some changes. But we’ll see.
So for now, I guess I’m off looking for Option #6 and #7. :(
a day in the life of my fiancée
My future mother-in-law’s cat, Pepper
So my love went home for the summer to the Outerbanks—but before you get too jealous, he isn’t spending the rest of his summer soaking up cancer by seashore. He is slaving away like me, but with a much better view, for Step 2 (the second board test for physician licensure). And I am a tad jealous that he has a seafood feast on an almost a daily basis…
Anyway, he arrived home a few days ago and has been studying 6-12 (that’s AM to AM) except he has this odd dilemma…
His mom’s house has super huge windows (almost floor to ceiling) in every room. And on frequent a basis there is this one female cardinal bird that keeps intentionally flying into the window. Not hard enough to knock herself out, but stupid enough to do it repeatedly. Well rdm looked it up and apparently female cardinals are very territorial and will attack other female birds; and of course, this female bird thinks her reflection is another female bird trying to steal her man (who just sits and watches from his nest) and keeps attacking the windows.
He isn’t really sure what to do. It’s not that it’s annoying — it’s just how could a bird be so stupid (and yes, I realize I’m saying this after I posted an article about birds using syntax/grammar). And you do feel a little sorry for the thing — it’s kind of like watching some repeatedly bang their head against the wall.
Well, my suggestion to rdm was to let Pepper (his mom’s cat) go after it.
You see Pepper used to be the most ferocious cat I had ever met. In fact, he would act more like a lion than a cat. I remember the first time I met him, I slept in rdm’s room and Pepper was so mad at me because that was his room. And he would grrrr and hiss at me like it was his job. He made me not want a cat.
But after his mom bought this house a few years ago, he has calmed down a lot and has become less wild. He’s afraid to go outside now…but I’m not sure I blame him. I think he got out once and realized just how good he had it. There is a jungle in the backyard full of deer, foxes, snakes, monstrous banana spiders, mosquitos and who knows what else—maybe even a gator or two. (And it’s environmentally protected and rdm’s mom can’t get rid of it.) So Pepper isn’t quite the lion he used to be. He even likes me now…especially when I’m in the kitchen or dining room.
But Pepper is scared to death of this crazy bird…he will slide across the room every time the bird hits the window. So my plan won’t work. For now rdm and his mom will be hanging wind chimes all around the house… Pepper will obviously not be participating in the operation. And hopefully the poor bird stops attacking her reflection.
My Grandmother’s little dutch boy and girl…she has had these since before I was born.
Westminster Abbey. London. Summer 2008.
oh london, i miss you and your charm.
Outer Banks, North Carolina. Summer 2010.
My future mother-in-law has a crab pot in her “backyard.” When rdm and I walked over to the sound to check it one evening we found this little guy and tried to set him free. But he held onto the tongs for dear life and I managed to snap one of my favorite pictures.
the sweetest proposal!
April 2, 2011 was one of the best days of my life and I don’t ever want to forget it:
rdm and I had decided to go to D.C. to see the Cherry Blossoms blooming. I wasn’t expecting a proposal because…
NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY
