Why Isn't This More Fun?

Ah Wendi,

I love how your keen sense of ladylike decorum comes through in your writing. I will never think of my protein shakes the same way again.

Hope you had a good weekend though. I miraculously survived another training session with Colossus and am anticipating another successful cleaning date with my beloved Dyson this morning.

But, alas, I'm feeling a little down. About this wedding planning stuff.

You know, before I met The Lawyer, I never allowed myself to visit TheKnot.com. Well, ok, fine. I might have typed the address into my web browser a few or dozen or so times, out of sheer boredom and desperation and inability to think of anywhere else to surf. But I never allowed myself to set up a profile.

I just knew it would be worth the wait. The BF would propose, I'd have my Ring of Dreams on my finger, and the sun would be shining and angels singing on the day I opened my laptop and logged into The Knot as a bride-to-be.

Things didn't exactly turn out that way, not that I mind. In fact I kind of love that the BF and I are doing things a bit inversely, booking our dream location before actually getting engaged (not that the event manager knows - sshhh!). Plus, it makes sense for me, since I will be starting my MBA in September. Best to get this stuff done now, as a Lady of Leisure, before I become a Student of Stress. I feel secure and happy and excited to get engaged and I think our family and friends will get a kick out of the fact that we booked everything before our actual engagement. I mean it's cute, right?

Me to family member/friend: "Guess what? I'm ENGAGED!"

FM/F: "That's great! I am so happy for you! Have you thought about a date?"

Me: "Yup! And a time, and a location. Invitations forthcoming. And there will be fabulous mini grilled cheese sandwiches passed during the 4:30-5:30 cocktail hour."

I mean, that's cute, right?

So why isn't this more fun?

We booked our date a couple weeks ago, and I had the green light to start planning, so off I went… and then I stalled. It wasn't until recently that I was able to sit myself back down to look at some caterer's websites. We also received our lengthy contracts in the mail, but signing them (and the deposit check to go along with them) was more painful than joyful.

Don't get me wrong. I was listening when EVERY bride EVER declared that planning a wedding is stressful. But this is, like, one of the only things on my docket right now. I could browse wedding sites all day, every day, la dee da, without a care in the world save for my aching legs courtesy of Colossus. And I am determined to have fun with it, dammit! Who cares if I don't have my Ring of Dreams tossing glorious rays of light around my kitchen as I type? Who cares if I am completely financially dependent on my fian - excuse me, boyfriend - right now and thus feel twice the pressure of a lack of liquid funds with which to consider satin linens over polyester and butternut squash soup served in a wee carved out pumpkin over a plain old bowl?

Oh - I care. Crap.

Wah...
DG

All Choked Up and Nowhere to Go

Wendi!

Ok, first of all? I cannot believe I was not invited to your Domestic Partnership ceremony at the local post office. I mean granted I am like thousands of miles away, but still. This is momentous! And even though you probaby just wore your typical DP uniform of tank top, brown pants, and brown boots, please tell me you at least made the effort to wear your water bra. Until I hear confirmation of this, I will choose to believe it was so.

As you know, Minister, I have commenced my wedding planning with ringless elation. I am trying to take it slow, as we still have over a year before the big day, and I want to savor each and every bullet point and tickbox on TheKnot.com's wedding planning calendar and interactive checklist. But I have a confession. And now that you're going to be our minister, you will hear my confession, right?

I just spent about an hour poring over four - count 'em - four online wedding-related photo albums for a couple I don't even know. A cute young couple from Illinois. The bride went to high school with my cousin/maid-of-honor-to-be, and so my cuz forwarded me the link in case I'd be inspired by their tasteful fall nuptials. I started with the wedding album, since it was the only one that was relevant to me. But it sucked me in. Easily. So I went back and watched all four of the albums in order, witnessing their photographic journey from engagement to wedding to reception to honeymoon. Although I felt like a bit of a voyeur during the honeymoon slideshow, so I washed the dishes. But I still let it play. And I still got choked up. Choked up looking at photos of a relationship and wedding of people I don't even know! Is that weird?

I have realized, and come to accept, that the closer I get to realizing my lifelong dream of being a bride, the more emotional I get about weddings. Real weddings, TV weddings, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." I watched that one for the umpteenth time a couple weeks ago - even before the BF and I had set the date - and while I always used to choke up when the parents give that cute Nia Vardalos and Aidan (I'm sorry, but he will always be Aidan to me) a house, the other day? Tears. Streaming down my face.

And just yesterday I watched a video news clip of two lesbians, aged 84 and 87, who'd been together for 55 years, tie the knot (legally! yay!) in San Fransisco. They were totally composed and adorable. I was crying like a baby.

So there. I said it. I have become a voyeuristic crybaby wedding nut. Let's move on.

xoxo,
DG

We Booked a Date! We Booked a Date!

Dearest Wendi,

So not only is our wedding date almost a palindrome, but it's also exactly one month before my birthday. And not only is that cool in itself, but I will also still be only 28 when I get married! Woohoo!

Now is where I prepare to defend myself over the fact that I am not, quite, yet engaged. So I don't have the ring on my finger. And I haven't been officially proposed to. Because the ring has not even been purchased (and I know for a fact it has not). Whatev. You know that the BF and I are MFEO - you, after all, are responsible for our match in the first place! You knew it before I did! We just moved to London together. We have a joint checking account. We even have (adorable) names picked out for our children! And also? In case you are still going to give me crap about this? See below:

(Me diving into my MBA program in a few months)*(Having way less time to plan after September) + Planning a wedding from abroad + Booking a fabulous, popular location that is very meaningful for us = Admittedly inverse yet necessary order of operations

See? It's a mathematical fact that things had to happen this way.

The best part is that now I get to plan it! I have dreamt of my wedding my whole life. Now I can actually BUY all those bridal magazines instead of just gazing at them longingly from behind an US Weekly! I can surf all those wedding sites without being afraid the BF will see them in my web history! This is going to be fab. Ooh. I also need to decide on a ring ASAP. So much to do! TG I'm unemployed.

Just don't tell anyone, k? The BF and I are keeping this to ourselves (and you, and my cousin - she is after all the maid of honor, and probably my best married friend Sharon).

Yours in almost-engaged-bride-to-be bliss,
xoxo
Your Favorite Domestic Goddess