How do you....

Plan a wedding out of state, when you know nothing about the location?  I mean, I have been there, when I was in the 6th grade, but remember absolutely nothing about the place.  Well, I do, but not really.  Not anything that will help with the planning of a wedding.

And I am an avid googler.  I google everything.  But what do you do when you feel that what you are looking for must just not be out there, because you can't find it.  And I don't mean something specific.  I am a 'wedding venues' or 'small wedding packages' kind of searcher.  I don't know what I want, til I see it.  Then, I am like, yep, that's it!  And this was not happening for me.  I had spoken to 3 officiants, one gave me nothing, another gave me one location, but I didn't 'feel' it, and the 3rd is like,  I will check out anything you want, I am open to whatever, I will be there this weekend, I will look at it.  So, we chose her.  She seemed the most helpful.  She seemed more like 'it's your wedding, I will do what I can to help you out'.  And not to mention that her prices were cheaper!  Hey, on a budget, so it's awesome to get what we want, at a cheaper price!

Any who.... so, we were at a loss, still.  We had decided on DC.  Yep, folks, we are getting married in DC!  But WHERE in DC was the question.  And then I got the bright idea, contact Amber - she lives near DC, and she just posted on FB about going there this past weekend.  So, I asked her for help.  And let me tell ya, she has been amazing!  She is our unofficial, unpaid wedding planner!  Well, she said she takes payment in the form of beer and cake.  How does it get any better than that?! :)

So, right now, we are looking into getting married at the George Mason Memorial.  I have to call today (which by the time this posts, will be yesterday.... told ya I would type it and post it the next day!:), to make sure it is not under reconstruction and that it is available on our date, and find out if we can pay the fee over the phone with a credit card and email/fax back the form, or if we have to send the form in with a check.

We have a cake slot booked.  We (as in Amber) is talking to photographers and a florist.  Friends of friends.  We have a reservation at Buca to host our 'reception' after the wedding.  Amber's Mom is going to do our invitations - I just learned that she has a print shop!

Now, here are the things we have to decide on.  Do we keep with the reception in DC?  It is going to cost us $25 a person at Buca.  Which, if only the people we think will go, go, then not a big deal.  But, if others decide to make the trip to DC, then that is going to get expensive, and over budget.  So, do we say after the wedding, everyone is invited to go to dinner (pay for themselves) and then when we get back home, have a reception?  That way, people may just decide to forgo the wedding, and just come to the reception.  And then also, friends and family that can not make it to the wedding, can come to the reception...

Also, invites vs announcements.  If we send out invites, and keep things as we have them now, what if people that we never would have imagined decide to come to DC?  (again, add in the $25 for each person at Buca = over budget)  So, in that case, we should just send out announcements, right?  Just announcing that we are married, after the fact?  I want to shout it from the roof tops that we are getting married.... I want everyone to know.  I am that happy and that excited about it.... but, my budget can't afford for everyone to want to come - actually, for any one other than we have wrote down already to come.

I can see why people run off and get married.  Well, we are running off and getting married, but not in the elopement kind of way.  Anyways, I can see why.  I understand it.  Cause I worry about other people.  I have invited my brother Doug to go.  Well, what if my sister decides she wants to go, or my other brother?  Chances are extremely slim for both, but what if? 

We have a budget, and there is no going over it.  Cause there is nothing over it.  That is where the money will stop. 

I can't believe that I am saying 'budget' and have repeated it several times.  Go on, go back and count, how many times have I put it in this post.... don't tell me how many, just forgive me for this, and for the countless other times you will hear read this word over the next 6 months.  So, just forgive me now, and don't hold it against me, K?  I can't believe that I am stressing over this.  Well, I really am not stressing.  Well, maybe a little... no, no I'm not.  Damn!

I feel like a giddy teenager.  I am super excited to marry this woman!  I am super excited to be planning it, and I mean REALLY planning it.  We have to really make decisions.  And we have to really make reservations.  And we have to really decide on things like flowers, and colors, and invitations vs announcements.

It is overwhelming.  For any one.  But for a couple of lez's who only put make up on maybe once a month, who when we dress up, we put on khaki's and a sweater, or a nice shirt, whose schedule is revolved around baseball and wrestling - to have to go through all this, well, it's overwhelming.  It's exciting! Extremely exciting! But overwhelming.

And Amber, if you read this.  You rock!  You really do.  You really have taken the stress out, for the most part.  You are the absolute most amazing unofficial, unpaid wedding planner... EvER!!



Oh, and budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget, budget....... yeah, I still feel like an idiot every time I say type that word!