13 Days

I never cease to be amazed at how quickly time passes. A few months ago, August seemed as far away as Darwin’s Origin of the Species from the Southern Baptist Convention’s recommended reading list and now it’s here. That’s the way time usually works though, barring the involvement of Christopher Lloyd or Hermione Granger’s jewelry– it usually moves forward like this. I mean, I’ve been doing this Life thing for over nineteen years, so you’d think I’d get it by now. Nevertheless, my brain still reeled in surprise when I woke up yesterday morning to the warm, midsummer sun and thought “IT’S AUGUST! AUGUST EXISTS!”

A whole day later, it’s no longer sunny and I’ve stopped thinking in all caps (for the most part) but I’m still awe-struck that I get married in less than two weeks. The past few days revealed that this is the part of the wedding planning process when you have to start being on the phone or answering emails all the time. From two hour pre-marital counseling sessions via speaker phone with the pastor who will officiate the ceremony, to hastily typed emails to the florist, to answering text, Facebook and telepathic messages from friends regarding travel plans and other details, I feel like I’m never without some sort of digital communication device. I’m also kind of a sucky bride. I’m supposed to know exactly what I want the napkins to look like, exactly how I want my bouquet hang and exactly how everything should unfold that day. To be honest, everytime I thought about my wedding as a little girl, it looked different. I fantasized about Celtic weddings, Swing Dance weddings, Renaissance weddings, Simple Pastoral weddings and Harry Potter weddings. Now all that really matters to me is marrying Graham. I mean, I want the wedding to be lovely and enjoyable and unique, but if I can have a strong marriage and a loving husband, none of the other stuff is that important.

Because of money and time and other practical factors, none of the themed weddings conceptualized by brilliant ten year old me could fully be realized, so I ditched the theme idea. Nevertheless, a little bit of all of those themes somehow made it into the wedding plans. We’ve got a beautiful pastoral setting (read: farm and barn), celtic hymns and post-wedding bonfirething, plenty of swing music and jazz at the reception, and a few Harry Potter touches in decorative details. The tiara part of my veil was purchased at a renaissance festival to round things out. On top of that, the BBQ, casual atmosphere and well, lack of indoor plumbing, add touches from each of our families. (My family really likes camping out in places without bathrooms, Graham’s family is a fan of the grill, and my parent’s wedding involved paper plates. Not that we’re goint to be having paper plates, but we thought about it.)

I’m also thrilled that I’ve largely managed to escape the soul-sucking, wallet-draining clutches of the mass-produced wedding industry. The venue belongs to Graham’s church, the florist a family friend, the DJ recommended (and graciously paid for) by the Pastor’s wife. My mom made the table cloths and most of the decorations, family and friends are preparing the food, and my dress was ordered from a vintage shop for a barely triple digit sum. Ok, the wedding cake is outsourced, but only because Graham really wants a pretty cake. And he’s the groom so I guess he has some say in dessert choice. There’s still a lot to be done, but I’m so greatful and thankful for all the help I’ve had so far from my supportive family and friends. I can’t believe so many people are traveling so far for this wedding and I’m almost more excited about seeing all of my friends than I am about the wedding itself. (That’s a stretch actually, but I am pretty thrilled about seeing many of my closest friends all in one place.)

I’ll hopefully update at least once or twice before the wedding. See you later in (gasp) August!