Shrinking.

Today I decided to shrink my wedding. Pre-engagement I had envisioned a teeny-tiny wedding, but then when I got engaged and started thinking about all of the people in my life I began to rethink things. Why would I say no to anyone who I care about? Invite 'em all! But ehhhh...

Not that I was planning something big anyway. But now I'm thinking to keep it the sort of party that Drew and I like (i.e. one where you can talk to everyone, tell jokes, be casual and light-hearted) we need to adjust  expectations. Smaller guest list for smaller people, amirite?

So imagine us in a rustic lodge with these centerpieces:

And invitations like this:

And this is totally not my style, but it's so awesome I have to mention it:

Don't get it yet? What if I mention Super Mario Bros?

Yesssss clouds with coins. That's a theme wedding I could get behind!

HOLD ON TO YR PANTIES LADIEZZZZZZ

Church Street Bridal has got a blog!

They do things like sell the above $7,600 dresses for $450. They also donate their proceeds to women and children. So... it's really the only place where I'd consider buying a dress other than The Internet. The endless black void of the Internet.

Today I called my first venue to get an idea of what we're talking about $$$ wise. It is absurd. ABSURD. I have a few places to call before begging neighbors to let me use their backyards, but I did think about just grabbing long-suffering Drew and our families and heading up to Niagara Falls to do it 1950s/Jim & Pam style. I love the falls and Drew does love the cold. So I guess that's still an option, but it turns out that those packages are also ridiculously overpriced. What's a lady gotta do to get murried?

Hey dudes

Forget Lynchburg: let's destination wedding out to Highclere Castle, the location of Downton Abbey.

Have I told you about Downton Abbey? If not, then we probably haven't talked in person for any extended period of time, because this show is all I can talk about right now. Scandals! Melodrama! Pretty things! Dame Maggie Smith--it's got it all. Listen them talk about it:

Somebody hand me the funds so we can get everybody over the England! And call ahead to see if we can hook an iPod up to a sound system! 

Wedding planning update:

Mid-July wedding planning update:

We've got a date.
No venue.
No dress.
Haven't asked ppl to be my bridesmaids.

So good progress, right?!

I did ask the church of my childhood about having our ceremony there. They are charging $500 for the venue rental + ~300 additional costs for officiants, cleaning, music, etc. I went to preschool at this church, I got baptized there, I'm confirmed as a member there--no discounts. Then on top of that they have things in their terms like no secular music and no photography during the ceremony and some nambly pambly terms for outside officiants, which aren't exactly deal-breakers but when you're paying $800 you might want to use music you like and have some pictures to show for it. So, sorry childhood church, you are out.

So back to square one on all fronts. Effin' weddins.

Also, to dispel some wedding planning myths: looking at pictures of weddings is way more fun when you're not planning a wedding. Now I look at pictures and think of logistics and costs and how other people would feel about it. Also, I am not a nice person so I see pictures of the mustaches on sticks and I say, "Your twee aesthetics bore me."

In the two months since getting engaged I have seen ONE wedding featured on a wedding blog that appeals to my aesthetics and seems like something I would actually be able to pull off without isolating entire factions of my guests.  Thanks Molly and Nick for cardigans, backyards, sunflowers and books. Thank you for being classic and unique instead of obnoxiously one-sided.  (Example pictures follow)

While yellow and gray are not my colors of choice, A+ for cardigans and sunflowers.

Reasonable centerpieces, yet classy. Well-played.

Ladies gettin' murried.

In a nutshell: Always wanted to get married, always wanted to be married. It's happening, Captain-ing.

Also in a nutshell: Lots of marriage things make me feel weird and icky. I've said before that participating in certain weddings makes me feel like I'm aiding in the oppression of a friend. Gross. Don't want that wedding.

And now for dresses: