NotTheRock Musings

You know how people often joke about eloping? Well, they're probably not joking.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I want a real wedding. I want all the fun that goes with it. But I also completely understand right now why so many couples who are getting married get to that "let's get this over with" stage long before their wedding day actually arrives.

Something I would advise people not to do is think about what you could be spending your money on if you weren't putting on a massive party and buying dinner for 200 people. Because, really, it's kind of not fun to think about how much cash you spend.

Yet there you are, making budgets and trying to keep a handle on everything so you don't go completely out of control. And then you've got parents offering to help out and so you really do have to figure out exactly what everything is costing. And, just like buying a house, eventually you become numb to it.

"Oh, that's $2,000? Oh, okay, let me write you a check."

Also like buying a house, I feel like this becomes a full-time job in and of itself. You have things like booking a reception hall, booking a church, finding a photography location, finding a photographer, finding a DJ, finding a videographer, locking in a block of hotel rooms, making dozens upon dozens of phone calls, managing budgets, determining centerpieces, determining bouquets, making pocket squares, making favors, making invitations, making invite lists (for engagement parties, showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsals, weddings, etc.), monitoring those invite lists, following up with people who don't reply, registering for gifts, tracking who sent what, sending thank-yous, returning gifts you registered for but once you have them wondered why you ever wanted them in the first place, deciding on rehearsal dinner location, deciding on engagement party location, deciding on consummation location, finding a dress for the bride, finding dresses for the bridesmaids, finding tuxedos for the groomsmen, making sure the groomsmen get measured (for their tuxes, that is), finding the bride a place for hair and makeup, agreeing on a honeymoon, planning a honeymoon, designing wedding rings, ordering wedding rings, deciding what gets engraved in wedding rings, deciding on menus, deciding on cocktail food, deciding on dinner food, deciding on song lists, getting the stupid marriage license that you can only do on weekdays and with a birth certificate, making a seating chart, filling out placecards.... and well, plenty of other things.

It's actually been a fun process and we can't believe we're now under three weeks to go. Of course, we're now into the mission critical stage where we really are out of weekends to say, "We'll get to that..." The truth is, most of this has to be done by next weekend because the weekend after that it all has to be delivered to the reception hall and final payments need to be made. Hooray. Then it's a fun week leading to the wedding (stressless, I'm sure), then the wedding and then off to Hawaii to do nothing for almost two weeks.

I'm not sure we'll know how to cope with not planning this blessed event once we're done. Not that it's over at that point since we'll have all those thank-yous to write. I guess we'll need something to do on the ten-hour flight. Besides join the mile-high club, that is.

Labels: going insane, money, wedding