Wedding Planning 101

Well, it finally happened. The reality of 13 months hit me, and thus, launched my wedding planning campaign. Until now, it seemed sorta painful, and more of a pain in the ass than anything... a ton of shit to figure out... making sure everyone is happy, everyone agrees on everything. But as time wore on, I realized... as long as Dave and I are happy with the decisions being made, then that's all that matters. And Dave could care less on most of the issues at hand. But I couldn't help but think, with 16 months to go, that concerning myself with what kind of chair covers we wanted in the ballroom just seemed absolutely ridiculous.

(But, to be honest, even worrying about that the day of the wedding seems ridiculous too. Who cares?! Well apparently these are things that you need to very meticulously plan out in order to make your day perfect. Or at least that's what they tell me. There will undoubtedly be details that really do not concern me or Dave, but the powers-that-be will have a strong opinion, and they will be honored, regardless...)

I have several friends who have already planned, or are in the process of planning weddings, and I am definitely seeking their expertise and advise on certain things, but a lot of this I am sorta hoping to discover and have fun with on my own (with the help of my one and only wedding planner... Mom).

I've actually been criticized, twice now, for planning "too far in advance." People have told me, "you have plenty of time, why are you worrying about this now?"
I didn't realize there was a time frame? I mean, yeah, a lot of websites and bridal books propose suggested timelines and checklists for the who, what, when, where, and why of things, but I they're simply that... suggested. And anyone who knows me knows... I am a busy little bee. So the time I have free, I like to dedicate it to the important things... one of which being planning our wedding. :)

For anyone concerned that I'm planning too far in advance - rest assured, I've got it under control. I figure, the more stuff I have figured out now, the less I'll have to worry about as time rolls on. And I have a feeling that 13 months is going to sneak up on me a lot sooner than I think. I mean, it feels like just yesterday that we got engaged... and that was almost five months ago!

Anyway... so far, we've only made a few decisions, but some of the most important ones. For example, we've decided to have both the ceremony and the reception at The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, which both Dave and I really like, and my parents are very happy with. There are definitely a lot of details to work out, but knowing that place is ours the night we want it is definitely a comfort. We also have our DJ secured... my friend Cisco, of MoonLiteSound Entertainment. Many people have expressed their opinions about DJs versus bands, and before I was really taking them to heart. But ultimately I decided... why spend all that money on a band just so people show up with shiny saxophones? This is by no means saying that bands are not an excellent addition to a wedding experience. I've been to several weddings that have had bands, and yes, they are cool. I mean, bands can be a lot of fun; they get people up and dancing, they look pretty and, in some people's opinion, add class to an event. But I am really excited to have Cisco be a part of our special day, because he knows me, and will put on a show that suits me and Dave. Plus, we won't have to worry that any songs that are important to us are not played the way we'd like them to be... I can't imagine our proposed wedding song being played by anyone but the original artist... it would do it no justice!

So the adventure has begun. My Mom and I have had several sit-downs to date, and our next big step will be picking a photographer. Stuff like bridesmaids dresses, and flowers and cakes, and my gown will come together over the next 4 or 5 months, I'm sure - there is no rush for those. But the ultimate realization I've come to is this: I am going to keep my ideas and thoughts and opinions of how this day should be between me, Dave, and my parents, because I really want to make sure this is exactly how we want it... although I value my friends and family's opinions, I really feel as though this needs to be done by us, for us!

So there you have it. The McCord-Rolston wedding saga begins...