INVITE ME!!!

Weddings. Ya can't get married without 'em!

Even though I am joyfully excited to be taking the leap this July, I am also more than a little overwhelmed. Life has become a series of lists; what I have accomplished and what I have yet to accomplish. There is a never ending list of details to attend to. And I do mean NEVER-ENDING! I have my dress and the bridesmaids' pretty much squared away and Raymond has all but finished the big stuff: church, hall, minister(s), band. Now we have the barrel of invitations, decorations, flowers, photographer, dinner menu, cake design, flowergirl's dress, groomsmen atttire, transportation, registry, honeymoon, hotels, rehearsals, parties, and showers to stare down. I think I missed a few. But that's about how it goes.

Invitations turn out to be a huge pain! (those of you already married, try to act shocked.) For instance, we have a list that is 193 invites deep. Those invites each represent at least two people. So, we're talking 400 people we would invite if we could. Our reception hall only seats 260 including the bridal party, so obviously we will need to separate people we would like to invite, but probably shouldn't until we have some regrets from the family and intimate friends list. How are you to do that? I'm calling this stage "Toe-Stepping." I've had one woman so far who sidled up to me, introduced herself as a friend of my fiance's family and demanded an invite. Sadly, she's on the B-list.

Envelopes. Do you know how to properly address an envelope? To a married couple? To a same-sex couple? To a live-in couple or amrriage partners who didn't take the same last name? Including children or not? It's all etiquette. I hate etiquette, but you can't address wedding invites without it. So now I know the "proper" answers to all these questions. (I'll tell you later if you really want to know.)

It's enough to give a girl a fit. I see now why we have videos on youtube of women chopping off their hair (actually staged, but we can relate), shrieking in rage, fainting, and generally acting insane on or near the day of their wedding. It can be a lot to handle. I've decided that I want to enjoy the heck out of my wedding planning and my wedding. One thing I don't want happening is to get to the day and be so concerned with details that I miss out on just looking my darling in the eyes and appreciating the man I am (hopefully) going to spend the rest of my life with. So, even if I have to give myself a proverbial lobotomy the day before the wedding, I am determined to let it all go and enjoy every loud and boisterous - as well as tender and private - moment of this day.

But in the meantime, I have some invitations to address...