Let's get married in June!

"That's not very much time for planning!" Was my sister's comment when I told her that we were going to try for June (exactly 6 months away). My mother on the other hand said, "I won't put down any non-refundable deposits on a location until his final divorce papers are back (yes, the divorce from his ex is not yet final... don't ask). But... if you want my opinion, I think that you should get married in June. Your biological clock is ticking. And sometimes people move in and just never get around to getting married." Oh and yes - she said, "I want a son-in-law!" She likes John. I think she also said that he was a "keeper." I'm glad that my mother is excited. Even my sister seems excited. My sister stopped off at David's Bridal and tried on some bridesmaid outfits yesterday, before I'd even made my first bridal gown shop appointment. The report was that David's Bridal had cheep stuff and I wouldn't want to buy anything there. But she determined her sizes and the fact that anything she gets will need to be altered.

About 2 days ago panic set in. Do you know exactly what it takes to put on a classy wedding for 120 people in 6 months or less? Well, you don't want to know. I registered on "The Knot." It's a wedding website that has a very comprehensive "to do" checklist among other things. Before registering I paused. "How much email spam am I going to get when I sign up for this thing? Should I do it? They're going to send me email for every wedding-related promotional piece of crap that exists. I'm going to get spammed to the hilt. And there will be ads on every page. Brides must be the biggest and best target group to sell to. They're spending money on the wedding, on their wedding guests, on a honeymoon, on nesting in a new house, the list goes on. Sell, sell, sell. Buy, buy, buy. There is no end to the exchange of money for crap. And "The Knot" website is the right of passage to separating a bride from her family's money. I shouldn't sign up for the website. But I need a "to do" checklist and I'm not going to wait until I can buy a wedding planning book in a bookstore. I need the list NOW. I'm planning this wedding NOW. I only have 6 months! I don't even have 6 months! And this wedding is large and classy. I need to know what to do now! I signed up.

The first thing I learned is that you have to have "A Date." Even if you don't have A Date, you have to pick A Date. The Knot website makes you pick a date. You cannot sign up without it. That’s also the first question everyone asks when you say you are engaged. When is the date??? So I picked a date. June 24, 2007. There, I did it. Now we have “A Date.” I didn’t even ask John. Wow, it’s like a right of passage. You’re not really getting married until you’ve picked A Date. So, there. Now we are official. Maybe “The Date” will change. But that’s not important. Our entire relationship, our future, our existence is now reduced down to a single Date. Yes, we are getting married in June.