Maybe It's Time to Brush Up on Your Spanish

So....

we still like Venice.

but we're finding the city on water to be expensive and somewhat inaccessible to our guests that may have difficulty climbing in and out of boats.

So now we're looking into some more affordable locations for all, and I think we've narrowed it down to Mexico.

We're not committing to a region yet, but the dollar goes WAY further in Mexico than it does in Europe. And we're not looking to go into debt over a wedding, we're just two kids that want to have fun. :)

So brush up on your Spanish and salsa lessons! We're thinking more like April 2010 now. Mariachis and margaritas, anyone?

Ole!

I think Venice is flooded right now.

Maybe we'll have to find another destination.

That would break my heart a little.

But as of today, December 4th, 2008, finishing school and the thought of finding a big-girl-job in June is so overwhelming that eloping in Vegas doesn't sound like a half-bad idea.

Sorry, Mom.

I won't do it, but it's tempting. Very tempting.

Mind Shopping

So I've been looking at dresses. Not because I'm ready to buy one yet, but because it's fun. I like this one so far.

Making a List. Checking It Twice

Still haven't heard from Regency, although this is the first time this week I've had time to notice. So I guess it's OK.

I took a break this morning from my life of writing fake ads for a fake income to do something even more fun: the guest list. As it sits now, there are 22 guests, plus a photographer (which I plan importing from The Creative Circus.)

I guess this means I have about 22 hand-made save-the-dates and invitations to think about. (Once we set the date, that is.) More on that later.

Wedding Bells in the Distance. The Far Distance.

So the million dollar question right now from friends and family is "Have you set the date?" The answer is no.

We're thinking of waiting to have the actual ceremony for two years for a few reasons.

1.) We are both still in school right now and want to focus on finishing up and starting our careers before we start a marriage.
2.) Money. We don't have much of it, and I hear you need some to finance a wedding. Especially when...
3.) We want to get married in Venice. Travel is a huge passion for us both, and we can't think of a better way to share that passion with our closest family and friends. Or a prettier backdrop for an intimate wedding.

So yeah. The plan is to get married in Venice in two years. Neither of us have ever been interested in having a big production wedding, so we'd really like to limit our guest list to 24 or less close friends and family members for the actual ceremony in Italy. The guest list will honestly be the hardest part for us. I wish that we could invite everyone, but since we can't, we do plan on having a larger reception in the States when we get back.

So we're giving ourselves two years. Two years to plan, two years to save, two years to get through all the paperwork and two years to learn Italian on a semi-proficient level. (PS- if anyone has a copy of Rosetta Stone Italian lying around, let me know. I'm desperate for a copy.)

I've been to Italy, but neither of us have ever been to Venice, so we're thinking about going with a Wedding Planning Service. We've been looking at a few and reading reviews from other Americans that married abroad, and so far the company we like the best is Regency, http://www.weddingsitaly.com/venice-wedding/. There are things like photographers, hair/make-up, flowers that we want to just get on our own, but it would be really helpful for a company like this to help plan things with ceremony and lodging accommodations, as well as all the paperwork to make the marriage legal. I wrote to them yesterday to find out what they can offer and for what price, so I'm anxious to hear back.

How He Proposed

Approximately 8:40 Sunday morning, October 26, 2008.

I'm lying in bed half-asleep when I hear Grant say "Look at me" in an oddly serious-type voice. So I turn to face him, and he says very seriously, "I love you." "I love you too," I reply somewhat sleepily.

Then, COMPLETELY out of left field, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He pulls out the ring. My eyes fix to adjust. "Are you kidding me?" I say out of complete shock. "Will you marry me?" He asks. "Yes of course I'll marry you!" And the rest is history.

Truth be told, I knew the ring was coming, I just didn't know exactly when or what it would look like. But it's perfect. .9 Ct cushion cut with 32 diamonds on the setting surrounding the main diamond and down the band. I will try to get a picture uploaded, but it's kind of difficult to photograph.

The proposal was really special to me because the first time he told me he loved me we were just lying in bed talking one night.

I guess fairytales aren't limited to storybooks.

Holy Crap I'm Engaged!

Excuse me for being crass, but there's really no other thought that comes to mind.

I still can't believe it. I was never one of those little girls that pined for Mr. Right and walking down the aisle. I've been career-minded forever, always putting marriage on the back-burner as one of those things that would happen down the road once I had the dream job. Now I'm 23 with my dream man, a sweet rock on my finger and I really couldn't be happier.

If you're ready to vomit, don't worry, I'm done with the sappy beaming bride-to-be stuff.

We plan on having a long engagement, thus this wedding blog to keep everyone on the same page (pun intended), up-to-date throughout the wait, and an outlet for me to keep sane.

You can receive email notifications about new posts by joining as a follower of the blog on the right side of the page. Pretty simple stuff, I think you just have to create a log-in identity. Feel free to leave comments, tips, and suggestions. We really have no idea what we're doing, so opinions are always appreciated. Opinions are probably the only thing I'll get for free throughout this process. :)