Fun wedding!

I found this really funny article......"20 Wacky Wedding Locations"

Saddle Up First, head for Hazel's Rawhide Western Store in nearby Burlseon to outfit yourself in western wedding garb. The store's sales staff will coordinate your nuptials at its wedding site in Godley, Tx, a barn and gazebo on 90 acres of land. In Godley guests will sit on bales of hay and eat at tables decorated with Western-style centerpieces (cowboy boots filled with wildflowers). Add to the fun with a hay ride or old-fashioned hoedown. 817/295-7725 or 817/295-0016 or hazels.com (Well gosh and hee-haw. Pass. ~A)

Marry Your New Hunka Hunka Hubby For Elvis devotees, exchange vows at Graceland's front gates or in the new Graceland chapel in Memphis. There are a variety of officiants to choose from, including retired judges and Christian ministers. Don't count on getting married by an Elvis impersonator, though. To preserve the sanctity of the King, look-alikes are not permitted on Graceland's grounds. For a tie-in honeymoon, walk across the street to the recently opened Heartbreak Hotel (complete with a heart-shape swimming pool). Graceland 800/238-2000 or elvispresley.com; Heartbreak Hotel 877/777-0606 (Uh, let's see. No.)

Walk the Plank to Wedded Bliss. Become pirates for a day aboard The Reef Chief, a 65-foot wooden schooner in Stock Island, FL (near Key West). You can exchange rings beneath the skull and crossbones flag while your guests wear eye patches and faux parrots on their shoulders. 305/292-1345 or reefchief.com (Ok this is kind of cool. But I really like pirates.)

We're On Top of The World, Ma Top it all off with a marriage at the Sears Tower in Chicago, the largest occupied building in the world. With 360-degree views, the Top of the Tower on the 99th floor guarantees that you'll be on cloud nine on your wedding day. 312/993-9801 or sears-tower.com

Boldly Go Where Few Couples have Gone Before For die-hard Trekies, the only place on earth where you can have a personalized Star Trek wedding is aboard the USS Enterprise at the Las Vegas Hilton's Star Trek: The Experience. Vulcan ears and phaser guns are de rigueur, but Klingon witnesses are optional. 702/697-8753 (Dear God don't let Rob see this. )

Reveal Your Tell-Tale Hearts At The Enchanted Garden at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, VA, the quaint historical garden will inspire you to exchange poetic vows. 804/648-5523 (Very nice. I like this. )

Make like You're Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks Remember that romantic scene at the top of the Empire State Building from Sleepless in Seattle? Create your own love story and become husband and wife on the 80th or 102nd floor of this New York City landmark. 212/736-3100 x355 or esbny.com (Rob would NEVER go for this. )

Make Your Catch a Keeper Climb aboard a 160-year-old whaling ship that's permanently docked within Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT. The ship's vintage figureheads and sea chantey musicians help create the illusion of a wedding at sea. 860/572-5305 (Kind of cool.)

Get Loaded on History Try the Lanthier Winery in Madison, IN for an intoxicating wedding. The winery is located in an 18th-century fort complete with gun stations, so you can blend your passions for wine, guns and history. 800/41-WINES (Combining wine and guns? Recipe for disaster!)

A Kayak Nut's Dream Wedding Get married on a kayak in Trinidad, CA. North Coast Adventures will give you and your sweetie the gear you need to glide over beautiful bodies of water like Trinidad Bay and the Klamath River Estuary. You can arrange to say "I do" while floating in a secluded sea cave in Mendocino, CA. 707/677-3124 or northcoastadventures.com (Excess "junk in the trunk" does NOT equal a great kayak experience. 'nuff said. )

Be Queen for a Day Live out your medieval fantasies and step back into 16th-century England at the Ohio Renaissance Festival at Harveysburg. The King and Queen wedding package includes a wedding officiant, leather pouches for the groomsmen and hand-blown perfume bottles for the bridesmaids. 513/731-9255 or renfestival.com/weddings.html (Now this I really like. Too bad it's not in MA.)

Just You, Him and Lots of Big, Red Rocks Hop a helicopter in Sedona, AZ, and land for a private ceremony in a secluded spot like the top of a mesa or the canyon at Red Rocks. After a champagne toast, the officiant and photographer depart in the helicopter and leave you to enjoy a picnic for two. The chopper returns after the meal to take you for a whirl around Sedona. 800/9-RED ROCK or weddingsinsedona.com (This is a really sweet one as well.)

Start a Wonderful Life Together Jimmy Stewart- style Get married at Rouki's restaurant in the actor's hometown of Indiana, PA. The restaurant is filled with memorabilia from It's a Wonderful Life and is always decorated for Christmas. (No worries-Mr. Potter's not on the guest list.) 724/465-7200 or roukis.com (Snore fest!)

You Two Crazy Kids Go up engaged and come down married on the ferris wheel at Valleyfair Family Amusement Park in Shakopee, MN. You, your groom and the minister sit in one car while your wedding party rides in surrounding cars. Afraid of heights? Have the ceremony on the merry-go-round. 800/FUN-RIDE or valleyfair.com (Just what we want - a wedding party where everyone is screaming or throwing up!)

Go Tell It on the Mountain Hold your ceremony at the Grand Teton Mountains at Jackson Hole, WY-13,770 feet above sea level. Postnuptials, you can ski down a black diamond run, if your knees will let you. Less seasoned skiers can do their recessional down the mountain by snowmobile or ski lift. 800/842-0391 or tetonmountainweddings.com (Great if you're marrying Picabo Street!)

Get High on Love Trade vows aboard a hot air balloon that flies above Portland, ME. You have some choice over where you take off, but the wind predicts where you'll land. So have your getaway car trail the balloon. hotairballoon.com (Definite "Awwwww!" romance factor!)

From the Ground Up Go undercover at the Bridal Cave beneath Thunder Mountain in the Missouri Ozarks (2 miles north of Camdenton, MO). This romantic underground wedding chapel is adorned with stalactites and unique onyx formations. The cavern's temperature hovers around a cool 60 degrees, so jackets are required. 573/346-2676 or bridalcave.com Stephen Fassi's DREAM wedding ()

Catch a Wave. With Anointed Weddings in Maui, you throw on your bathing suits, grab a surf board and jump into the ocean to pledge eternal love. The minister is an expert surfer, so along with a spouse, you might pick up some tips on hanging 10. 800/962-7622 or maui.net/~anointed (Like fer sure I like totally am like in love with you. )

Take the Plunge-Literally. If you're both thrill-seekers, why not jump out of a plane together? Skydiving Center in Ocean City, MD, promises an uplifting experience for the bride and groom. After you land, make a grand entrance to your on-ground ceremony with parachutes in tow. 410/213-1319 or skydiveoc.com (They forgot the byline followup story "The bride and groom spent their wedding night in bed- seperate beds with VERY large casts on their legs.")

I suppose it was inevitable...

...That I be sent the link for ugly brides and bridesmaids dresses as an upcoming bride to be. http://www.uglydress.com/brides.html
But nothing prepared me for the horror that was out there. Take a look at what I found. http://custurd.b3ta.com/mirror/klingonwedding/ I hesitate to show this to Rob because he might think it would be "cool" Oh the horror.

So my mother had a dream last night....

.... and here it is, as she told it to me.
All was well the day of the wedding. When she arrived at the bridal suite, I was all ready, while Stacey and Sharrie were walking around in slips. Apparently in her dream she doesn't think she's going in the limo, so she took her own car and went to the church, but I was hidden from her. When the doors at the back of the church opened, there I was standing next to my father, and over my beautiful dress and veil Mom said I was wearing a stained discolored frayed raggedy knitted poncho that looked like it came from an attic as well as a blue overlay jacket, like you would wear over a bathing suit. Down the aisle I went, like nothing was wrong. Said my vows, back up the aisle and out the door. She finally got to me and asked why on earth I would wear such an outfit, and I looked at her and said "Stacey told me to wear it." Awesome. Might possibly be the funniest thing I heard all day, and I knew I had to share.

the weekend in review

So we've met with, and received prices from, a local florist. I never realized flowers were so expensive. Kind of hard to justify, as far as I'm concerned, spending so much money on something which is going to die in like 3 days. So that brought me to the brilliant idea of making the boutinnieres. (Excuse the spelling, I always spell this one wrong) Largely due to the fact that I've realized that guys really do not give a crap about flowers.
This weekend was spent at the home of my future in-laws, being "crafty". I think "the bouts" came out really nice... but I am quickly learning that one of the joys of impending marriage is compromise... and not being reactionary when an opinion differs from my own. I've also started the favors, which my future mother in law is helping me with. The centerpieces will be started soon by me... and all the components for these items are being stored at Rob's parent's house. (Bless them for doing that as I am rapidly running out of room in my little apartment!)
We've also realized that the rehearsal dinner can be held at St. Anne's in the church hall, which we could have for free (!) Only downside, if you can consider it that, is that there is no alcohol consumption permitted on church property. Not that big a deal... as it's going to just be a casual dinner Thusday before the wedding. Saves the MOG and FOG tons of money, tables and chairs are there already, we can decorate, and get in there in the afternoon and set up - which my cousin Kim and her husband Ray have graciously offered to do for us.
Our detailing appointment is scheduled for March 7, to go through all the fine details with the wedding coordinator at the hall... that will mean I REALLY have to give up control, as they will be doing all the set up. Time for me at that point to take off the "wedding planner" hat! Easier said than done. :)
So there we go. 4 months and 25 days. :)

I cannot believe....

...........we are going to be here in 5 months.

Bloody Bay Beach, Negril Jamaica....

...sigh.....

So much!

So the wedding train just keeps chugging right along. According to Calendar Countdown http://www.ssinet.com/about/staff/drr02.asp we have 4 months and 30 days til the wedding. Yesterday we had a full day of wedding. We started out meeting with Rev. Peggy and getting our latest homework, which was a pre-marriage inventory - sort of like Newlywed Game questions about eachother. Very revealing! Then it was on to check out local florists and make some decisions about the corsages, bouquets, and boutonnieres. (Mind you between the groom to be, the groom's party, readers, fathers, and grandfathers, I need *** 15 *** of them) Rob of course has a complete allergic reaction and lasts about 5 minutes in the florist. We did find a great place in Billerica that I just know will do amazing work for me. Then it was over to Mom's to go over a few items. At that point I got a call from Montilios' in regards to the cake that I have fallen in love with (almost as much as Rob!) - long story short we were invited to a cake tasting held at Yolanda's in Waltham - where we had the chance to taste **** 5*** different cakes - very generous slices, not whole cakes! Orange and vanilla, white cake with raspberry, marble cake with mocha buttercream, and our two favorites carrot cake and chocolate truffle. YUM! We were twitching for the rest of the night on sugar highs! (And I was thinking dress fitting in April, put the FORK DOWN!)
Just one question... How do these people sleep at night... quoting us $762 for a frickin' cake - it's sugar flour eggs and oil, people! I will not post a picture for our intrepid readers... there should be SOME surprises after all! :)
There may also be some upcoming news regarding our living situation, if all goes well. Not going to jinx it at this juncture. Just think well of us as we consider future endeavors. (And by future I mean pre-wedding, in April.)
We'll talk soon.
Your faithful Bride to Be

Ho Ho Ho!

Christmas at Joe and Dimitri's.

Aren't we just too cute for words?

Awesome pic from Christmas

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey, with the future Mr. and Mrs. Haskell, picture taken by Aunt Linda at Christmas. Very cute pic. I like this alot.