engagement plans and wedding thoughts

I cannot seem to calm down tonight—too much pent up energy and too much time spent reading articles! So, I am catching up on internetting and wedding things.

David and I are going ring shopping on Friday. I hope we are successful this time. We’re going to the Toronto jewelry exchange, and if we can’t find anything there we will broaden our search. I’m really hoping we find a ring on Friday though, particularly one we can afford.

I think we’re going to get our engagement photos done at a portrait studio, instead of hiring a photographer and going outside somewhere. Based on some of the ones I’ve priced in the GTA, I don’t think we easily, or prudently, afford one. Which led to the question/solution of forcing a friend to do it. Which is scarcely different from our annual Christmas photo. David suggested a portrait studio when I was lamenting this, and I had been thinking the same—particularly because I liked the “old fashionedness” of it. We are fairly antiquated in our mores anyway, and I have fond memories of all the old family portraits hanging at home or tucked in the giant heavy portrait album. So, that is most likely the route to go, and I’m looking forward to doing pricing in earnest and getting them done. My parents want to put the announcement in the local paper!

I have contacted all my bridesmaids and my maid of honour and everyone (Madeleine, Sarah, Julia, and Tara) has agreed. I know it is a bit early, especially since we don’t have a date set yet, but I didn’t see much point in waiting. And my Madeleine is already helping me with planning and tips which is great. With my family so far away it is really nice to have a good friend in town to be excited about this with me, and brainstorm with, etc.

I’ve had a lot of fun asking people to be in my bridal party, but my favorite moment was asking Madeleine to be my Maid of Honour. We were sitting on my couch, half watching TV, quite full from a meal of burritos and beer, when we started discussing wedding things and she wanted to know who was in my bridal party. So I asked her to be my maid of honour, and she did this incredibly cute laugh-cry thing, and then I started crying, it is was this totally sappy and girly moment of joy and total embarrassment and more joy. But what makes it so fun for me is that David was sitting on the other end of the couch and was oblivious to everything. Madeleine and I were sitting there, hugging and laughing and crying, and he was passively drinking beer and watching The Office. Classic.

I am still trying to figure out what kind of wedding/reception I want, mood-wise. I need to sit down with David and discuss it with him. Everyone keeps telling me that I’m the bride and it’s my day, but that’s not really true. It’s my and David’s day, and it’s our families’ day. And although I won’t pretend that I can make everyone happy, I want to find something that expresses who we are, not just who I am.

On that note, I should try to wind down and go to bed.