More Wedding Planning, Upcoming Trips and Training!

So, I think we're getting married in a wine cave...not sure yet. We're checking it out Labor Day weekend. I have my dress pattern and I got 5 yards of muslin to do a practice run before I try anything on nice fabric. This should be interesting...

Labor Day weekend we are going to Northern CA and spending the weekend with my family doing a wine weekend in Sonoma! I am SO excited about this. I miss my sisters and my mom...and we always have so much fun together. And we get to check out venues! Justin and I are really looking forward to this...and it's an early celebration for us. I won't say for what but let's just say something is (hopefully) ending for him soon and he's really excited about it. That was a very long, expensive road!

We have officially signed up for the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November. We get to visit a friend and I finally get to do a half marathon! I trained very hard for Vienna and Air France ruined that. I will not be checking my running gear in November...lesson learned. Carry on only!

So far I am very much on track for my training and it feels good to be on a running schedule again. Justin, once again, insists he is going to run it WITH me. I told him he doesn't have to do that...he runs faster. But he says he wants to be there by my side the moment I finish my first half. He's sweet and wonderful.

He's away right now but he gets home tomorrow (yay!) and this weekend we're going to go pick a bunch of wine grapes so he can make his own wine! It'll be a long drive but we'll be together so it'll be fun. How I will work a run into that day is still unknown...but I will find a way.

I am tired...time for sleeping.

I am SO in love...it's amazing and lovely. I really love my life. I love him the most.

Planning a Wedding

So, traditionally the man asks the woman to marry him and then the woman goes off and plans a wedding...the man might help choose cake but the woman traditionally does the wedding planning.  We are not traditional...and I hate weddings.

My first wedding was in 2001. I was 21 and way too young to be getting married. I had no idea what I was doing (or what I was getting myself into). Here I am at age 33 and now I know full well what I am getting myself into...and I am really happy about it. But I still hate weddings. 

So, Justin and I have been brainstorming on this wedding since before he even asked me to marry him. Hell, we've been talking weddings since 3 months after we met.

We thought about doing a wedding at the place we had our first date...I honestly wish I could make this happen and if I had a million dollars this is what we would do...but it isn't practical nor is it convenient for 99% of the wedding guests. We'll save our beautiful Cafe Pinot in DTLA for an anniversary...

We were thinking of getting married in Austria while we were visiting Mollie and family in April...but getting married in Austria isn't a simple process...at all.

We thought about doing the Vegas half marathon...they have a wedding thing they do where you can get married during the race...unique...active...but I'd like my kids to be there...and I don't want to take my children to Las Fucking Vegas...

So, our new idea is to do the wedding 1/4/14...we'll already be on the west coast for the holidays...with the kids...family and friends nearby all along the coast from San Diego to Seattle.

The trick is how to do it without spending a fortune. It's not that we can't afford a wedding...it's that we don't want to spend a crazy amount of money on one day. We'd rather spend money on the honeymoon...

So, I am making my own dress. I can't find exactly what I want anyway...so I am going to make it. I have already picked a pattern (found a vintage dress pattern at an antique mall!) and I will begin the muslin mockup next month...if it works out I will buy nice fabric and make the dress. Unique, cheap and custom made. Win.

I am buying his ring next month too...it has to be something very us and special...still working on ideas. I don't want him to see it until the wedding day. All I know is it will be platinum.

My mom makes gorgeous cakes so she said she would make a cake. I am thinking Tiffany blue and brown for wedding colors...

So, that leaves venue...and food/drink...and photography...

My mom has a lovely house in Bodega Bay...we're going to be there at the end of August for a wine weekend in Sonoma so we'll be able to gauge how many people we can fit in there. If we can fit a decent amount we might just hire a caterer and do the wedding and reception there. If not, we'll look into venues nearby.

There are some options in the area...but finding one in January is tough. It's the wettest time of year for Bodega Bay...hmmm...maybe we should push it back to the spring...

My head hurts...enough wedding stuff for tonight...

By the way...I met my love 900 days ago.

Best 900 days ever.