Wedding Bells are ringing....

Goodness me! I only have 2.5 months to plan this wedding! Fortunately I have accomplished some things since I last updated this blog.

You might have read on my artsy blog that we have been working tediously on my invitations. Mostly now we just have to print the text part for the RSVP cards and for the main invitation. (I got the final shipment of supplies yesterday, and will deliver them to my parent's house which is where we are printing at). I also have to cut the paper for the RSVP cards which I will do today. After that we just have to assemble and add embellishments, and stuff the envelopes. They should be sent by April 1st, no problem.

On Sunday we (Jamaal, two of the groomsmen, and I) went to The Tux Shop to pick out the tuxes. It was way more stressful than I ever expected. I did not want to do it, and for some reason every little detail was a very hard decision for me to make. But it's over and done with and hopefully it all looks good together.

Jamaal and I decided that we wanted to have a friend or relative officiate the ceremony. Neither of us have any special connection to a minister/priest/person of the church etc. So, at least for me, I felt awkward about asking a random person to marry us. Mostly I was concerned about what they would say, it would all be generic marriage talk, and would have no meaning behind it. Any stories that the minister would mention about Jamaal and I would be stories we had told him or her before the ceremony. And most likely it would be just before the ceremony.

I thought about our family and friends and who would be willing to do this for us. I immediately thought about D, Jamaal's cousin, mostly because he is hilarious. Jamaal asked him, and D said that he would be too nervous, and was worried that he would say something he shouldn't. I understood, he is a very funny guy, but most of the time he says things under his breath. He is quiet and doesn't say things so everyone in the room can hear, he says things so only the few closest to him can hear. It was funny, after we had asked D, Jamaal's mom called and said, "I think D is confused. He told Lamar (Jamaal's brother) that you guys wanted him to marry you. I told Lamar 'He can't do that'"

That's when I explained that there are ministries online that you can become an ordained minister, which is one of the only requirements for being able to marry people. (It's either that or a judge of some kind).

I had pretty much given up on a family member after this.

A few days later, Lamar called Jamaal and I'm not sure how the conversation went. But basically, Jamaal said that we wanted someone in the family to marry us, that it was simple to become a "minister" and I'm not sure if Lamar offered, or if Jamaal asked him, but....Lamar agreed to marry us! He said that he would be nervous, but he'd do it.

Also, we've decided on a caterer. He basically charges for food, and tax and gratuity. That's it. There are no random fees added in. Best of all, he cleans up after himself! Which makes it all worth it!

I've decided that I want a Videographer, but I am going to ask a family member or friend to do it. Jamaal can edit it later. So at the moment I need a nice video camera and someone to be the director!

Our list is getting smaller and smaller! :D

(But this is only the big stuff...you should see the list I have hanging in my kitchen...it makes a girl want to elope!)

Officiant, Caterer, Videographer, Tuxes, Flowers, Decoration rentals, Sound equipment (a friend of Jamaal's dad will be our DJ), Invitations, Honeymoon accommodations, Dress, Venue, Wedding party, DJ, wedding cake, White lights for decorating the venue, Photographer