"Whether the weather be cold..."

We're so close that October 10th shows up on Accuweather's 45-Day Forecast.

Lookin' pretty good so far.

Suuuuper rad rings

We're on our second round of wedding rings, because Changing Our Minds is the official motto of this wedding.

The first set were a pair of yellow gold bands. Mine looked nice with my engagement ring, which is an antique yellow gold band with a row of three sapphires and two diamonds and filigrees along the edges. Somewhat difficult to match. Bill's was a plain gold band (what I call Dad Rings) but it turned out to be a little too thin and dainty-looking on his hand. We had decided just to make do with those for the time being and maybe upgrade in a couple years or so, but Bill's mom brought it up the other day and we started discussing alternatives: a ring tattoo, a twist tie, a wooden ring.

"Yeah, a wooden ring might be good," Bill said. "It'd be more comfortable."

"Really? You'd wear one?! They make some suuuper rad ones!" I shouted, like the Californian nerd I am.

"Yeah! Rad!" he said.

AND SO. We found some wooden rings. And they are, in fact, super rad. This is Bill's:

Via ZebranoWoodCraft on Etsy

It's inlaid with DINOSAUR BONES AND METEORITE.

This is one that I considered, with abalone and guitar string inlays:

Via ZebranoWoodCraft on Etsy

But ultimately, I had to go with the band made of koa wood with inlaid beach sand. Of course.

Also via Etsy

This will not match my engagement ring, obviously, so I'm just going to wear the engagement ring on my right hand sometimes, and other times I'll switch off wearing them on my left hand, depending on the weather and my mood. Ain't no thang.

Now that we have rings we love, we just have to get our license next week and we could get married, without planning a single other thing.

Six weeks left.

Lezz do this thang.*



*I'm so sorry I said that.

R! S! V! P!

Just kidding. That would never happen.
PUNK-ASS LETTER JOCKEYS!

People have started sending them already (Well done! So prompt!) and reading the messages is the best thing! They're so funny and sweet, and the song suggestions are stellar (for the most part). One person sent a picture, my grandma used the word "twerking"....

This has been the best part of planning. BY FAR.

MAN DO I LOVE VINTAGE WEDDING ILLUSTRATIONS

"Oh, Clara, I know I said it could never work. After all, you're a zombie bride, and I a human soldier. But I've seen much worse Over There than your beautiful, undead face. Now if you'll just stop choking me, dearest, we can set the date."

#TBT

Oh, it's just me. Writin' weird stuff:

"That's where we'll live, Bobby. Right under there. It's like a great white tent with that lovely lady as an angel to watch over us. Now that Mother and Father are gone, we've nowhere else to go, no one who wants us."

"Aw, c'mon, we've gotta go to school."

"You always said you wanted to join the circus. Why, we could start our own, right under there. With trained seals and acrobats and a silly old clown - I tell you, it'll be a jolly circus! Oh, do let's! "

"Cut it out. Let's go already."

"But the bride -- she - she's reaching out to us, Bobby, look. Beseeching us. She needs us, Bobby. Without children she is nothing: forever a bride, barren and fruitless, a ghost of a woman in her white vestments."

"You shut up, Mary, or I'll leave you here. I mean it!"

"Go, then. I've found my home. For someday I too shall be a bride, the sacred denizen of a store window, held up for all to pass by and admire. I must prepare myself, perform the ablutions."

"But Mary - "

"I said leave me, Robert."



Also featured: "Romance Again for Bing Crosby?" What an exciting issue of The American Weekly.

Bridezilla!

Look out, tiny bridesmaid! Bridezilla will CRUSH YOU!

Also, it looks like Bridezilla has a good angel on her shoulder telling her not to step on Tiny Bridesmaid. But will she listen?

NO WAY!

Bridezilla, you're a terror!



...Get outta here!

Whoops

During an absentminded trip to the post office, I may have mailed off all our extra blank envelopes along with the invitations.

It's been that kind of week.

Whenever something goes wrong, Bill claims it's good luck, like rain on the wedding day or finding a spider in your dress.

"You haven't heard of that?" he says. "It's an old Mongol belief. Send all your extra envelopes and...you'll only get good news in the mail. And like, coupons and stuff."

I know he's lying. But it's nice to hear.

Alternatives to Bouquets

After two hours spent looking at options for flowers last night, I threw up my hands, lolled about on the floor, and shouted, "Can't I just carry a cocktail down the aisle?"

Someone has her priorities in order.

The answer, of course, is that I can. It's my wedding day. If there is ever a time to do whatever I want, it's my wedding day. But I eventually decided it might be a bit much to slink up the aisle with a Manhattan on my arm, so instead, here is a list of Non-Floral Alternatives to Bouquets That Do Not Include Brooches Because Those are Totally Played Out and Also They Look Super Heavy:


1.   Food

I haven't ruled this out for our wedding, which should surprise no one, considering how much I talk about cheese. Food offers so many options - lollipops, bread sticks, fruit-on-a-stick, cotton candy, shish kebabs, shrimp cocktail - but I'm partial to this lovely bacon bouquet, or bouquon, as I've decided to call it. From far away it looks like a normal bouquet of roses, but then the smell hits and suddenly everyone's all pumped about the bouquet toss.


2.   Shotgun

Who says you need an overbearing male relative to hold a shotgun at your wedding? You're a strong, independent woman who can threaten her own man. Don't let anyone tell you differently.


3.   PUPPIES.

 

This one needs no explanation. 

4.   Sledgehammer of Democracy

Picture it: You're sprinting up the aisle, the wind rushing past your 'do and your tiny, orange track shorts. The strength of your moral rectitude courses through your veins as you wield the sledgehammer over your head and then turn once -- twice -- and let it fly! You will be sued by the bridesmaid who catches it,* but throughout the litigation you can be satisfied with the unparalleled drama of your grand entrance.

5.   Mr. Frodo

You can't carry the ring, but you can carry him.




*In the back of the head.


Images: 1/2/3/4/5/6