Wedding things.

Ok, I am going to do a brief wedding post. Because it is something I have been thinking about lately. I don't think I talk about it too much because...I don't know. I guess I have a couple of reasons. I've been engaged for a long time so in some ways, the excitement part (telling everyone, etc.) has sort of died down. Plus weddings are expensive and stressful, and I don't like to dwell on those parts, but somehow whenever I get to talking too much about them, that always pops up. And the important part of the whole ordeal isn't the "wedding", which is short and followed by a party, but the "marriage". Which, at this point, is what I am more excited about. But I digress.
I am getting married on January 2nd. I like winter. I do not like summer. I thought about getting married in the spring, but so many things are happening then- my brother's high school graduation, my college graduation (which isn't going to happen on time now, but whatever), AND a wedding? Too much. Fall would be nice, but that would mean even MORE waiting. So we went with January. Because like I said, I like winter. And Brandon doesn't mind.
Winters in my state are rather unpredictable. It's not often that we get tons of snow. It can get really cold, but it never seems to snow at the right time. We hardly ever have "white Christmases". Last year we had an ice storm for some reason. And whenever it DOES start to snow, or snow is forecasted, people freak out a little bit because with our unpredictable weather, promise of half an inch of snow can suddenly turn into six inches of snow topped with ice. It's pretty lame. My point of this whole story is, I didn't really think about the weather when we were picking this date for our wedding. I don't think we'll get a big time snow, because we hardly ever do. But now certain people are talking about how some meteorologist has said that the conditions are right for us to have a winter like we did one year in the seventies, and that was the worst winter ever. Or I hear jokes like "you could have a luau themed wedding! Because wouldn't that be hilarious." Some people have actually made faces after receiving my answer to their question about when the wedding is, and rather bluntly ask "why?" It's annoying and sometimes a little hurtful. I don't like being made to feel like I'm making the wrong decision with anything. So sometimes I get a little upset when someone makes a face like I just told them I'm wearing a brown dress covered with orange puffballs.
And, just to add an extra element of excitement to the whole affair, there is a basketball game on TV that day. Not just any basketball game, but the game between one of the biggest college rivals in the country. Trust me. It's a big deal here. It's pretty dumb. I have reason to be mildly concerned that this game will have a little too much importance in the minds of certain members of the wedding party (like...the groom) on that day. On top of thinking no one (or hardly anyone) is going to come to my wedding because of some freakish snowstorm, now I've almost got myself convinced that people are going to bring little radios to the reception or watch the game on their iPhones (can you do that?) and be shouting things like they do when they watch the game at home. Or in a restaurant. Or anywhere else.

I'm pretty sure that I might be blowing things out of proportion, but like I said, it doesn't help when people you don't even know are looking horrified and pretty much criticizing you over your choice of wedding date. Oh, and the reception is going to be pretty short. We wanted an afternoon wedding, and we wanted the reception at church, so for our time slot, there is not all that much time. Wedding's at one, will be over around 1:45 or 2, then we have pictures to take, and we have to be out of the fellowship hall by 4:30. We aren't having dancing or anything- it's just a food-filled get together to say thanks to everyone for coming to our wedding and wishing us well (similar to the birthday parties I throw for myself- everyone get together and eat!) and it's not even a meal, because it's the middle of the afternoon. I don't think it will take some crazy long time. But I have heard many a comment along the lines of "where are we going after that?" Um...nowhere. You are on your own, pal. It's a wedding reception, not a gala. Not a soiree. Not dinner theater. Sorry. I have been to many weddings in my life, and only the most recent two or three have had dancing. Almost all the wedding I have ever been to have had receptions like mine. It is not that incomprehensible to me. But sometimes it does hurt my feelings when people make remarks like that.
I guess I just need to get over it and learn to ignore them, huh? Well, let me tell you something. It's getting harder and harder. For every ten comments I get about the wedding, two are excitement and happiness, three or four are " I promise not to get drunk....wait, no alcohol?....no dancing either??........hmm." And the rest are "ew, winter." Yeah. I have heard an "ew". I've also heard "oh, I would never get married there. The chapel is so ugly." So....yeah.
I think I'm done ranting for the day.