Check, check, check...cheque!

Jesse and I have been busy-busy, as most people planning their weddings are. Especially now that I've started teaching full-time again, it's amazing how full the week feels and how little time there is to just relax. Where does the day go?

That being said, we have been able to get most of the major things checked off of our list, and many of them were done before I started work last week, thankfully. Some of the big things we're on top of:

Inside the Cathedral

1. Venue: We're getting married and holding the reception at Jesse's church, The Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral here in Ottawa. The sanctuary is quite large, but the church basement hall will be be a bit of a squeeze. Regardless, it's a beautiful, reverent setting to start our life together before God and with our friends and family. We're working with the eclectic-looking hall to make it fit our vintage/eclectic theme.

2. Food: We have a caterer and a menu set. Natacha at Blissful Bites Cuisine gave us a really good deal, worked with our ideas, and we're very much looking forward to her cooking!

3. Dress & Suit: Can't show you pictures of these, but the dress has arrived and the suit has been bought! I got a 1950's vintage dress through Etsy. Jesse and I found his suit at Tom's in Kensington Market, Toronto. They're great salesmen there, with excellent customer service. I do recommend.

4. Registry: this was both more fun and more tiring than I expected. I wasn't entirely sold on registering anywhere, but a friend of ours told us this after congratulating us on our engagement: "If there's one thing I can recommend, you MUST register. We didn't register and ended up with five crystal punch bowls!" What the heck do you do with five crystal punch bowls? So alas, we have registered at The Bay. We plan to create a more personal "registry" or gift ideas post eventually - not because we are greedy and want lots of presents, but we may as well provide guidance for those who do want to give something but are in need of some ideas.

5. Music: Our musician (a.k.a Landon Coleman) and DJ have been booked. I can't wait for the dance!

The Moulin Wakefield Inn

6. Honeymoon: We're going to Cuba. Just kidding, we're going to Paris. Just kidding, we're going to Africa. No seriously, I am really kidding. We're a whole lot more adventurous than all of that. We're driving an entire 25 minutes to the little town of Wakefield, Quebec to enjoy a few wonderfully relaxing nights at the Moulin Wakefield Inn. Who needs travel after all the hooplah of a wedding?! All I wanted was a cozy place with a jacuzzi tub and a fireplace. We got the added bonus of an outdoor hot tub and breakfast and dinners included. Sounds good to me! We can't wait.

Of course there are many other things being checked off, many cheques being signed, and many more to do, but so far I'm feeling really good about the progress. We've only been engaged for one month and one day, and look how much we've got done! Three and a half months to go until the big day. I won't deny I'm still feeling anxious, even with all of the progress, but that's just me, and it's entirely normal (or so I hear). What's important is that I am (mostly) enjoying the process. I'm hoping and can make a pretty good guess that it will all be worth it in the end.