We Have a Wedding Plan

I know many of you out there are wondering what's up with Carrie and Joel's wedding.

Here it is 3 months after we got engaged, and still no announcement of a date.
To put it simply: planning a wedding is complicated--even when you're trying to make it simple!

Joel and I decided we wanted to have a laid-back wedding somewhere memorable, unusual and exotic. Rather than expect a host of guests to follow us, we opted to have only our immediate family attend the ceremony. Joel and I each have two parents and an older brother who will join us.

After much deliberation and shuffling over schedules, we have confirmed June 17, 2008 as our wedding day. The location for the ceremony will be this lovely little church in Hanalei, Kauai. The officiant is the church's pastor, Kahua Alpha.

I've purchased my dress from the Galina collection at David's Bridal. Thankfully it was not a difficult decision, and I found exactly what I wanted right away. Shopping can be torturous for me. (I still remember how I spent weeks searching for the perfect 8th-grade graduation dress.)
I'm still in the process of choosing flowers and church decor, but I really like this bouquet with lots of bright colors.

The mothers have coordinated their dress with aqua colors, and we're thinking the guys will wear khaki pants with white shirts. We will probably do the traditional Hawaiian leis. One of the most important details for us is good photography. I'm really excited about working with Rachel Robertson (check out her website).

There are so many details involved. Honestly, we've been a little overwhelmed--but excited! We really are not into all the hoopla that can go into such an event. The multi-billion dollar wedding industry and all the peripheral junk that goes along with it kind of makes me sick. Yes, the start of a marriage should be celebrated and commemorized, I think, but do you really need a $50 cake-cutting knife? Ok, I'll get off that rant.

Though we're not doing things "the traditional way,"we still want to involve others close to us in the festivities. Our community of friends and family is important to us and we want them to be a part of not only our wedding, but also our marriage.

So, we're planning a reception here in Colorado Springs (or vicinity) on Sept. 13. We like this day because it will be my parent's 39th anniversary, and we can have a big ol' celebration of marriage. We know that's quite some time after the wedding. If you could look at our summer calendar, you would understand (I hope). We also want to give those who will be attending time to plan, book flights, etc..

By then we should be fairly well settled, so people can come visit our abode. Several have asked where we will make our home. Here's a picture of Joel's house, where I will move in once we're married.

Despite the hecticness of it all, we're enjoying the process, and Joel and I are very much looking forward to the future.