Firstly, the "Keepsake Wedding Planner" is officially full. I spent Monday evening pulling out Martha Stewart's (bow your head) wise words to make room for swatches, registries, and everything else! We have also finally completed everything we need to be married Catholic. It was a long road, mind you, but our Catholic Engaged Encounter is finally over.

It was a long weekend. Aaron and I discovered that we were the only couple from our diocese working this hard, and that we were the only couple there working this hard. The team couples worked us from 7 AM to 11 PM everyday. You would listen to a read presentation for 30 minutes, then write for 30 minutes, then talk to your soon-to-be spouse for 30 minutes, listen to a read presentation for 30 minutes, then write for 30 minutes, then, well, you get the point. Then they would feed you cafeteria food - if it had gravy, we were eating it. Ugh. Then we did a whole day on Natural Family Planning. I wanted to call Fr. DiBacco and have him pick up Aaron and I in the popemobile.

I think all that's left now is to plan Aaron's birthday bash and take a break!

First off, I finally started using that silly Martha Stewart book "Keepsake Wedding Planner." Noelle and Michelle had gotten it for me as a gift and I tossed it aside thinking, "What on earth will I ever use that damn thing for?" Well, how about hauling ideas from Morgantown to Weirton and from Weirton to Morgantown and from Morgantown to Charleston, etc.?

So I do have a couple things picked out. We officially have colors: Bubblegum pink, black, and silver. We have a theme: 50s with polka dots. We have a guest list. We have a church. We have a hall. We have a florist. We have a DJ. We have an organist. We have a restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. We have a budget. We also have a honeymoon.

I owe huge props to my mom for helping with everything. I probably would be crazy or well, crazier, if she wasn't helping me.

Details:

• Guest list consists of about 220 people so far. If you're reading this, chances are you're probably invited.
• The church will be as listed, St. Joseph the Worker, which has just recently been repainted and it's so beautiful inside it makes my heart hurt.
• Our florist is Jan Hicks at McCaulsen's Flowers in Weirton. My father buys a rose there every week for my mother, so we have big history there. And I've never seen anyone make a carnation look so divine in all my life.
• The hall will also be as listed, the Serbian American Cultural Center, which despite the fact that I'm not Serbian, is gorgeous and reasonable. Thank goodness Stephanie is marrying Mark, and thank goodness he and Aaron are friends so I can call him and ask what food tastes best over there. He worked there for quite some time, and his expert opinion is a godsend.
• Our DJ is Rich Coburn from WEIR 1430AM, and if anyone knows the oldies, it's him. I think we'll be rocking out to some Ella and Louis before the night is over.
• We are having the rehearsal dinner at Timbercrest Inn, which when we visited was decorated in pink roses. I personally thought it was a sign from God that he loves Aaron and I and wants us to eat Raspberry Chicken and Beau's famous cheesecake.
• HUGE HUGE HUGE props again to my mom for helping us put together a budget. She swears it was just Excel, but I flat out don't believe her.
• Aaron and I will be going to Cozumel for our honeymoon. We found a gorgeous hotel that is so close to San Miguel, you can spit on the Koba ruins. Not that I would condone spitting - but just in terms of distance, it's fantastic.

There's so much I want to tell all of you, but I'm afraid it will spoil the wedding if you know all the details before you come. We're going to have such a fabulous time!

a. b. c.

Feel free to email me and let me know which you like best! Or if you have another idea.

I also found out I won 25 (maybe more, because the seller said I paid so fast) 45 RPM records, which are going to (with a bit of work) become part of the decor for the wedding. I've also got big, big plans for favors! 1954, here we come! More to come...

We got an appointment with Fr. DiBacco at St. Mary's for Thursday, and Aaron and I are both trying to track down our baptismal certificates. I found out that Fr. Richard Quinn, who baptized me in 1983, is still pastor at St. Alphonsus' Church in Grand Rapids. That was pretty cool. More to come...