We have a date: May 15, 2010.
As an accountant, my partner assigns special significance to numbers, and she likes the numbers this date creates: 5-10-15. Which is cool in itself, but when added together, they make 30. The number 3 is her”signature” number, so to speak, so the date is perfect.
We also have a location for the reception: a lovely old historic restaurant in the market. Before we started looking for a venue I had an image in my mind of what kind of space I wanted for the reception, and when we walked into the restaurant I knew we had found it. Old stone walls, large wooden roof beams, black window frames, wooden floors. It’s perfect – a warm, cozy and friendly space. The last thing I wanted was a big empty and impersonal hall.
The wedding ceremony itself will likely just take place at City Hall, which has a wedding space that only holds about 10 people including the couple getting married, so we would have to leave most people out of the ceremony. We’re both fine with that. To me the exchange of vows is very personal and intimate, and I’d rather have a small group of people there who really love us and support our decision.
Which brings me to the next item on my To Do list: telling my parents we’re engaged. At this point, I’m less concerned about their disapproval and more concerned about my mother being pissed that we’re having the wedding in Ottawa. And that I don’t intend to invite any of my extended family. And that we plan to have a wedding with no church, no priest, no white dress, no bridesmaids, no flowers, no bouquet toss, etc. By most western standards, it won’t even look like a wedding. But it’s exactly what we want, and it will reflect who we are as a couple.
“It’s exactly what we want, and it will reflect who we are as a couple.”
That’s the most important thing. Amy and I ended up with a fairly traditional-looking ceremony (less so the reception) but it was because the traditions spoke to us. We didn’t feel bound to incorporate anything that didn’t mean anything to us and you shouldn’t either.
CONGRATS — and yes, it is absolutely you and your hubby-to-be’s day. It always amazes me the anxieties that go into a wedding, when it’s supposed to be a celebration of good things. As long as that’s paramount in your minds, keep on truckin’, I say!
Say… is it the Courtyard??? I stood for a good friend who had his reception there, and it was perfect
You aren’t having a very north american wedding, but you are having a total northern German wedding. A small ceremony and then maybe a dinner with some close friends.
It sounds lovely!