The moment you've been waiting for....

Here it is....(drum roll please)...THE WEDDING INVITATION:

This party will be rain or shine! Don't worry, we'll have you covered :-) And please bring your lawn/camping chairs to both the ceremony and the reception so we have plenty of spaces for people to rest their aching bones after hours of dancing, hooping, and general mayhem.

Please RSVP as soon as possible so we can get a head count for the food. Thanks!

Reception....

Where o' where are we going to party down after the wedding? This has been bugging us since day one. Originally we had planned on having a block party, which is still by far the coolest option. However, I started to panic over rain and weather when I read the farmer's almanac - apparently that week is going to be hit with a slew of severe thunderstorms and a potential hurricane. Awesome. I'm not one to totally buy into the farmer's almanac, but at the same time, it planted a seed of doubt in my brain.

Now Tim and I have literally no money for this wedding, and I mean no money. That's why everything is going to be DIY, and that was the reason behind the block party. However, in light of my fear of bad weather, we may need to rent a reception hall. This is proving to be WAY more difficult than I had expected. My criteria seem simple:

1. I need to get in beforehand and decorate.
2. I would like to not have to undecorate until the next morning.
3. I want electricity for a band.
4. I want to be able to drink, preferably without a bartender, but I can adapt.
5. Tables and chairs are required.

We don't need waiters, decorators, wedding aides, etc. I just want an open space where Tim and I, and all our lovely friends and family can listen to music, drink some beers, munch some of the delicious food, and have a good time...without having to worry about cleaning up after ourselves that night.

So, if anyone out there has any ideas or suggestions, please please please post a comment.

Thanks all!

Last Name Issues

I never thought this would be an issue, but it is. What do I do about my last name when Tim and I get married. I have the following options:

1. Take his last name and ditch mine or add it as a middle name.
2. Hyphenate our last names.
3. Make a new name from our 2 last names.
4. Create an entirely new name.

All of these come with their pros and cons. First of all, since we both have children from previous marriages, there is the issue of their last names not matching our last names. His children have 2 different last names (Peterson & Peterson-Goad), whereas my 2 have my ex-husband's last name. Utilizing any of the choices above means my children will not have my last name at all (which they don't now anyway), but doing 3 or 4 means his kids will not have his last name (which one doesn't already). How do we come up with a decision that makes us a family? I would really appreciate suggestions in the comments section as to how to handle this situation. Apparently being part of a modern family means not having any rules to follow....this can be a good thing and a bad thing all at the same time.

Our Wedding Site

Here is where the ceremony will be held - the Bath Library Park Gazebo

Papa & Mama Photos

The Proposal