I like to think I’m okay at this. Let me tell you some short stories about engaged life.
The Proposal
I didn’t know he was going to ask me on December 1st, 2018. I knew I was hungry, and galavanting onto the seawall at Children’s Pool in La Jolla was not my first choice in activity. But we walked to the end, he handed off his phone to a stranger for photos, and then he managed not to drop the ring into the sea and asked if I wanted to be his wife. Of course, I said yes.
What I didn’t do was clasp my hands over my mouth and say, “Oh my God!!” What I did do was hold my purse awkwardly and wonder, “What do I do with my hands?”
All of our engagement photos prominently feature a big, teal bag, consequently. Oh well. I wasn’t about to let it get swept off to sea by a freak wave.
The Party
“How did you choose your wedding date?”
We worked around peak salmon season and my busy season. We also did not choose winter because I don’t particularly care for the cold. We also eliminated the times of year where Daly travels for seafood expos.
That left us approximately two weekends to choose from in March and April, and one of them was Easter, so… there you go.
Venue hunting was just as methodical. We researched a number of venues in Seattle, Chelan, and Leavenworth. We contacted many of them and started to set our tour plans.
Ultimately, we toured two, one of which was experiencing a power outage, and the other which was simply exactly what we wanted.
The Expo
Here are the take-aways from the bridal expo:
- Free donuts
- Free cake
- Some good deals if you’re ready — we got our DJ and MC signed that day
- A relentless set of follow-up phone calls from some tour company that seems just a bit off
I will 100% go back for more donuts next January.
The Dress
I found my dress at a sample sale. I almost didn’t go–it was early, I had no gas in my car, and the shop was in Seattle proper. But I did go, and I was bride #13 in line to try on dresses. I grabbed three or four dresses off the racks, only paying attention to material and sparkle–not really much else.
I made some light conversation with the woman in line ahead of me; she was there only with her future father-in-law. I was there by myself, and we chatted about all things wedding. When it was her turn, she asked if I wanted to try on dresses with her, since the line was long and our respective parties were small.
Dress #2 was it, her FIL agreed, she agreed, the attendant agreed, the shop agreed, I agreed.
Cha-ching.
Side note: He doesn’t have a suit yet, and my dress is too long and will cost my first-born and a bag of chips to alter, but it’s all going to work out.
The Weight
Currently walking around at 60kg with a broken hand. I’d like to cut weight to 56-57kg once my hand is healed properly.
Why 56-57kg?
- That puts me comfortably in the 59kg weight class, and within a water cut of the 55kg weight class.
- Weightlifting is priority here.
- The camera definitely likes to add weight to my face.
I have it on my checklist to cut from November through end of January. Doable.
In the meantime, I’m seeing how many shrimp chips is too many.
Other Stuff
We are more than halfway through our 16-month engagement, and we’ve got a good deal of the foundation in place, which feels good.
r/weddingplanning has been my forum of choice, and it’s been helpful to get other perspectives and advice throughout.
All in all, even though I play it down a bit, I’m very much looking forward to our wedding day and our marriage.
Oh! I nearly forgot…
Chivari Chairs and Shoes
I’ve only had slight meltdowns over these two things.
Chivari chairs: I spent at least two hours researching how much those buggers cost before I remembered that I literally can’t recall a single chair I’ve ever sat in at a wedding reception. The money we save on chairs will go to a photo booth, you’re so very welcome.
Shoes: I bought a pair of gold heels, then decided to get gold wedges instead but also keep the heels because they were cute. I revisited the shoes months later and realized they are actually way smaller than I had convinced myself, and thus, worthless. So down another rabbit hole I went, until I found a pair of lace heel booties. I had to order them in a half-size bigger than normal, but I guess they run small, so what do you know–they actually fit me.
Now comes the part where I buy all the gel inserts to doctor them up.
Anyway, like I was saying, very much looking forward to it all, even though I’m going to be doubting my choice to forgo the Chivari chairs.
*shakes fist*
Okay, friends. Good night.
