Drum Roll Please

April 14, 2007.

After we make some calls, double check some dates and fork over a lot of money, it’s a final decision that April 14, 2007, is the day we become Mr. and Mrs. Or just that I become “Mrs.” since boys don’t change their status…

“What happened to the two holiday weekends you were talking about?” you ask. We came to our senses.

Memorial Day weekend would be the ideal weekend to get married – had we started our planning one year ago. Apparently, everyone else who got engaged over the past couple months had the same idea to pick the weekend easiest for everyone else. Although we still have the reception site under our name for that day and the awesome priest at St. Pet’s is checking to see if he can make an exception for us, we realize that every other element of the wedding is going to be just as hard to coordinate and get our favorite vendor or location or small details. Someone will have already booked for the same day every step along the way. (Jess, don't freak out, you're already WAY ahead of the game!)

President’s Day weekend 2007 has gotten scarily close as the weeks tick on, and the weather is guaranteed to be gross.

I spent today annoying my parents and Gavin with a chart (yes, this is true) of pros and cons of each date. April 14 had the least in each column, and therefore just seemed to be the easiest. April 14. It’s the weekend after Easter next year. It is now the perfect day for a wedding:

• PRO: Being the weekend after Easter, the St. James’ alter will be filled with flowers. You can’t decorate the alter for your wedding at St. James. It’s like we’re tricking them AND they’re paying for it. Brilliant.
• PRO/CON: The weather is a toss up. Possible spring showers. Maybe a sunny spring day (like today!). It’s too early for tornados – a definite plus. It’s not too late for a blizzard. Chicago weather is sneaky.
• CON: It may be harder for people to travel since it’s the weekend after Easter.
• PRO: Daylight Savings time will have come and gone, giving us an extra hour of light to enjoy Arrowhead’s view that will be turning green by then.
• CON: We can’t get any discounts... except for those free church flowers.
• PRO: I can do the color scheme I have in mind!
• CON/PRO: It’s close to Gavin’s birthday (April 23 – his golden bday is this year!), but he sees it as a way to get a vacation on his birthday next year. Sweet.
• PRO: Given how people feel every time we have a warm day at this time of year, it’s an upbeat season in Chicago. Everyone is in a good mood overall because we’re finally breaking out of winter.
• PRO: It suddenly sounds a lot like a wedding date…