So here we go at the end of November with another entry related to my wedding. I do hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and that no one died trying to get the best deals in the ensuing sales the next day. I only have one more present to buy, and that is for my fiancee. The others, I ordered online to save time and stress - I have enough of the latter as it is.

Anyway, we've been pretty busy planning for the wedding on 19 May 2007. Kris finally picked out her "perfect" wedding dress. I was dragged along because her mom sent the check for the money in my name, so I deposited it in my account and then handed the debit card over to the cashier and prayed that it wouldn't catch fire. The dress is a strapless ballgown with a beaded/sequined shiny-patterned bodice and a tulle skirt. (If you want more specifics, sorry, I'm a guy...I'll have to ask the Princess of Naboo - more on that later). Her dress, shoes, veil, and special undergarments totalled only $1050.07. Oh, and they threw in a free garment bag...woohoo!

The experience at David's Bridal was nowhere near as painful as I thought it could be, but it wasn't exactly fun. After the Princess narrowed her choices down to two, it only took her three hours of trying them on again and again and again (etc.) to decide on one. She even tried to get me to decide, but I kept saying, "You look great. Whichever one you choose will make me happy." And after a nice glare (guys, you know the look), I explained, "Look, it's your dress. I want you to pick the one that will make you see yourself as I see you without any input from me." That pacified her and got an "awww" from the bridal consultant. When she finally picked one and asked my opinion, I said, "Are you an angel?" And then proceeded to repeat the lines which drew an eye roll from the Princess and an "awwww, how sweet" from the consultant.

We also managed to book the venue, and it's one where we can have both the ceremony and the reception. They also cater, so all of that is taken care of. We just need to go back in January to finalize the menu and do cake testing (what I've been waiting for). The place is a really nice little facility, and we can get married outside in front of a lake (assuming the weather cooperates). Here's the place's website. We're getting a custom menu, a chocolate fountain, wedding cake, a groom cake, DJ service, and assorted extras for a grand total of.... $4902 even. So that leaves only a few things, and we just might make it under budget.

A friend of mine who has a printing press has offered to do our invitations for cost plus 35-40 cents an invite, which is a really big help, seeing as invitations are expensive, and doing them ourselves would put us at the mercy of my very moody printer and the overpriced ink cartridges.

We registered for gifts. Let me tell any guys out there: you cannot imagine just how much fun it is to go around with that little infrared "shooter thingy" that looks like a laser tag gun and select stuff. We decided against the "fine" china..you know, the stuff with the $80 gravy boat and the $200 plates, because we don't entertain that way. We selected some funky, Asian-inspired dining ware so that we could ask for big ticket items we actually wanted...like a $500 katana blade, Damascus steel knife set for me..and the X-Box 360 (since the PS3 wasn't out at the time). Oh and somehow, lots of Star Wars stuff got put on the list when we were at Target...can't imagine how that happened.

Of course, the budget started to attack us when mom handed me a list of names who just "had to get invitations or they would be very hurt." We told her we only had a budget for 100 people, so she gave us a list of 92 names plus unnumbered children, because she didn't remember how many kids some people had. And most of the people on the list were her friends, so if she got her way, it would be her friends at my wedding but not mine. Not gonna happen.

So, we were trying to figure out what to do, and this is the story I tell: The Princess was on her throne bemoaning the budgetary crisis and my mother's guilting of me to invite everyone she's ever met, when it hit me. I donned my robes and called my lightsaber to my hand. Igniting the crimson blade, I strode to the door saying, "Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself." Suddenly, the Force shivered; I spun around and raised my hand as a purse flew toward me. But I did nothing save watch as it fell three meters to my right. The Princess may be beautiful and talented in the arts, but when it comes to launching projectile weapons, even Imperial Stormtroopers are more precise.

She then decreed that no violence (real or imagined) would be part of the planning of this wedding, so we negotiated a settlement between ourselves: A listing and B listing people and sending out RSVP invites that way.

So that's where we stand. The Princess also decorated the apartment for Christmas, because when she let me do it last year, we had a "Hoth Lifeday Tree." Everything was white: the lights, the tinsel, the skirting beneath it. And there were only Star Wars ornaments and figures all around it. So now we have colored blinking lights, and multi-styled ornaments, and candy canes hanging from it, which sometimes go missing.... But it does look nice.

I have some ideas for other posts, but they'll have to wait until after finals week.

May the Force be with you all.