Wedding Plans

We got a call that our rings are in. So we went to the mall yesterday to pick them up, but my bf's was too large. :icon_sad: So They are going to size it down half a size for him. It should be ready mid week.

We were both REALLY pleased with them. (I looked on google images, and I couldn't find a picture that matched what the rings looked like.) They are really simple: white gold where one half of the ring (all the way around) is a brushed finish and the other half of the ring is polished. There's one diamond set in it. I can't wait to wear it - it's really very nice.

We'll be taking the girls to have their dresses fitted this Friday afternoon, so hopefully that will go well.

 

Marriage licence? Check!

We went to our local city hall yesterday to do that. It was a painless exercise. The city clerk didn't miss a beat when we told her that the two of us were getting married. (I really do love living here, where two men can get married without issue.) We had to fill in the form with our full names, the names and birth places of our parents, our address, etc. She validated our identities as we had to present our passports and drivers licences as identification. And $125 later, we had a marriage licence!

(The licence is the form that is signed when you get married by the officiant, the people getting married, and your witnesses. You then send that to the provincial government and they'll then issue to you a marriage certificate.)

We also inquired about a civil ceremony, and they do them every Friday at city hall. Of course there's a fee for that as well - $280. And if you need city staff to sit in as witnesses it would be another $50 each!

The ring has been resized, so we will aim to pick that up tonight before we pick up my boyfriend's kids from the train station. They're coming to town for another visit as we have a long weekend here this weekend.

 

Awww - thanks! I'm glad you're interested.

We did pick up the rings last Thursday - and his was now a little tight! So it might need to be stretched out a little bit to fit properly.

We also went to have the girls try on their dresses on Friday afternoon. They'll all need to be altered, but the woman said to come back 2 weeks before the event - as the girls will all be growing over the next 2 months. So that's what we'll do.

We've also started to receive responses back from friends and relatives. So we'll be able to firm up the guest list over the next little while.

We have also figured out the wines for the reception. We didn't care for the house wines at the hall, so we've selected something else in the same price range for them to order for us instead. We've made an appointment with the events coordinator there to meet with her next Saturday. We'll finalize the menu and talk about decorations. Should be fun.

 

Suits are purchased! We went out Saturday afternoon shopping. With no idea really and a need for suggestions, we went to Harry Rosen (an upscale men's clothing chain here in Canada) to talk to a sales person. He suggested black suits, white shirts and then a tie that worked with the other colours we had in mind - or not. So in the end we didn't buy suits there - they were $1200 each! But we did buy black suits - not exactly the same but similar. We also bought some ties - silver and black - because they looked sharp with the suit. But I'm still not convinced that we shouldn't be going with maybe black and orange so that we can pick up the colour of the flowers. Decisions, decisions...

We also met with the event coordinator at the golf club. We talked about the wine and the menu and the schedule for the day, as well as decorations - center pieces and such. I think it's all going to work out.

We're also receiving responses back from relatives. No surprises yet.

My bf was talking to his mom the other day and she was really impressed with the invitations. That was nice to hear. They appreciated the fact that they were bilingual - as his relatives are primarily french speaking from northern Quebec.

Just a little over 2 months to go!

 

6 weeks to go! I think everything is done that needs to be done...

Suits (both black) are hanging in the closet having been fitted at the tailors. So are the new white shirts and ties (that do include black and 'burnt orange' to go with the flowers we thought we'd use).

We've begun to work with the 'officiant' who will be conducting the ceremony - talking about the format and the readings and how we might involve our friends and family in the ceremony.

The responses have stopped coming in - because there's a mail strike going on here in Canada. But we've heard from a lot of people, either through their response cards or because they've called us. We'll be over 50 people, which is what we expected.

I'm SO looking forward to it!

Today there is another EC wedding happening - EM68 (Ed) is getting married today. All the best Ed!!!

And we're also celebrating the legalization of marriage in the State of New York! What a victory for equality there!

 

OK - another update.

Less than 2 weeks to go! But I think we're still in good shape.

The girls dresses have been altered and fit them very well. We were out on the weekend and also found them shoes to wear with them, so they'll all look like little princesses after they've been to the hair dressers that day. We bought them pearl earings to wear, so I think that's done.

My boyfriend's son is going to have a rental as it turns out. We tried buying him a suit, but in the end it was going to cost so much for the suit and alterations that we decided that a rental would make more sense. He would have grown out of the suit before he'd ever have a chance to wear it again anyway. So that's done too.

I've made the final payment to the baker for the cake - 3 tiers with an arrangement of sugar flowers on top. We've firmed up the times with the photographer and the florist. We've talked to the DJ and provided him with some song lists for the various parts of the evening, as well as what we'd like to play during the service. We'll seat our moms and then enter again with our kids to Pachelbel's Canon in D and will leave after the ceremony to Vivaldi's 'Spring' allegro from The Four Seasons.

We are planning to take some of the pictures with our cars - becuase we're all about our cars! So hopefully will integrate my TT (pictured here), my Q7 and my partner's A4 into the pictures on the day. Of course we'll have the more traditional pictures with our kids and parents and such as well...

The seating plan is all set and printed out, and it worked out really well too.

We just need to get the 'order of service' booklets completed and printed now, and we'll be essentially done.

We're having a rehearsal with the kids and the Minister on the Friday afternoon. The girls will be having their nails done too that day - again my ex will be taking them.

Getting very excited!!!

 

Well - it's all over. And it was fantastic!!

Our wedding was yesterday, and it was a really beautiful occassion. We had a wonderful time, as did our guests based on the feedback they were giving us. Everything about the day met or exceeded my expectations.

It was hot hear yesterday - high 20s (celcius) and VERY humid. So wearing a black suit and tie wasn't entirely comfortable. We were a little hot. But everything went as planned. The girls had their hair done in "up do's" and looked beautiful in their dresses and shoes. We arrived just as the photographer did, and we did most of the pictures of us and us with the kids (and with the cars!) before the service. We were able to go in a cool off a little before the ceremony.

The ceremony itself was reasonable traditional. The sermon from the minister was 'bang on' and very moving. Among other things, he talked about how 'ordinary' our marriage was while at the same time how special it was. Ordinary, in that we're just two people in love. We bicker, we have children from previous marriages, we help each other make dinner, etc. There was no need to change any of the wording with respect to the vows or the ceremony. Exactly the same for a homosexual couple as it would be for a heterosexual coule. But at the same time, he said that what was happening there that day was something extraordinary. He felt that in a small way, what was happening there was changing the world. And I agreed. Everything looked just as it would have otherwise, but there were two men getting married. And there was a group of 50 friends and family there to support and encourage them. It was beautiful.

We took a few more pictures with family members, and a few more just the two of us, and then we joined the party. There was punch served (both alcoholica and non-alcoholic) and the bar was opend for a bit before dinner. Servers were passing finger food and there was a table set up in the middle of the dance floor filled with antipasto - grilled veggies, mushrooms, cheese, flat bread, etc.

A little while later we had everyone sit for dinner. We gave a short thank you speech (each of us) and had the minister say grace before dinner. Dinner consisted of a baby spinach salad with roasted red pepper, toasted pine nuts, and goats cheese. The main course was roasted chicken breast as well as beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes and veggies. For dessert we served an ice cream crepe with fresh fruit. Then later in the evening we served our wedding cake with more tea and coffee. Yum!

The music was good (at least I think so, because we chose much of it) and people danced til around 11:30. (This was an older crowd remember - including the two grooms.) We had our last dance, because a number of people had left or were leaving, and that was it. We wrapped it up shortly after midnight.

It was a really wonderful day. I can't wait to get the pictures from the photographer. She should be finished getting them ready and printed in less than 2 weeks!

So now I have a husband. And we both feel awesome! It's been quite a journey that we've both been on, and we feel like we are on the path that we were meant to be on. And we have so many friends and family who love us and support us and are with us in this journey. And that's the best part of all. Well... maybe having found each other is the best part. But it's all good.

This forum has been such a trememdous help to me. I'm glad that it existed so that I could start to feel good about myself, and about my life and my orientation. And now I feel so comfortable and self assured that it's hard to believe there was a time where I didn't feel this way. But there was. And I know there are others who are in that position now, and I hope this thread helps them to feel good about themselves - and to see that there is happiness in their future. There's always hope.

Thanks to everyone here who has supported me in this journey. It's been pretty awesome.

 

Picture time!!! Here's a picture of the two of us on the day. We got our professional pictures back already, and they turned out really well!

http://emptyclosets.com/forum/members/720-albums180-picture25458.jpg

We spent our honeymoon in Chicago last weekend and had a fantastic time. If you've never been to Chicago, I recommend visiting. It's such a beautiful city! We had a great time.