Masochist? Me?

Just got back from a weekend in the Tetrahedron... very tired! Will post cool photos later.

On the wedding front -- still engaged! even after slogging about in the mountains for two days! Actually, it was fine. Mostly because I have a short memory (kidding). I tried and mastered the "rest step" which means that I will have WAY less of a sucky time going up hills; I made the executive decision to wear my Vasque trail runners on the WCT; most importantly -- I felt like a REAL hiker.

More specifically on the wedding front, I cancelled Chaster House for the ceremony/reception and booked the Roberts Creek Community Hall instead. Chaster House is lovely (and the post-wedding brunch will still be there), but the wedding capacity is 30 people. I was ok with doubling that, but tripling is a little too much, and we keep thinking of people we want to come to the wedding.

Such as... Phil & Susan, who are almost complete strangers that keep coming to Steve's gigs. I was introduced briefly to them at the Dutton's SOPA gig, then met them again after the Celtic show for Music in the Landing last Saturday night. Steve had made a few "see the tip jar? I have a wedding to pay for" quips during the show, and after the show, Phil comes up to me and says he loves my man's music so much that he wants to donate flowers to the wedding and has a five acre dahlia farm out in Roberts Creek. After unswallowing my tongue, I thanked him for his generosity and advised we're getting married in May, so dahlias probably won't be out yet. Without missing a beat, he asked "do you like tulips? I'll buy a sack and plant them for you. What colours are you having?" He wouldn't even accept my offer to pay for the bulbs. Craziness! But so very amazing. Apparently lily-of-the-valley are growing then, too. Again, craziness! We'll accept their lunch invitation as soon as we get back from the WCT.

Anyway, we've got the Roberts Creek Community Hall for the reception, though I think we're going to keep our eyes open for a useful ceremony place outdoors until we have to decide for sure. I like the Hall; it is a big open space with room to set up tables for dinner, a jam area for the musicians, and a dance hall as well. We'd even be able to easily have the ceremony inside as well if weather is inclement, though we'd have to make the lighting nice. The ceiling is painted to look like the sky! And I thought I'd get married there the first time I went inside (Steve and I had been dating for all of six weeks at that point). Funny how things come to pass, eh?

What else? I'm thinking of a Quaker Wedding Certificate instead of a guest book -- it's a document printed on beautiful paper that has a public declaration of marriage that is signed by the bride and groom... and all their guests!

I looked into catering at Gayle's request, but it looks like the caterers would charge an arm and two legs for pretty much the exact food we plan on serving. The suggestion was made, and I think it's brilliant, to hire a person from the community to act as 'feastocrat' for the evening, heating and putting out food in some semblance of order. Steve has someone in mind; I think he's been trying to get ahold of her. That would be a few hundred dollars well spent!

I probably won't be posting much until we get back from the West Coast Trail... my mind is on kettles and down sleeping bags right now, not wedding stuff. I will post some pics from the Tet once Steve gets them downloaded, or you can check out the Trip Report I'll be writing for Clubtread (probably tomorrow night).

We were all cute in the logbook at Mt. Steele cabin, writing sweet messages at each other. Hopefully it comes equipped with barf bags for the cynical.

He even rubbed my feet when we got home! And they weren't even very clean! I love him so.