Firm date and reception location

I feel so neglectful I have not written in so long. :-/


I have purchased my wedding dress and, as my mother-in-law to be noticed right away, it was the dress on the top of my list. It has vertical rouching at the top and horizontal/asymmetrical rouching along the bodice. The skirt is “puckered” several times and the train is short to medium length. It is a very pale ivory color. I tried on six dresses before I found the one that encouraged smiles and squeals from all in attendance. I also found a headpiece for $14. It is a matching ivory headband with four delicate flowers along the left side. I loved sharing the day with the women that I am closest too even though a couple of the most special were not able to be there.

Josh and I found out great news last Friday. We got a green light from the Army for the 25th of September. This is an enormous relief for me because without a firm date I felt that I was not making any progress. It was all hypothetical. Now I am in the process of calling all of the vendors and giddily relaying that September 25th is the day that Josh and I will be holding our wedding ceremony.

Also, because of this affirmation, we were able to book Spook Hall in Jerome, AZ for the wedding reception. Spook Hall was the first J C Penney in AZ and is a fun, pastoral building. The hall is really the only place in Jerome equipped for large functions and has held events ranging from Major Lingo concerts (local AZ hippie/ska band) to the 400 attendee, black-tie Copper Bowl. To find out more you can visit www.jeromehistoricalsociety.com.

As a reminder, the wedding ceremony will take place on Mingus Mountain at the Playground Campsite. We have secured Susan Perry as our officiant. She hosts a congregation in Sedona but has performed ceremonies ranging from traditional and religious to pagan handfastings. And, most importantly, she is the officiant who performed my Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim’s wedding in October of 2008. This is yet another sentimental aspect of our wedding that Josh and I are pleased to share with our families.

We have also booked our caterer, Vlad, who owns a New Mexican restaurant in Jerome. He attended the same school in New Mexico as my oldest sister. We continue to accidentally find quirky connections with our service providers but in a way it allows for a rather familial feeling. Vlad, as he likes to refer to himself in the third person, has wonderful suggestions for us and has even offered to gather all rental items for me and to help us with the set-up and decoration of the reception site. We have decided on various tapas for the appetizers and I will be receiving menus ideas from him by the 25th of this month.

Still on the lookout for any cowboy boots that we can borrow :)