Officiate

A couple days ago the Dude and I went to see our officiant. I had no idea all the processes that go into getting married. Kind of blows my mind now how easy it is to go to Vegas and say screw it.

For example, we're not using an officiant from a company like Kettle Creek or All Seasons. We're using the justice of the peace we saw perform the Dude's stepbrother's wedding last October. We thought she was lovely and dignified and we enjoyed her service. So to use her services, we have to write and mail a formal letter to make a request. She then passes it off to a higher up, who will approve it.

Then we have to come back around August with $75 for the fees associated and our outline for what we want in our service, and a license in hand from City Hall, which will have its own fees and we'll have to go and show our ID and answer questions about ourselves and our parents.

So to think that in Vegas people can meet a stranger and marry them that very day all willy nilly is wild (and yet the country thinks same-sex marriages will degrade the institution). Frankly, I think it makes good sense having to go through hoops. If it seems like too much of a pain in the arse, then it might be a good idea not to get married. I'm comfortable with it not being easy. I just didn't realize how not easy it really was.

So there are five items on the agenda now to take care of: going up to my hometown to design invitations, writing a formal request for our officiant, writing up our ceremony, buying a license, and getting engagement photos done.

This fashion photographer that the Dude has worked for, who's newly into wedding photography, is shooting our wedding as a gift (generous guy!) and he offered to do engagement shots. So we're thinking of doing something offbeat that would be useful to him for portfolio pieces. I'm not terribly photogenic. I have a nose that doesn't cooperate with cameras. But all the same, I'm still looking forward to it.

I'm just not comfortable unless I'm ahead of schedule with this stuff. I don't want to fall behind and get stressed out. Eventually I'll be at the mercy of people's RSVPs, but until then, I'm all over this bidniss.