October 2nd, 2011.
It's funny how many times October 2nd has passed with no notice from me, but now it will forever by the anniversary of my marriage. It'll be the date that is legally cited, romanticized by my children and grandchildren, and engraved in those champagne glasses that sit in my curio cabinet.
We still have to to formally sign the contract and submit the deposit for the Allandale Mansion, but I have until June 13th.
It was the first place I really looked at, but it was a completely random experience. The Future Mother-in-Law, Denise, Future Brother-in-Law, Nathan, and I were on our way to look at wedding dresses in the Tri-Cities area when Denise was like, "You should see the Allandale."
Did it matter that they were getting ready for a wedding that Monday afternoon?
No (Thanks, Denise!).
We popped right in, and while the initial woman was less than thrilled at the prospect of showing the house, a nice man sat down with me and went over the property. He was a little confused that the young man next to was in fact, not my fiancé, but rather his brother, but he went with it anyways.
The price was perfect. The look was what we wanted. The date was available.
We tried to find a venue closer to Knoxville, as I didn't want to coordinate my wedding from two hours away, but nothing else fit our budget or our idea.
Matt, my betrothed (ha), didn't even care that he hasn't seen it in years. His last memory of the place is when ice cream socials were held there. He glanced at the pictures, asked if it was what I wanted, and said "Go for it."
That's about as far as I we have gotten in the wedding planning. I go home tomorrow to meet with a photographer, find invitations, place settings, and (oh yeah) a dress.
It's like I went from zero to 90 miles an hour planning this wedding.
I'm ready. Ready for the wedding. Ready for my Gross life.
