*blinks* So where am I again?

It's been a down-then-up day with wedding stuff.

Down as I panicked with an email from my mother - who informed me that the hotel she wanted to stay at is all booked up (with no rooms currently reserved under her name), and she was confused as to whether she should have been responsible for blocking rooms.

That lead to me writing a very quick and probably inappropriately terse email to my mom, copying Erich on the mess, with my priorities and when I'm planning to do things - along with a note that says "if it's not on my immediate priority list and you want to take it to run with it... go for it. Just tell me you're running with it.")

I'll apologize to my mom tomorrow for coming across too brashly. And not by email - by phone. - with some extra help by buttering her up with flowers for her birthday tomorrow. I can be a shitty daughter at times, and this wedding is undoubtedly bringing out some of my nastiness that I keep in check about 95% of the time.

I've gone off my rant and feel much better after the better part of my wedding day, which was getting the yay!yes! call from my uber-lovely Maid of Honor, who, along with the other two women I hope to have standing by my side (the other two haven't replied yet... as I dropped them a line a bit later), tend to help keep me sane.

The next two big things on the list with the planning are finding a photographer, and getting Erich's kilt order settled. The photographer is something that I'm definitely feeling the pressure to book very, very soon. I've asked Erich to do some thinking about the type of photography he wants for our wedding and the types of keepsakes he wants to have so we can search for a photographer who will provide us with the service we're looking for.

Once the photographer is booked, the only vendors I'll have left to settle are flowers, transportation, and the cake. All of which I'm not quite so concerned about (but want to get settled fairly quickly as well).

The kilt is mostly in Erich's hands, of course, but I want to help him out with figuring out what to get. His mom had wanted him to wear a kilt since he does have a decent Scots heritage - and knows the clan (MacIntosh). And I want him to wear a kilt because I think he looks quite sexy in one. It's also an emotional tie-in with my family. I know from the scant details about my biological parents that my mother was Norwegian, but my father was Scots-Irish. And my adoptive family has some very close ties to Scotland - and to a particular family that became essentially adopted extended family while my grandfather was a radio operator in the U.K. during World War II.

So regardless of the fact that my last name is switching from something Celtic-turned-English to very distinctly German... I'm all up for celebrating the Scottish part of the blended family heritage at this fest. We need something to tone down the Polish. *grin*

So this Saturday we're heading to the Rhode Island Scottish Festival, partially because I do really just want to go to one... but also to get some ideas for his kilt. Should he go all-out formal? Or should we make it a bit more casual? And he needs to get properly fitted, too. Which I suppose I could measure him, but I'd rather find someone who actually knows what they're doing.

Making progress. Continuing to go insane, and having moments of "can I just elope?!?" panic. But I'm getting there.

Items I've recently completed:
- Reserving our officiant. We actually can get married because someone's willing to do the deed. It's one of our friends. My mom semi-jokingly asked if we could "put him in a collar." And while The Reverend Landry has a nice ring to it, um... no.

- Booking a new DJ. My friend T was a lifesaver and gave me the contact for hers from last year. So it's a DJ I've already essentially had a full wedding tryout with, really liked his music and MC skills - and I feel good using him.

- Contacted my maid of honor and bridesmaids to ask them if they'd to me the honor. Melinda's said yes. I'm crossing my fingers on the other two I've asked, and then need to drop a line to my cousins - who already know anyway that they're in the wedding, but I do want to make it official and all.

Ever moving forward...

- Mel.