The One That Got Away

All the stress of the past week has rendered me ill today. It would seem that a weekend of 4-5 hours of sleep each night, followed by a week of worrying and non-stop second guessing about wedding sites and job options took its toll on my system. I have been getting low-grade headaches every day this week. I attributed it to starting at my computer screen too much hunting for wedding stuff. The stress also caused my appetite to drop by half which probably hasn't helped (though it's been nice to see a couples fall off the scale).

Around 4am this morning I woke up feeling very hot under the bed covers. That seemed kind of odd given that the last weather forecast predicted a cold night. I actually sensed myself sweating slightly. As I lay there, I also realized that my head hurt. Putting the two together I reasoned that I might have a fever. I reached into the nightstand drawer and tucked the thermometer under my tongue. Three minutes later, the thermometer read 101 F. So I got myself a glass of water, an aspirin, and went back to sleep.

When I awoke at 7:30am, I took my temperature again to find that I was back to a perfect 98.6 F. Wisely, I decided to call my doctor's office for a quick checkup. She was concerned with my reddened nostrils and throat, but fortunately it is not strep.

This was all a minor inconvenience considering my anxiety over finding out at 11am whether we could get the ceremony site we wanted. No one seemed to believe my worry was justified. What are the chances someone would come in and take the place in 24 hours? It's a beautiful location but limited by it's small size and early closure time.

I called the restaurant manager and confirmed that we could move the dinner. Then, with excitement, I called the guild to take the next step on the reservation. The worst news in the world was revealed to me. The other couple that had considered the site a couple weeks ago had come this morning and submitted their reservation check. Heartbreak! Just a matter of an hour determined who got the place.

I could have simply taken the chance yesterday and written the same check and taken it. It was a lot of money, however, and neither Tim nor I were totally comfortable potentially throwing away the money. Still we were sad, I even found myself tearing up because we had come so close. There's no way we could have known when I started looking last week.

The event coordinator was sympathetic. She said that if we wanted a morning ceremony she could offer us a discount. Tim and I, however, both agreed that even a 1pm start would be too impractical given that people would be forced to eat lunch early or late. Plus, the sun exposure could make for some harsh photos. I called her back to thank her and decline the offer. I told her that in the end, someone was going to be sad to lose the place be it us or the other couple. I hope they appreciate what they have.

So it's back to the original plan we worked out. This location isn't bad either. It will be green and quite a peaceful outdoor setting. It's just that the guild has both the garden beauty and the architectural charm that I had wanted. (It also has a small indoor area that is a good backup in case of rain.)

Tim's willing to put off the wedding until next year if we both really want the first choice, but I can't imagine waiting until next March. We're not 25. We've had our fun being single and I'd like us to be able to move forward. Besides, my brain is just too tired to want to think or consider more options beyond the massive list I've already screened. I just want to rest and enjoy being engaged for awhile.

So the application and check goes out today for the alternate. Now, we have a ceremony, dinner, and photographer lined up. It's great to have a date we can tell people. Now I have to work on hotel rooms, invitations, and THE dress! I can't wait for the cake part... yum.