Forget TGIF, how about TGWHAV?!?

While I am also totally TGIF today, I also want to proclaim "Thank God We Have A Venue!"

Even as the concept of actually being engaged was still settling in, people were quick to drill me, "So have you set a date?!?"

Side note: There was the one person at work who asked, "Is this your first?"  A little confused and thinking surely there is no way someone is THAT rude, I replied, "Cup of coffee?" "No, is this your first wedding?"
Yes, on top of my actual JOB sometimes making me want to scream, tear my hair out and cry simultaneously, I also work with people who seemingly have little regard for social skills.

Getting back to the point here, I would always try to respond politely "No, no date yet.  Still just enjoying being newly engaged." And while I may have appeared calm, inside I was already getting my freak-out on.  MVP and I had decided we very much wanted to get married in Philadelphia.  But that also meant doing a bunch of research online and then orchestrate several drives up to Philly to do on site visits.

So. Many. Visits.

Over the course of two weekends I think we saw a total of 15 or 16 places.  And while I was already starting to feel the stress...one place running into the next...can't remember which end is up....at that same *exact* time, Pennsylvania legalized same-sex marriage.
Immediately -- YAY MARRIAGE EQUALITY!
Followed shortly with -- Holy sh*t now there is a GINORMOUS pool of couples looking to get hitched in Philly.

After many, MANY back and forth phone calls, a few tears on my part, weighing pros/cons (i.e. there is not a big enough discount that will get me to book my wedding on Sept. 11) we nabbed a date (two months sooner than I thought we would be getting married) at what was our top venue choice.

MVP and I are VERY excited to be getting hitched at The Down Town Club in Philadelphia on March 13, 2015. And yes, I am aware I am getting married on Friday the 13th.  Given the choice between that and Sept. 11th you can see how easy my decision was, yes?

But it seems there is not all that much time to enjoy the sense of peace that came with getting that squared away.  Now we are in the throes of tackling the next set of To Dos -- band/dj, photographer, videographer.  This whole idea of wedding planning seems a LOT less stressful when I watch it on TLC.  I am lucky in that MVP is a HUGE help (calling vendors, helping with research) so I am actually in pretty good shape.  

At least, that is what I keep telling myself.......