Three Month Countdown

Zut alors! On Friday, August 8th, Pete and I attended the wedding of his cousin Nicole. It was great to be part of Nicole's and Peter's special day, but it also drove home the fact that our own wedding is only three months away. I keep telling Pete that means I only have three months left to change my mind, but we all know that come November 8th I will be there in the big white dress with a big smile on my face :)

I know these last three months will go by super fast. It will be here before we know it, and I'm happy to say that we are more or less ready.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Ha! I'm joking, of course. So I've decided to go ahead and make the big name switcheroo once Pete and I get married. So, in preparation, I did a little internet research into my soon-to-be new surname.

Etymology: Ryan is Gaelic from Ó Riain and means 'little king'

Motto: I would rather die than be disgraced*

Famous Ryans: I read through the list, but most of them aren't American. Of the ones that were, the only one I knew much about was...Nolan Ryan :)

*I think the motto is a little bit harsh. I don't think I'm going to be adopting that one :) As George McGovern said, "When you admit you're wrong, what you're really telling people is that you know more today than you did yesterday." I think I'll stick with George on that one :)

Here is the Church and Here is the Steeple

So not really the steeple. I'll have to post pictures of that some other time, but here is the interior of Garfield Church. Those attractive people you see are me, my mom, and my dad.

Rooms Reserved

I talked to the friendly folks at Superior Deluxe Inn & Suites in De Smet, SD and reserved a block of rooms for the wedding. (There is a link to their website on the right side of this page.) I've reserved rooms for Saturday, November 8th (the wedding date), and a smaller number for Friday, November 7th (for the wedding party, others in the rehearsal, or anyone who wants to come to town early). There are a variety of rooms available, both smoking and non-smoking. Because it is during the middle of hunting season, there is no group discount. Rooms will be held until October 8th, and please tell them you are with the Welton/Ryan wedding.

Of course, if you don't want to stay in De Smet, there are smaller motels geared more toward hunters that you could try (Lake Norden is probably the closest). Or else there are more hotel options in Watertown, but it is about 40 minutes from Bryant.

Let us know if you have any problems booking the hotel, or need help to find an alternative place to stay :)

Wedding Planning Goal

When Pete and I got engaged and started talking about what sort of wedding we wanted, there were a few things that we agreed on instantly.

The first was that we didn't want planning a wedding to be stressful. So far, it hasn't been.

The second was that we didn't need a perfect wedding day. There will be no tears or arguments about programs or chair covers. Things will be what they will be, and that is good enough for us. It takes a lot of pressure off and helps keep thing non-stressful.

The third was that we want it to be enjoyable not just for us, but for everyone that attends. To that end, I've found an Onion article on the subject.

This is what I hope my wedding will NOT be like :) :

Wedding Enjoyed By No One But Bride

NEW ROCHELLE, NY-The lavish, 250-guest wedding of James and Mindy Gallagher, held Sunday at the New Rochelle Country Club, was enjoyed by no one but the bride.

The Pictures!

So the internet is cooperating and here are a few pictures of our honeymoon-to-be in December of 2008. Here's the first place we're staying: Victoria House on Ambergris Caye. It's supposed to be a little more touristy, but not nearly as much as Mexico. We'll get to the Caye by a short plane ride, and then travel between the islands on a speed boat water taxi.

Here's a casita at the hotel like the one we will have:

Here's a picture of the beach from the hotel. (Courtesy of Minette Layne)


After our stay on Ambergris Caye, we will head to Caye Caulker. The entire island is only three miles long. It sounds very laid back and relaxing. Here's a picture of Caye Caulker (courtesy of GoGap).Here's a picture of our hotel on Caye Caulker: Seaside Cabanas.


I'm sure we'll have lots and lots of pictures once we get back.

Honeymoon

We have officially booked our honeymoon. Plane tickets have been purchased and hotel deposits have been made. Unfortunately, we're getting married right in the middle of fall semester and this lifetime student can't miss more school for a honeymoon. So we're going when we have time, which is over the holidays. We will spend that last two weeks of the year in Belize, returning on December 31st.

We'll spend the first six nights of our trip on Ambergris Caye and the last seven nights on Caye Caulker. I would love to post pictures, but the internet isn't cooperating right now. I guess blogger is having some issues. Maybe I'll try again later :)