Dan’s brother’s gift to the two of us was a weekend stay in the Honeymoon suite in the Crown Plaza, in downtown St-Paul after the wedding. We knew about this maybe one week before the wedding date, and I think it came about because everyone found out we were just going to go home after the dinner. Dan and I have been living together for almost seven years now, and since our ‘honeymoon’ was scheduled in august, we thought it seemed logical to just go home. Upon his brother’s insistence, we packed an overnight bag, and at the end of the dinner he drove us to the hotel. I had never stayed there before, I never stayed at any hotels in the Twin Cities, so it was actually really fun! Our room was wonderful, and I fell asleep as soon as I put my head on the pillow. The next morning we got to have a honeymoon breakfast in bed, with champagne, and Dan ordered some beers from room service and we spent the next two nights sleeping and watching television and ordering room service. It was more relaxing than the actual honeymoon.

Dan and I originally thought that we would just go to city hall and be done with it, but our friends and family decided that we needed to celebrate somewhere. We had been to weddings at Afton Inn, in the larger rooms, and I was fairly sure that they had smaller rooms for the smaller parties. We were recommended the Catfish Room/Deck, which was perfect. The room had a lot of character, and I loved how my friend had arranged to have so much candlelight in there! It was cozy, and it was great having our own room because then we could walk about and talk with our friends. The food is also delicious, and the surf and turf menu we selected was wonderful. The staff was great, and Dan and I have gone to eat there twice more (the Atlantic salmon is amazing, highly recommended).

Dan has gotten so many pieces of a suit, this was one of the first times in over twenty years that he actually bought the whole suit at once. Jacket and pants that matched, with a nice crisp white shirt, and a new yellow tie. I think everyone was happy to see him looking so good! It was also nice to see him in something that matched!

Dan and I decided that we would be getting wedding bands after a long debate. Dan wanted to get me an engagement ring, too, but I had already done all that. Also, my daughter also taught me that if she wanted a diamond, she would go out and buy it for herself. That being said, we walked into Scheherazade with the intention of only buying bands. They were rather busy that day, and we didn’t have an appointment, but eventually a nice young lady was able to serve us. Considering how young she was, she knew a lot about jewelry and what to look for in a ring. She was a little confused at first that we only wanted bands, but then showed us two lines of simple bands. I have heard people say that this store is rather pricy, but the price is fairly well coordinated with the style and the name of the ring. For the simple bands we bought, the price was fair, the rings fit, and both Dan and I were happy with the experience.

We had already decided that the party for the reception would be small, but we still wanted to send out invitations just for the practical reason that everyone would know what time the ceremony would be held at, where the reception was, our contact information, and the dates! I love sending out cards, I send them out for all occasions, so I went to my favorite stationary store in Minneapolis (also in St-Paul, and there are a few more in the Cities) and tried to find some stationary. I choose something with a Marrakesh print, it was paper with a deep purple and gold. I thought that this would be something that people would enjoy seeing, and would look good on their fridge. If I needed to send out 100 invitations, I would have changed my mind, but because I was sending less than forty cards, I chose a style that was more pricy. Also, I asked and received a 10% discount, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Dan and I are avid walkers, and in our youth we both walked the Appalachian Trail. Dan’s son, who studied in Spain in 2004, told us about the Camino of Santiago, we were intrigued. The Camino is a pilgrimage, one that crosses the northern part of Spain from the east to the west. After looking at websites, it was an obvious choice that this was something that we wanted to do together. We booked our flights separately, arriving first in Madrid, and then took a second flight to the starting point in San Sebastian through Iberian airs. It was breathtaking walk, and each night we stayed at different monasteries or small camino hotels. I would recommend good walking shoes and socks for novices, because even I got a blister the size of a golf ball on the bottom of my foot. I think if you can walk with a person, and that person alone, for a month, then you can spend the rest of your life with them.

For my first wedding, I had a big bouquet of white and pink roses. At the time, I thought it was appropriate. But given that this was my second wedding, that I was older, and considering how simple my dress was, I wanted a bouquet that reflected all that. My best friend, Georgia, was the one who made the appointment at Indulge and Bloom and who brought me to the store. The store itself was already more modern than what I could have imagined. It was a beautiful store, really, and you could tell that the people who work there must have a wonderful aesthetic sense. In my consultation, the florist started showing me really different types of ivory flowers and came up with a really modern looking bouquet. For the girls, she added some yellow flowers and baby breaths to make it look younger and more ‘flirty’. It was more expensive than I expected, but this was Georgia’s present to me, and I really think it completed the whole look for the day.

This part was a surprise, because we had originally requested simple deserts through the Afton Inn. Dan told me afterwards that he had spoken to the manager and said that we would be bringing in our own cake instead. I was so happy with this decision. Buttercream cakes are delicious. We always try to order them for work, or for parties, and when Dan and I celebrated our five-year anniversary, we ordered a 10-inch cake and ate the whole thing between the two of us in a weekend. This time, Dan got a slightly bigger cake, Bailey’s chocolate, with our names written on it. What makes Buttercream good is that they are consistently good. The cute part was that one of Dan’s nephews started singing “Happy Birthday”, so we all went ahead and sang “Happy Wedding Day”. The cake was gone in about twenty minutes.

My daughter and Dan’s daughter were going to be my unofficial bridesmaids, and the agreement was that they could get whatever dresses they wanted within reason (Dan offered to pay for the dresses, which they quickly accepted). The girls are beautiful, they play lots of sports and are in great shape. I didn’t know what they would choose, but they ended up choosing matching yellow dresses not from the bridesmaid section but from the prom section at David’s Bridal. According to them, the prom section was more fun, and that the dresses were less boring. The dresses looked like cocktail dresses from the fifties, with a high collar and pleats. The girls looked really cute. The dresses were not that expensive (when I stood next to them, it was clear that my dress was much more expensive), and they fit well so they didn’t need any alterations.

My co-workers and best girlfriends were going to allow me to get away with not having a bachelorette party, but they insisted on having a bridal shower of sorts for me. I have known these women my whole life, and they have known me before Dan, and when I started dating Dan, and the person I am now with Dan. They asked me where I wanted to go, and I suggested a Sunday Brunch. We have eaten the Amore Victoria several times, and the antipasta dishes are delicious. The calamari is wonderful. This isn’t light food, it’s good, classic food. We had one of the small rooms there, which was nice to have a room to ourselves, and the owner had decorated the tables with white linens and flowers. The food, again, was delicious, I love coffee and I will say they make excellent cappuccinos. I think the best present was having a day with all my girlfriends where they were able to tell me how happy they were for me. It’s a blessed feeling knowing you have people that love and support you.