Bunny love...

My beauuuuutiful new car and I went through the car wash for the very first time today! By somewhat of an accident I discovered I had automatic rain sensors. Oops. Because my last car was a soft top I never drove it through the car wash, but when my Rabbit made it through it was beautiful and shiny and new looking (newer, I guess, as we just hit 2,000 miles today)! I splurged for the extra wax and the wheel shine and it was worth it. I am so pleased with my car, I grin like a fool when I am driving it. I have to say I miss the neon-teal of my Tracker however, no car was so easily spotted in a parking lot.

On another note, my invitations arrived today! They don't look super pretty in this photo, the pearls and random satin background look pretty grandmother-ly, but I love them! I think going through catalogs and websites dripping with so many disgusting and tacky invites was the roughest part of this whole wedding process.

So now that this is done, with 7 1/3 months left until the wedding I have...

• Booked venue for ceremony/reception
• Bought dress, outfitted bridesmaid/junior bridesmaids... 1 mother dressed, 1 not
• Picked tuxes, tux colors
• Secured invitations
• Made guest list
• Got Russell's pastor committed to date
• Decided on menu
• Narrowed it down to one photographer I love, and others I don't love as much...
• Honeymoon! (The Kinneys surprised us with reservations in Aruba.... how generous is that?!)... Russell's fam is booking flight and wedding-night hotel this week too.
• Limo is booked for getting to the Mile Away
• Picked out (but haven't bought) rings
• And more... I just forget right now.

I never really got how political and at times awkward a wedding can be. The whole shuffle over who pays, who gets more say, who is in the wedding, who gets invited... it is just weird at times. While I want to have ideally six bridesmaids, Russell is just having his two brothers be groomsmen. I am a stickler for visual symmetry, so what do I do about my four best friends who I love more than anything? Be like, "Oh sorry, I'm just having my sister.... or even my sister and Caty... or my sister and my cousins..." Also, to match Russell's two brothers I couldn't pick just one of my girls- we are a unit! Maybe the place can go to the highest bidder, like Obama's seat.

It is hard to put friends who have gone through such crazy stuff with you in chairs, when they should be standing up with you. On the other hand, it would look so weirdly unbalanced if I had a million people on my side and Russell did not. I think I am going to keep my wedding party very small and have my best friends do a reading/reception toast etc. I am the worst in these situations, I don't want anyone to feel bad. I want a fix that will feel good to me, but right now there are no perfect alternatives.

On another note, why is it so hard to find wedding clients this year? I have only booked a couple weddings for 2009 so far. I always get nervous this time of year. Planning my own wedding I know how much crap wedding photography is out there (tons)... but I think people get scared away as I dont have a studio they can come meet with me in or an elaborate website. This is how I keep my costs low! Running a wedding photography business and finishing college is not the easiest.