Why so close to Christmas?

We've experienced some.. concerns... as to our having our wedding so close to Christmas, let alone on the East Coast.

Patricia and I have family, and friends, on opposite coasts.  No matter which coast we get married on, people aren't going to be able to go.

If we would get married on the West Coast, many of our friends and most of my family wouldn't be able to come.  One sister hates to fly, another has 3 sub-8 year old children.

If we would get married on the East Coast, Patricia's Mom might need to take time off from work, our local friends can't make it.

So, either way, people can't go.  So we can't really use that to decide.  So, what is next?

Well, we have two dear friends, the first couple I ever married, who we want to perform the service.  Unfortunately, they live in London.  On the other hand, they love us madly so will work through hell and high water to get to us for wherever and whenever we want to get married.  So we can't entirely use that to decide.  But we can, a little.

We don't want to put them out.  We don't want to force them to pay for a flight for two to wherever we are.  On the plus side, Kristin flies to Seattle often enough that her flight *might* be covered.  So only Duane would need to fly here.

But, on the plus side, both are going to be in New England at Christmas-time for an already planned trip, which, unfortunately, includes a cruise, so their window of opportunity is slim.

Now, on another plus side, two more friends, who live in Finland, are also going to be in New England around Christmas, and that gives us a very short overlap.

Oh, and another plus is that our many friends around New England are very willing to help us cook and arrange the wedding and feast.

We aren't exactly thrilled about having a wedding on a coast opposite either of our families.  But, then, that's something that has to happen.  When we get officially wed, we will be on a coast that at least one side of our joined family doesn't live on.

We aren't exactly thrilled about having a wedding so close to Christmas. 

But this is how the stars aligned.  This is pretty much how it has to land.

And, since we don't like having a wedding so close to Christmas, (after all, in the span of Nov-Dec, we have my birthday, Thanksgiving, my parent's anniversary, my mom's birthday, Christmas, my sister's birthday and New Years Eve.  That's a lot of holidays and celebrations) we're going to have a little half-anniversary wedding party in Seattle on 6/22.  We will make sure that our invitations include a New England? Seattle?  Both? checkbox list.  If we're lucky enough to have Kristin and/or Duane in town, we'll even have a mini-ceremony.

Before we even send out invitations, we want to apologize to those of you who aren't going to be able to see the 'real' ceremony.  We've gone to great lengths to make the ceremony accessible by everyone, but, with our worldwide fan base, we know that is impossible.  We're hoping beyond hope to at least get a web cam set up to simulcast the wedding.  But no guarantees on that.