Show, Don't Tell...

When we were initially deciding where to get married- we knew a few things immediately:

We wanted to be outside
We wanted warm weather
We wanted the ocean close by- preferably in clear view where we could see it, smell it, touch it
We wanted to be able to include all of our family and friends, which is approximately 297 people.
We wanted to have a Jewish ceremony- but we also wanted to be married on a Saturday afternoon.
We wanted to get along while having all of the above.

As it turns out, we got every single thing we wanted. Big Sur is magical. Anyone who has never been there- should go (tomorrow!)- and anyone who has been there would agree with me. It is hard to describe. I wanted to get married in Big Sur since the first time I visited- before I ever met my dream man. It turns out, my future also had a connection to Big Sur- it just solidified it for both of us. Our first weekend together there, one of our many roadtripping down from Olympia, WA to Venice, CA, was the first time he told me he was going to marry me. I remember what I was wearing, what he was wearing (birthday suit!) and what the tent cabin smelled like. We have stayed at that campground since, and each time is as fun as the first. It is one of the most magical, stunning, inspiring, sexy places I have ever been.

Now that I have bragged about how lucky I am to be getting hitched in Big Sur- let me say- IT IS HARD FLIPPIN WORK TO PLAN A WEDDING IN BIG SUR FROM SANTA MONICA!

Although the idea of a cookie cutter wedding where the venue had option A,B, or C is my nightmare- now I see why so many couples and families (oh yeah, we have two Jewish mothers involved) go this route. To think that you can just sign a contract and show up! What a relief! BUT! Having a wedding that represents HE and I- well, there was never really any other option. Big Sur is mellow. This is part of it’s charm. I like to describe myself as mellow- but I don’t think I am, at least not “Big Sur mellow”. Our caterer and florist are two awesome women! Cheri Gladstone- our caterer, coordinator, day of master, is rad. She is brief, smart, and honest. I wish I was more like her, even though she scares me a tad. Her food looks incredible is all organic, local and YUMMY! Our florist, Kate Healy is also a bad ass rad woman. She is a local and picks flowers from her backyard for the centerpieces and bouquets. Both these women have made the experience, thus far, pretty cool. There aren’t 10 page contracts, they respond to emails when they feel like it, they know what’s up- basically they keep me in check. The part that scares me is when they find out I cant make a decision for the life of me, and that I have anxiety up the wazoo- but for now- I am a mellow Big Sur bride, who gets to marry the best guy in the best place surrounded by the best family, friends, and vendors!! When I took my first Journalism class, I was told the number one rule of being a proactive journalist and person was: SHOW, DON'T TELL. This is my half assed attempt to show my thoughts- baby steps to the final result. Below are my ideas, i.e. the only due diligence I have done thus far.

1. An outdoor lounge- halfway between the bar and the dance floor-

Both images via http://www.classicpartyrentals.com/

2. A lantern ceremony once the sun sets; all lanterns are 100% biodegradeable and 100% amazing! The chinese lantern ceremony is a representation of hope, good blessings, and prosperity...

Images/lanterns via here , and it was brought to my attention at august and everything after

3. Vows- We are writing our own. We are both going to cry. I am going to look awful in the pictures of our ceremony. We have both just thought about the wedding and almost cried (he) or completely bawled (me). I think we are going to request the Rabbi to read our promises for us, to keep it under control and to keeep me from snotting . I am also going to need to keep it simple (the list of things I love about him is pretty long (and growing!!) so I will spare are all of my hungry and thirsty family and friends), and most of all- make them OURS. I don't want to go too crazy quoting Kahil Gibran or lyrics by every artist I have listened to since getting my first walkman. I guess having too many things you love about your man is a good problem to have.

4. Flowers!!! We want flowers that are in season (!!), local, and of course- pretty. Our florist is awesome and she will make these things happen for us… here are the ones that got the stamp of approval from my future hubby*.

all floral prettyness found here...

* future hubby stamp of approval goes something like this- looks up from cards, "yep, looks good", and back to playing solitaire. Whatever, I'll take it...