Lounge of Tomorrow - Our Big Day is Approaching!!! Hurray!!!!!

I hope nobody minds, but I’m getting so excited that I just had to share this with everyone. Three weeks from today I am going to marry my best friend, who also happens to be the world’s most beautiful and amazing woman.

Woo hoo!!!!

We got engaged on Christmas Eve, 2003. I caught her completely by surprise as we walked with our dearest friends down a lighted Christmas lane. I had secretly picked out the perfect ring and everything. We decided on August 20th, 2005 in order to give ourselves plenty of time to plan and save as we’re paying for this shindig completely by ourselves, and now, amazingly, it’s almost here!

I’m totally stoked, and I think this will definitely be a wedding to remember. We are having an authentic Hawai’ian luau (as much as we can anyway) on the sand in Cannon Beach, OR. She’ll be wearing this dress, and her bridesmaids are wearing these. I’m going to be in this, and these are what my groomsmen will dress in. The bridesmaids and groomsmen all have different colors. If anyone ever wants a quality Hawai’ian shirt, I highly recommend this lady. She has been wonderful to us and made this whole process so much better. And, it’s kind of cool to know that we’re wearing hand sewn Aloha clothing made in Honolulu!

Our food and entertainment (hula and fire dancers!!!) are being provided by Patrick’s Hawai’ian Cafe here in Vancouver, also highly recommended. Patrick has been integral in our planning and hooked us up with leis, the dancers, advice, and much support. Without him we wouldn’t be having half as much fun. And the best part is his real kalua pork. He has people actually in Honolulu roasting it in genuine in-ground ovens, called imus, wrapped in banana leaves and seasoned with sea salt. Then it’s shipped here. No artificial smoke flavoring, this is the real deal! Oh so gooood!!! :D

Our ceremony is going to be very simple and much in the spirit of Aloha. Everything takes place at the luau, with our guests sitting on straw mats on the sand. We’ll exchange our vows and rings, then everyone will get their food and sit and eat while the hula dancers perform. Then we’ll do the cake cutting and toasts, then dessert while the Polynesian fire knife dancer goes on. Then finally, to end our night, we’ll each take a tiki torch (from the twenty five ringing our luau) and light, not a unity candle like other couples, but a unity bonfire! Then whatever guests remain will stay and we’ll mingle and enjoy a star lit coastal evening before retiring to our beach front room here, where we stay whenever we visit the beach.

I’m so excited I can’t contain myself. From the kalua pork to the programs wrapped in banana leaves to the wedding party in leis and all of our loved ones wearing Aloha outfits and joining in the spirit of Ohana. It’s going to be amazing!!!

Yipppeeeeee!!!!!!!!