vegas

So! Darren talked to his mom today and, because it's a time share, the earliest she could book us a week in Las Vegas is in October.

Con: it's two months after the wedding.

Pros: in August, average temps in Vegas are in the 100s. In October, it's the 80s.
Also, just when it's starting to get a little chilly here, we'll be able to flee to the desert.
And it'll be kind of like I get two vacations from work- one shorter one for the wedding itself, and then the honeymoon. It'll be spread out instead of lumped all together.
Plus it'll give us two months in between to hopefully save up a little more money. Especially if Darren's found a job by then.

Works for me! Now I just need to find out the exact dates so I can book plane tickets.

So, when we're in Vegas, we might rent a car and take a day trip to the Grand Canyon. The west rim of the canyon is only 120 miles from Vegas. So I'm writing this post so I can hold onto this link with directions.

Vegas, baby

Most of the wedding stuff is planned at this point. Now it's just a matter of making all the purchases.

Side note: it's hard to save money when you somehow end up overdrawing your checking account by $150 despite diligent budgeting ARGH I HATE MONEY! Whatever, I'm dealing with it, plus when Darren gets his tax return next week I'm getting $900 of it so I'm going to stop freaking out now.

We haven't officially booked an officiant, but Darren's mom has a few she said she'll be in touch with for us (and she'll give them my contact info, la de da), and a photographer hasn't been officially booked either, but I've been talking to a couple people so we're mostly good to go there too.

Other than those few things though, it really is just a matter of spending the money. And there's not a lot to be done right this second. So, in the meantime, I'm looking up awesome, inexpensive stuff to do in Las Vegas. Sounds like this is for sure what we'll be doing for the honeymoon, so why not be prepared, eh?

The place we're staying has a kitchen and apparently it's right off the Strip, and I guess they have drivers who will take you wherever you want to go? Amazing. I definitely want to see Cirque du Soleil's Love while we're there, which is going to be spendy but totally worth it. Kate saw it when she was in Vegas on her MLP tour and she said she would've seen it again.

I think it's going to be a pretty amazingly fun week. We probably won't go the week immediately after the wedding, mostly because some friends are getting married on the 14th and we don't want to miss that. If we go the 16th through 21st, it'll work out perfectly: I'd get paid on the 13th, our renter's property tax refund would get deposited on approximately the 16th, and Darren's birthday is the 20th. And I could catch up on work the week before and spend the whole time bragging about how I was going to be in Vegas. I'm only half kidding about the bragging.

Wee!

more stuff

Sounds like we're going to Vegas. WHAT UP?! Darren's parents have a timeshare there and they're not going to have the time or money to go this year, so they offered it to us for our honeymoon. Amazing.

Anyhoodle. Darren mentioned paper lanterns, so I'm looking into places I can buy them wholesale. So far this place has the best prices. Oh wait, maybe this place does. IKEA has them, but $4 each? Really? Come on.

And finally, iffn' we end up getting tables and chairs for free from Darren's grandma's church (hope, hope), if the chairs are ugly, I'm going to have to get covers. And this is the cheapest place I can find them.

Doo doo doo...

vacation

Okay, so it's not likely that we'll be able to afford a honeymoon ourselves, but I'm looking at places just in case. Because even if we don't get a honeymoon right away, we'll go on vacations in the future.

Perhaps to this lovely resort in Riviere Nayarit, Mexico. Although August is part of the rainy season. Hmph.

Maybe we could rent an apartment in Puerto Rico.

Maybe Amsterdam.

Or London.

Hmm.