Feels like Summer...

And yet it's only April 13. It's been a fantastically warm weekend and I've been working on reclaiming my summer color. My legs are sadly pale (for me) and have serious contrast against my dark denim Bermuda shorts. I saw a picture of myself from 2003 and I was super brown. Oh the days of walking to class and getting some Vitamin D instead of being trapped in a grey cubicle. Alas, it is what it is. Maybe we can migrate lunch outside, then again, with typical Bay Area weather, it might be back to 60 degrees by tomorrow.

The reception venue hunt is on going. Funny how we're contending with a couple in Michigan for our officiant. Oh well, I'm letting it go and then going with whatever we have. All I want, at this point, is a firm date so that we can book a reception venue. How about I win the $10,000 on Radio Alice? Then I won't have to freak out about the costs. But, then again, I don't really want to throw away $10k. I'd rather put that into a house or pay off some student loans.

I'm blown away by some people's budgets. I understand that it's expensive to get married in the Bay Area. But I don't think you have to spend $35k?! on 100 people?! Am I just cheap? Sane? Smarter than the average bear? (All of the above...) I guess there are those women who want to have the "wedding of their dreams". I feel like I can't stress enough that a wedding lasts for a day (a few days at most) and it's the marriage that has to last forever (or should). And if you spend your life savings on a day, is it really worth it? Will you be able to go to bed knowing that you spent (or your parents spent) more money on a day than a car? two cars? medical schools student loans? I wouldn't.

This isn't to say that I don't want a nice wedding. I definitely do. But I'm working with a budget. I'm perplexed at how desensitized I've become over the last month at reception site minimums and pricing. I'm still appalled by some of the pricing, and then feel even more sick when I see some of these people on TheKnot who are booking those places. I know how much they are spending. Part of me thinks it's awesome; the other part of me thinks it's freakin' ridiculous. I'd like to see some statistics on how many of these couples are still together 5 years out. I hate to be so cynical, but I think I'm being real.

That being said, I think my main contenders are: Sunol Valley Golf Club, Wedgewood Banquets at Metropolitan Golf Links, Castlewood Country Club, Dublin Ranch Golf Club, Courtyard Marriott, and Newark Hilton.

I like the idea of a golf course setting. Sometimes I wish we were having an outside ceremony because it would make some things easier, like no travel time between the ceremony and reception. Oh the decisions. If only we had a date.