Setting Dates...

C and I have set the date*.

The 2nd of December 2006.

The venue is booked, the best man and matron of honour are lined up and as of yesterday my two little neices are booked in as flower girls. One great-nephew of C's is still to be asked about page-boy activities. C's sister is her matron of honour and due to a disparity of ages, she is already a grandmother. One of her grandsons is the great-nephew in question.

A friend of some fifteen years standing is my best man. I kind of regret that I don't have that one "best mate" for whom I'm also their best mate, but he's a great mate all the same. And I know where his bodies are buried as well as he does mine, so the speech will be safe enough. I'm harking back to Cold War terms like Mutual Assured Destruction here, but you get my drift!

I never thought I'd end up having an actual wedding with a "normal" reception and all the rest, but it should be a good day. I always imagined I'd be one of those ones who surprised their house warming guests with a wedding surprise.

I've been trying to work out why I've been uncomfortable with the idea of a wedding (as distinct from the being married part) and I have to admit part of it has just been an awkwardness about romantic, sickly sweet displays of affection... worse yet, in full view of other people. Truth is, though, it must be the real deal with C, because right now the prospect doesn't bother me at all.

The thing that I'm really fearing is the bridal registry. I've never felt comfortable recieving material gifts. There's far too much stuff in the world and I've never been a particularly material guy. The idea of actually asking people for gifts and suggesting something for them to buy is of deep personal embarrassment. I'm not yet sure how we're going to get past that issue. Time will tell.

*I'm just going to work on the understanding that this particular phrase comes with an implicit understanding such that I will not need to clarify exactly what we have set the date for :)