Gittin’ Hitched!

It has been a while since I wrote in this blog - so here is some updated information. The wedding celebration is less than 4 months away and some issues came up - the original people I was going to hire went out of business and I am looking else where for servers and such. My dress, bought years ago, was slightly too small, so I am trying to see if I can fit into it again. When we went to India, at least I got a sari that will fit me - it is a detailed cranberry red silk with some gold work on it. I need to start looking for a cake and get the final details ironed out…. we are looking forward to celebrating our marriage with a big party surrounded by friends and family. I told Madhujit we need to start registering places- and madhujit said –” Do I have to go with you?” — but everything else is slowly coming together - my mom has been helpful.

St. Adalbert has a policy of a ceremony being no later than 1 pm… which will leave a hugh gap between the ceremony and reception. I have been doing some reading and some people are for the big gap - they realize this is the most likely time the wedding party gets pictures taken, etc. and don’t mind checking out the local area or they are from the local area… but then some people want the reception to immediately follow because they consider it rude to be stranded in an unfamiliar city for a few hours.
Here is my take on it… people that are coming to share our special day realize that we need this time to do things like pictures between the ceremony and reception - and we don’t want the party too early that it will die by 8 pm.. so I want to have a later reception. I am reconsidering the time of 6 pm though.. that might be a little too late and go an hour earlier, but we will see on what works for us.
I plan on listing on this website a variety of activities that out of towners can participate in while we are busy with pictures but we will not be trying to insult or be rude to our guests, but our marriage will be the most important event to us.

Madhujit and I met with the priest from St. Adalbert’s last week and everything is a go for a ceremony at St. Adalbert’s… We had to do the scantron like thingy from the toledo diocese - most strangely worded questions… Here Madhujit said that he was worried about the amount I drink… I do not drink at all and according to Madhujit that is worrisome. I can only imagine what father will think if he reviews the responses - he will think I am a lush…

Madhujit and I at first decided against a photographer… why? Well, at first they are expensive and tend to be bossy ( view from a few weddings that we attended). Secondly, between Madhujit’s and my cameras (regular and otherwise) we have the correct equipment to take nice pictures…
We figure ask a few close friends not in the wedding party to take the pictures for us… of course with practice using the equipment first! But my mother, though she means well, is trying to confuse me… what if these pictures do not turn out, yada yada yada…. then I get worrying - I want memories to share with my future children and grandchildren… so now I have to think about it… but then - once I start thinking… I get these issues that include going over budget and … you get the picture!
One couple we know said to the mother, if you want pictures you pay for them… but then we still have the attitude to deal with - we want the event to be important, not the pictures…
More and more issues to be solved….

I consider myself lucky that Madhujit and I have the same opinion about religion- we respect a “greater power” as “God or gods” but we are not fanatical about our religions. I am catholic ( for the most part) and Madhujit is Hindu ( for the most part). Let me explain what that means. I had strong views about religion ( in particular Catholicism) and strongly believed that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ ( yes even those who do not believe that Jesus is the son of God) until about 6 years ago… before Madhujit - I was told someone that was close to my heart at the time was going to hell because he was not christian… here I was blown away - it is incredible that in all my forming years, that my teachings were blown away in 1 conversion for me… but that is what happened…. I thought here for years I was taught that our God is a loving God and he cares for each and every one of us… and here someone with a religious authority I respected is telling me otherwise… at this point I had some issues with God that I resolved through thought and reflection between God and myself. I am now the typical american catholic - mass only on holidays, special occasions and funerals. I still find myself with the majority of the catholic views but I found myself in a different state based on my understanding of the global world. Madhujit was raised hindu, but he spent his formative years in catholic schools in india. So he has an understanding of catholic views and respects them and takes what he believes to heart. So together were are faced with the decisions before marriage about children. Madhujit and I want 2 kids, but how are we going to raise them? We believing that God is available in all forms, decide to give them a broad understanding of religion.. this will be hard for the most part to do, because we both have strong views and values… and all we can do is that we don’t screw them up… but I think we are up to the task…
Another issue ( which I hope to have completely resolved and set by the end of the week) is I always dreamed of being married in the church… and there are ceremonies available between 2 different religions but we must discuss this with the priest this week to completely put my mind at ease.
As religious differences go - we are relatively compatible… and we are trying to merge 2 different cultures into 1 unified front… hopefully we are up to the task.

If you are in the Toledo area and are looking for a caterer I would recommend VARGOS INTERNATIONAL CATERING (5549 304TH STREET, TOLEDO, OH 43611)
Why… well I have not tasted his food, but he was willing to help me out with information… which is a lot more than other caterers were willing to do. You can find him listed in the yellow pages under caterers… I if you are willing to give him a try, it appeared to me that he would be willing to do whatever possible to make the client happy.

LOL - this morning while driving to work, I told Madhujit the website template was UGLY… and said we will have to change it in the future…. but he is so cool he changed it right away

Madhujit and I have been discussing marriage for a while and then this past christmas, Madhujit proposed and made it official. We have been putting off setting a date and we finally set the date a few weeks ago and so the planning phase is starting. In the blog I hope to have a chance to write about my experiences planning a wedding and give recommendations and ideas of what can be done in Toledo OH for a cost efficient yet lovely wedding. Hopefully, Madhujit will also write his experiences about being a groom-to-be….

Oh how to name a blog- this title is Madhujit’s