Big Sky Lonestar

Chris and I recently took a road trip to Montana to attend a good friend’s wedding reception. It was a great trip and I wrote a whole lot about it over here. We had a lot of windshield time and decided to put it to good use and brainstorm for the wedding. We also got a chance to talk to a lot of people who recently got married or are in the process of planning weddings–many of them in the same situation as us, his family is one state, her’s in another and living in a third.

Originally, I thought we’d do a big shindig in Texas. However, the more we thought about it, it just didn’t feel right. So, while Chris drove us across his beautiful home land, I wrote down all the possible venues for each state. Then I realized with each venue, there was an associated option. So, I wrote down the options. And I ended up with four that we could consider:

1. A big Texas wedding.
2. A big Montana wedding.
3. A medium Washington wedding and a small Texas party.
4. A small Washington wedding and a medium Texas party and a medium Montana party.

Then I matched each venue to the associated option. That process really helped me envision what each option would entail. Next, we wrote down every name we could think of, off the top of our heads, from all three states and ended up with a list of more than 200 names. We knew that not everyone from the list could make an exclusively Texan, Montanan or Washingtonian wedding. All of this information, combined with the advice we got from other couples on our trip and we found a solution that made felt right.

We’ve decided on option 4, to have a small wedding here on Whidbey Island in the Spring, inviting a small number of friends and family. It’s going to be a simple dinner party, with vows and I’m going to have it filmed. Then we will head down to the Lonestar state and have a viewing party and celebration. Last, the following summer will head over to Montana and have a shin-dig to celebrate with friends and family there. This last part will be part wedding celebration and part homecoming party. Chris has decided to go back to school in Bozeman, and by next Summer we will be Montana residents.

It feels good to have all of this figured out. Chris’ decision to go back to school is inspired and I’m glad he’s decided to finish his education. I’m quite excited to become a Bozeman resident, and I’m already scoping the area for places to live.

Now, I’m on to the next steps of wedding planning. I’m calling and visiting venues here in Whidbey this week. And my mom is in Texas looking into the details for that portion of events. I’m putting together guest lists for each venue. And of course, I’m looking for the perfect dress.