You’d think with the wedding 25 days away I’d be thinking about it a lot, but in fact I’m trying to dwell on it as little as possible. Though I’d like to inhabit my usual role as the calm, blasé one, to be frank I’m a little freaked out. Earlier today, an icy current shot through my veins when I thought about how close the big day is.
The three main things playing on my mind, in order:
1. Money
According to this site, “The average cost of a wedding in Canada is $20,000 to $30,000. It can be higher if planned in a major city such as Toronto.”
We’re getting away with something a little less than the lower end of that, and we are indeed holding our wedding in Toronto. For the most part we have been tough-minded about costs. We decided to feed our guests hors d’oeuvres instead of a full meal, which saves thousands. We also did the wedding on a Friday, which for some reason causes everyone to charge you less for their services.
But here’s what happens to a budget: You think you’re going to find shoes for $200, and it costs $240. Your $300 tux turns into a $550 ensemble. You only budget $300 for music (foolishly) and then it costs more than a grand to hire both musicians and a DJ. You do these things because you’re having a nice wedding, and your fiancée is fussy, and forking over the Bordens is preferable to the sense of disappointment on her face whenever you’re forced to settle.
In order to make it work on the money we have, my fiancée and I plan to skip the usual putting-aside of funds for bills and the mortgage this month; the plan is to pay for these things after the wedding with gift money. And we’ll employ any other feats of accounting dexterity we can cook up.
2. The speech
I shouldn’t be worried: We’re limiting the speeches to just four minutes. I don’t mind public speaking. Most of the people in attendance will be friends and relatives, and everyone else a well-wisher.
Nevertheless, I’m putting a certain pressure on myself to come up with something spectacular. I know it probably sounds silly, but I want my speech to be inventive and unexpected. I want people to laugh, cry and remember it forever.
Yet as of right now, I have no idea whatsoever what I will say. Just saying how I feel would be enough to bring a tear and a smile to my fiancée…but still.
3. The G20 summit, happening at the same time as our wedding and only a few blocks away.
Yep. Still worried about that one.
Image courtesy of mknobil.
