Welcome to Hannah Belle and Eric's wedding blog! We are planning a June 2008 date at Memorial Chapel at the University of Maryland in College Park. If you are a Moulton, you can hardly be at a loss for why I prefer June (think Seven Brides for Seven Brothers).
Eric and I have been serious about each other since we first started dating, so we knew the location of a wedding would be problematic, given that he's a damn Yankee and I'm a desert rat. I tried to convince him to elope and then have a reception on each coast, but he is more romantic than me and insisted on the ceremony.
Once we decided on a full-fledged wedding, there wasn't really a question as to where it would take place. We often played frisbee or flew kites on the grassy malls of UMD, especially in front of the chapel. We want to get married in the part of the country where we met and first planned a future together.
We're not sure about places for a reception yet. Outside from the university, College Park is kind of sketchy. Ideally, we want to impress our out-of-towners with a reception somewhere on the Potomac, but we'll see.
The wedding party is predictable. Our parents will be involved somehow. Elizabeth will be maid of honor (duh) and Eric's best friend Juan will be the best man. I want my sisters Rachel and Callie to be bridespeeps along with my brother Andrew and my brother-in-law Mike, Katie Bode and Amanda. Eric's groomspeeps will probably include his sister Ramie and his friend Adam. We've been exploring what to do about bridesboys and groomsgirls instead of sequestering the sexes on either side of the altar. We'll have to talk more about what we want to do. Eric thinks it is a good gesture for the men in my family to stand with him and vice versa. But part of me thinks it's a strange declaration of sexes to have my brothers stand with Eric simply because I'm not a dude.
My brother-in-law Shade will preside over the ceremony. He is ordained in the Universal Life Church (like all four Beatles!) and is very dear to me. We never considered having anyone else oversee the ceremony.
Well that is about all we know so far. I hope to keep everyone in the loop with preparations and answer any questions along the way. I've found great comfort in the resources I've found online, especially anything associated with the Offbeat Bride web site.
There probably won't be any other news until I get a job and reserve the chapel. Then there's no turning back...baby, are you sure you don't want to elope?
