budget

/'bΛdZət/ n. an allotment of expenditures for various items over a period of time. v.t. to make a plan for spending based on how much you have.

There’s been a lot of discussion this past week about finances. So far, things are going pretty well, but at the back of my mind is always the consideration about cost. I think I’ve been fairly relaxed and easy-going about everything, but Rachel (who’s probably being a little more practical than I am) keeps reminding me about how we’re on a fairly tight budget. I think I just need to rein myself in every now and then!

Last Saturday we took a car trip to check out some venues for the ceremony, photography, and reception. We’ve found some very nice places, and for the photos and reception I’ve been told the date we want is available. We’re waiting on final quotes and confirmation of our requests before we pay a deposit. The church we like the look of for the ceremony isn’t yet confirmed. I telephoned them earlier this week and left a message on their answering machine, but haven’t heard back yet. The outside of the church looks great, but we need to check out the inside to see how many people it can hold … not to mention the fact that we need to know whether they’ll let us use their sanctuary on the day we request … and of course, we need to know how much they’re going to charge us. We have a couple of back-up options, but obviously, we’d love our first choice. I reckon if I haven’t heard from them by the end of the week, I’ll need to call them again, or perhaps send them an e-mail. Mum started to get into a bit of a panic about “how little time there is left” before the day, but I think things will all be OK.

Anyway. So far, things are going pretty smoothly. My parents and Rachel’s parents had dinner last Saturday night, and it was nice for the six of us to get together. It was the first time Rachel’s dad had met my Dad, so that was good. Overall, it was a very successful evening. I’m looking forward to the next one; it’d be nice if the whole family (that is, brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews) could be in on that one.

I’ve been carried away with the excitement of it all, and already started looking at table decorations, invitations, and “bonbonnieres” or “favours”. This is probably a little bit premature, but … oh, well! I’m getting some good suggestions and ideas.

Phil came ’round to my place last night, which was great. We had dinner (a baked tuna risotto I’d made) and watched an episode from LOST season one. After that, we chatted for a couple of hours about the wedding, and his responsibilities as “best man”! He was keen to know what I was going to expect of him, but I think I’m pretty easy-going. Depending on what we do with car hire, he might need to drive on the day, and I’ll need him to help with choosing clothes, because my dodgy colour vision might let me down in the “matching swatches” department. Other than that, I’d prefer the lead-up to the wedding to be relaxed and casual. I’m looking forward to having a few nice meals with my groomsmen, just hanging out, watching some DVDs … that kind of thing. I’ve also suggested it’d be nice for all the bridal party to have dinner together one evening a little closer to the day. That will probably depend a fair bit on when Copland and Gary fly into Sydney.

So far, pretty much all is on track. Our next step will be to start confirming venues and paying deposits. Of course, Rachel is getting closer to choosing a dress, but I’m not allowed to have anything to do with that!

Cheers,
Andy