We are mulling moving our wedding back two weekends. Because as I sat in a meeting today listening to my boss say [more or less with some of my own added dramatic effect] “between January and November don’t plan on doing anything but eating, breathing, and sleeping the campaign, including taking leave,” I realized: “Huh. Guess she’d prefer I not leave for a week and a half the last week of October.”
But I really don’t mind. In fact, one of the main reasons I decided to leave newspapers was to be able to campaign for candidates I support. After the 2000 presidential election I vowed I would never again have my hands tied. So now I’m working in a place where I can actually take an active role in trying to get the next president elected and I’m going to try to balance that with the wedding. (This should in no way imply that I’m some high-powered political operative. I’m going to be knocking on doors, running from released hounds, and phone banking with the rest of the idealistic schlubs. I mean “young progressives.”)
Here are our options:
1. Move the wedding two weeks back.
Pros—Doesn’t interfere with election.
Cons—I’ll still have last-minute wedding stuff with which to deal. But I don’t see why I can’t cell phone canvas during a gown fitting, right? Another con: if the weather returns to normal next year it will likely be after the leaves change, and we’re trying to sync our weekend with that seasonal occurrence. (Although in light of the cancellation of fall, I’m not sure that matters anymore anyway.)
2. Keep the wedding on the same day and delay the honeymoon until after the election.
Pros—Same as Scenario 1.
Cons—We’d be the couple who delayed our honeymoon for a presidential election. Can we be that couple? I’m not sure yet. Because I think that would make us official D.C. fuckwits.
3. Keep everything the same.
Pros—No interruption in original plans.
Cons—I’m gone for a week and a half that will probably be the busiest of the campaign season and I really want to be a part of that.
In all likelihood, it’s probably going to end up being the second scenario. Please begin to wrap your mind around the idea that we’re fuckwits.
Bridal Bird 
November 8, 2007 at 3:07 pm |
Oh hello I-66. Just in case you were thinking of using the first comment space to write “begin to think you’re fuckwits?” I assure you, I’m one step ahead of you.
Score:
BridalBird – 1 jamillion
I-66 – 0
November 8, 2007 at 3:15 pm |
Oh wow. I’d completely forgotten about the election! Bergle and I were considering getting married in early November but that’s gotta change now! Is it just us DCers who take elections into consideration when planning weddings?
November 8, 2007 at 3:34 pm |
Oh. My. God.
I have tears in my eyes I’m laughing so hard, and I can’t answer my phone because I can’t stop.
Actual planned comment: “Begin to think? I believe I’m already there.”
I have become too predictable. Time to change it up. Next time you won’t even know what hit you. You may have won this round, McBird, but you are far from winning the war.
November 8, 2007 at 3:40 pm |
Maybe it’s because I don’t live in DC, but I don’t really see the issue with moving things around to accommodate “work.” Seems like a rational adult thing to do. However, are you a rational adult? I’m really not, so I don’t think that I’d do it, personally. I’m far too romantic, and way too far from DC to give an election precedence over my honeymoon.
November 8, 2007 at 4:19 pm |
I ran into a similar issue — I work in commercial real estate, and the end of the year is ALWAYS insanity. Every year, we get an email from the Big Boss telling us to forget taking time off for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
I opted to get married on 12/15. I’ll be gone from 12/14 until after New Year.
The only reason I’m able to get away with it is seniority and being a bit of a Big Boss pet — otherwise, forget it.
November 8, 2007 at 4:27 pm |
I think scenario 2 makes the most sense. And also, just pretend it isn’t about the election. It’s just about work scheduling in general. We also may wait a couple weeks after our wedding to go on our honeymoon, just due to general logistics. But we actually chose to get married on November 1 on purpose so that if the election doesn’t turn out the way we want, it won’t ruin our whole wedding with misery. God, we ARE super DC.
November 8, 2007 at 5:55 pm |
Silly Bird. Holding an election would imply that George Bush intends to leave office as scheduled. Since we all know that’s not going to happen, I would think you can move ahead with your plans, unencumbered by campaign obligations or worthless, Constitutionally-based idealism.
November 8, 2007 at 6:25 pm |
Yes, moving it back works for me. Thanks for checking with me first.
November 8, 2007 at 7:54 pm |
I like leaving it where it is, because that gives me an extra two weeks to kidnap a date.
On a completely unrelated topic, do you know of any red state nursing homes with minimum salary requirements?
November 8, 2007 at 9:30 pm |
You wouldn’t be the first couple to wait for their honeymoon… friends of mine waited 3 months. They had both recently started new jobs and wanted to accumulate vacation time (and also not piss off their employers by going on vacation 3 weeks after starting).
November 9, 2007 at 9:38 pm |
I vote option 2. Advantages: you don’t have to plan a big a trip and a big ‘do at the same time. Plus, your choice of location, being so full of lush green grass, might actually be nicer in the spring than fall.
And, I certainly can’t label anyone a fuckwit. I scheduled my honeymoon around [work] of all things. And there ain’t nothing politically noble about that.