Wedding angst

I'd only been engaged 2 weeks, and already "the wedding" angst had started. We had trouble picking a date that didn't coincide with anyone's birthday, anniversary, etc; then there were people who were trying to invite themselves into my wedding; then my daughter didn't want to be pregnant when we had our wedding...SO we finally decided on September 8, 2012. 
We wanted something sweet, romantic, fun, and most of all something that was a celebration of our commitment to each other. We checked into a few places, nothing really seemed right. I was talking to my dad and he suggested we have it in their yard. Now you should understand, my dad doesn't just have a yard, it's about 13-14 acres of trees--oaks, pines, gum, etc. The area in the front yard we were looking at for the ceremony has 5 trees that make a nice sized circle-perfect to put an archway in. The area in the back he's talking about has enough trees for shade but would be perfect for tables and chairs, a tent or three, and to even have a dance area.  The picture just shows a small part of the front yard.

David agreed it was a beautiful spot, and genuinely liked the idea. So we had agreed on the When, and the Where, and the Time. Now we just needed to figure out the colors, the Who would be standing with us, along with a lot of other details.

Surprisingly enough, I heard from more than one person that I could not wear WHITE. Both David and I have been married before, but neither of us had ever had a WEDDING. We were both married previously by a justice of the peace...Since I'd been married before I SHOULD KNOW that I CAN"T WEAR WHITE. I know lots of people who've gotten married again and worn white. WTH? Tradition? Well, I researched Tradition, and found that women didn't wear white until Queen Victoria wore white and then it became the "thing."

So I searched for wedding dresses, tried on numerous ones....And all along I kept looking back at several I'd seen that were gunmetal grey. I came close to buying a white one with red trim from David's Bridal that made me feel like a princess...But while we (me, my cousin, and my daughter) we happened upon a gunmetal grey prom dress. It was GORGEOUS!!! My fiance liked the gunmetal grey dresses I'd shown him online, and this dress was prettier, less sexy but more beautiful. SO, I tried it on.

AND WOW!!! I got it because it was the perfect dress, not because people said I couldn't wear white. I got it because once I alter it and make it tea length and it fits perfect it will be THE DRESS I imagined. And the perfect combination of what David wanted and what I wanted.