I have a half-baked post in the works about relationships, sexuality, and identity, that at some point (possibly Thursday, possibly not) I’ll share with y’all. In the meantime, I have a blog post up at Harpyness sharing ten things I like about Hanna, and ways in which we get on well together … and also the following updates on marriage/wedding plans.

1) Our rings have been commissioned, created, and delivered. We couldn’t be happier with our artist, Tere Reyes, at Etsy so I’ll give her another shout-out here (click through for beautiful ring photos).

2) We’re really pleased with ourselves for coming up with a solution to the question of private wedding + desire for witnesses. We plan to write out our vows on (archivally-sound) paper and sign the document at our verbal exchange of vows, along with our in-person witnesses and the Justice of the Peace. Then we’re going to circulate it by post among the friends and family members we would have asked to attend the wedding if travel time and money had been no object.

We’re going to sign the document with a fountain pen Hanna inherited from her maternal grandmother, thus bringing in multi-generational family resonance, and we plan to purchase a special “signing pen” to send along with the document as it travels around the country.

3) We’ve decided that some sort of fancy dress is in order. Hanna’s request was to splurge on gel manicures, so we’re going to make a date to get that done the week of the wedding. Colors TBA but I’m threatening to arrange for rainbow nails, something like this:

seriously: all teh gay!

And when we go up to Maine this weekend, we’re going to stop in Freeport to visit our favorite clothing store, Mexicali Blues, to see what sort of hippy-dippy dresses they might have that strike our fancy. Expect something in the blue-green-purple-brown color spectrum, since that’s more or less what our current wardrobe is composed of.

4) Friend Diana has mocked up some lovely minimalist marriage announcement cards, which we’re working with her to finalize before they go “to press” on her letterpress. Despite the fact we’re not inviting people to the ceremony, it felt important to share our intentional commitment to one another in some way with the friends and family that make up our far-flung support network. Along with the documented exchange of vows, announcements will be an opportunity for our chosen kin to recognize our decision to move forward together.

5) We’re working with the foster group Black Cat Rescue to create a special donation site for people who want to honor our marriage with a gift, but don’t have a specific gift they’re yearning to present to us. We considered a number of ways for handling the gift question, and this one felt like it most closely reflected the spirit in which we’re building a family unit (kitties included!).

definitely part of the family

6)My parents are planning to visit for a long weekend in early October so that we can have a quiet, celebratory dinner with the six of us (Hanna, myself, and our parents) and have the parents sign our marriage document in person. We haven’t decided where that dinner will take place, but likely somewhere on the coast of Maine (a good halfway point between Boston and where Hanna’s parents live).

Finally, a blushing “Thank you!” to our friends Lyn and Larry who sent us an engagement gift in the form of a gift certificate for dining at Oleana, a fancy-schmancy restaurant here in Boston that we would never consider splurging on with our own dime. If only you lived close enough to join us for the evening! We’ll be sure to take food!porn photographs when we do venture out for a night on the town.