January 2002"Goodbye sunshine. Hello wind, rain and snow. "
by Valerie Carino
...
Somewhere in between packing up the apartment, hosting Christmas dinner and
trying not to shoot off my mouth at another dig on Chicago weather, we’ve
still managed to continue the plans for our wedding.
First, we found a priest in Chicago who plans to hook us up with another
R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) class up there so that I
can continue on my journey to become a Catholic. I was baptized a Catholic
in the Philippines, but never received confirmation. While it’s not a
requirement that I be Catholic to be married in Damien’s hometown church, we
both felt it important to return to our spirituality to provide a solid
foundation for our future children. (In Chicago, the class takes five
months, the priest said, while here in Tampa, it takes eight.)
Next, I bought my slip, shoes and headpiece. As a frequent browser of
wedding web sites, I thought I’d simply choose these accessories from an
online store. The prices seemed cheaper and the quality appeared the same.
But then I heard about a bankruptcy sale for the House of Bianchi held in a
Tampa warehouse three weeks ago. I scored a slip for $30, down from $60. My
satin pumps, which feature a pointed toe and rhinestone buckle, cost $40 - a
steal compared to the same pair on a designer web site that sold for $150.
And my floral rhinestone headpiece, where the colors match my dress perfectly,
was another bargain at $125.
With our wedding overseas, it was important to keep costs to a minimum where
we could. Plus, I’m an avid hunter of bargains, quality and fit. I demand
it. Who knew I’d be able to find it all with my accessories?
I wish my bridesmaids dress hunt was going just as smoothly. Two of my girls
still don’t have dresses. The two in San Fran plan to wear the one they
originally bought. So I decided to let Julia and Melissa find another more
flattering style. But I’m having a helluva time searching for the right
color, simplicity and look I want to achieve. I’m bound to find one somewhere, if not
in New York or Washington D.C. where the girls live, perhaps in Chicago, where I’ll
be headed next week.
If some of you are wondering how I’m going to live up there, without having
lined anything up yet, Damien and I both have some hot leads. If all goes
well, I’ll be editing for a publishing house and he’ll be a sales rep for
Guinness.
So right now, no, I'm not worried. But I will miss the purple pink skies and
wading in the waters off Pass-A-Grille beach.
Goodbye sunshine. Hello wind, rain and snow.
Ugh.
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