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Miss Dachshund, Fresno, CA Age and Occupation: 24, Legal Office Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Computer Technician Engagement Date: April 18, 2009 Wedding Date: May 2010 Venue: Victorian Gardens of Two Sisters About Me: I’m a 24-year-old Californian bride-to-be who found love in the most unlikely of places - an online video game! I’m a farmer’s daughter living in rural Central California, but will always have a special place in my heart for the city. My future husband is a 27-year-old extraordinarily tall, exceptionally cute, and undoubtedly Canadian boy who was able to sweep me off my feet and take me for his bride. I love color, folksy songs that make me smile, interior design, kettle corn, my one-year-old puppy, Juno, and my fiance, of course! We’re planning a DIY garden wedding with a laundry-list of projects, all while dealing with the bureaucracy that is American Immigration!
About Miss Dachshund

Making it Legal: Our Unusual Nuptials

September 24th, 2009 @ 1:20 pm by Miss Dachshund

In my introduction post, I mentioned that Mr. Dachshund and I will have to be legally married before his visa expires, which is about three months from the time he’ll arrive in the US. That left us with two options: making it legal beforehand, or planning our wedding around our immigration time-line. The latter would have been doable if our timing had been better. However, FFIL is working for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and he’ll be unable to make a trip to California until after April. April is not even close to our three month deadline. We’re stuck with option one.

I’ll admit that I was a little bummed we’d have to be married months before our actual wedding. What would people think if they found out that we had already been married for six months!? Would they assume we were just soliciting gifts? While I knew that couldn’t be further from the truth, I wasn’t sure our guests would understand. Above all, I worried that a civil ceremony would make our wedding less special.

Despite my initial misgivings, I’m a firm supporter of turning life’s lemons into lemonade.

Because there was no way out of it, Mr. D and I thought we’d make the best of our situation and use the opportunity to turn our civil ceremony into something off-the-wall and fun.

That said, we’ll be making it legal on Halloween night at our century-old country home in the company of a few of our closest friends and family. My MOH will be officiating.

So, with a classic Twilight Zone marathon serving as motivation, I turned to the internet to find inspiration for our Hallowedding (doesn’t “Hallowedding” sound fun!?)

I’ve never actually thrown a Halloween party before, let alone a Halloween-wedding. In my head I’m imagining classy, Martha-esque decorations with tasty food and even tastier drinks. I spent hours searching for inspiration and came out with a small bounty of photos that will lay the foundation for a memorable party to celebrate our quickly-approaching nuptials.

hallowedding-inspiration

{Photo sources: Love-o-lanterns, tissue pom, bottle invites, tulle poms, pumpkin cooler, witches candy, pumpkin punch bowl, Halloween garland, brain cupcakes, luminaries}

I’m really looking forward to getting started on our Hallowedding crafts. It’s so hard to believe that it’s right around the corner! I’m definitely running out of time. I think the entire month of October is going to be Halloween overload; I still have so much to do!

Are any of you “making it legal” before your wedding day? What are you planning for your civil ceremony?

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41 Responses to “Making it Legal: Our Unusual Nuptials”

1.
Bee Icon
Bee
Mrs. Bruschetta (message)  5,553 posts, Bee Keeper

So much fun! Can’t wait to hear more about you Hallo-wedding!

 
2.
IA_Snowflake
Member
IA_Snowflake (message)  1,623 posts, Bumble bee

That’s such a cute idea.

 
3.
Guest Icon
Guest
a.m.

I love it. And when it comes to Halloween, Martha will not steer you wrong.

 
4.
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Member
iswimibikeirun (message)  513 posts, Busy bee

How cool that your FFIL is working for the Olympics!

 
5.
Miss_Carmel
Member
Miss_Carmel (message)  317 posts, Helper bee

That is such a cool idea! It sounds like it will be a light hearted but meaningful little bash. I’m excited for you guys!

 
6.
Mrs. Starfish
Member
Mrs. Starfish (message)  235 posts, Helper bee

We are not but it looks so nice and sounds fun! We have talked seriously several times about eloping with the stress & cost of the wedding but in the end I really want my entire huge family there. It’s nice you have an excuse to do both!!! :)

 
7.
luli29
Member
luli29 (message)  1,087 posts, Bumble bee

fun!

 
8.
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Bee
Miss Frozen Yogurt (message)  893 posts, Busy bee

Miss moonbeam did. I love the fall, so I wish I could have a fall and spring wedding. Lucky you!

 
9.
kmattso2
Member
kmattso2 (message)  990 posts, Busy bee

That’s going to be so cute!!! I can’t wait to see everything you come up with

 
10.
tea
Member
tea (message)  2,659 posts, Sugar bee

that should be so much fun! the boy and i are planning on doing the same which plays into part of his dream wedding. i’m more than happy to oblige. how many times do we get to marry the same guy twice? lol

 
11.
Erisque
Member
Erisque (message)  179 posts, Blushing bee

That looks like so much fun! Our wedding reception is halloween themed (wedding is November 1), so let me know if you’d like to trade ideas!

 
12.
Member Icon
Member
blightygirl (message)  207 posts, Helper bee

We’re making it legal before the wedding day! When is he going back to Canada? Will he have the AOS and the Authorization to Travel before then? Halloween! How Fun!

 
13.
MsHymanRoth
Member
MsHymanRoth (message)  2,434 posts, Buzzing bee

Your situation should be a reminder for everyone that sometimes there are certain circumstances that are unavoidable and you have to do something that works for you … and it’s sad because in this post you’re worried that people will think you’re asking for gifts … when really you are just celebrating your love!

I think your ideas are great and it’s wonderful that you can turn lemons into lemonade!

 
14.
Bee Icon
Bee
Miss Dachshund (message)  487 posts, Helper bee

@blightygirl: He’s still in Canada right now! He just had his visa interview and he’ll be coming down ~Oct 20. So, he probably won’t be able to travel for a few months.

 
15.
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Bee
Mrs. Espresso (message)  1,064 posts, Bumble bee

How fun!! I can’t wait to see all the fun decor you whip up!

 
16.
alohababy28
Member
alohababy28 (message)  192 posts, Blushing bee

I wanted a Halloween wedding SO bad, but the Mr. thought this year would be too soon (we got engaged in Jan this year), and I thought next October was too far away. We compromised in May which is when we first met. Hallo-wedding is the closest to a dream wedding I ever had since Halloween is my FAVE holiday! I’m SO jealous!

 
17.
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Guest
yelli

How fun!! I think it’s awesome that you get to plan a smaller, “off the wall” like you said, party as well as your wedding. What a great way to have fun with a theme.

 
18.
bunny
Bee
bunny (message)  534 posts, Busy bee

That sounds like so much fun! I would love to go to one.

 
19.
Guest Icon
Guest
emily7185

we had to get married before our wedding too, my hubby is stationed in germany with the army and we eloped in Denmark (very easy to get a marriage license!). i’m a little worried about people thinking we are scrounging for gifts by having a big ceremony afterwards, but all little girls dream of a white dress and a big party, and i have to have it!!

 
20.
thefuturemrsjewell
Member
thefuturemrsjewell (message)  1,534 posts, Bumble bee

what an awesome idea! I can’t wait to see how your hollowedding comes together! Awesome idea! I love the jack-o-laterns!

 
21.
MissCamera
Member
MissCamera (message)  671 posts, Busy bee

We “made it legal” just prior to our afternoon ceremony that morning at the courthouse because our officiant (my uncle) didnt have the legal right to marry us. We didnt plan anything fancy though. I basically threw on a sweater and jeans and we headed to the courthouse with our sisters as witnesses.

 
22.
llc2011
Member
llc2011 (message)  466 posts, Helper bee

Can’t wait to see what you come up with for your hallowedding!

 
23.
11.11.11Bride
Member
11.11.11Bride (message)  84 posts, Worker bee

I love your inspiration board. It’s not scary, like some of the Halloween Wedding inspriation boards I’ve seen before. Classy. I like it. :-D

 
24.
Bee Icon
Bee
Mrs. Peep Toe (message)  1,636 posts, Bumble bee

That sounds super fun!! How exciting!

 
25.
voomie24
Member
voomie24 (message)  81 posts, Worker bee

That is such a great idea! I secretly wanted a Halloween wedding complete with outlandish costumes. I can’t wait to hear all about it.

 
26.
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Bee
Miss Moonbeam (message)  1,335 posts, Bumble bee

Ooh, I love that your turning it into a Halloween party, so fun. I hope everyone will be in costume.

 
27.
poli2b
Member
poli2b (message)  538 posts, Busy bee

I can totally relate. We were officially married in July - about 3 months before our wedding with family - in a civil ceremony. We did it for insurance purposed. I had mentioned to my parents that this might be a possibility, but honestly, we didn’t really tell anyone that we got married early. We only told a very select list of people - I didn’t even tell my MOH because she has a big mouth! We didn’t want our wedding in front of friends and family to feel cheapened by the comments of others who simply didn’t understand our plight.

Kudos to you for doing what works for you and making it fun. I’m planning a Halloween party post wedding and I am definitely digging your style.

 
28.
FlipFlopBride
Member
FlipFlopBride (message)  1,306 posts, Bumble bee

I’m so excited for your Hallowedding! Halloween is my fave holiday. I decided this year I will be hosting my first costume party, and you totally started my inspiration. (I want it to be classy but fun!)

Soooo looking forward to seeing yours come together.

 
29.
ColorCoated
Member
ColorCoated (message)  951 posts, Busy bee

A Hallowedding sounds like sooo much fun!

 
30.
Champagne Wishes
Member
Champagne Wishes (message)  486 posts, Helper bee

GREAT inspiration! I can’t wait to see how it all comes together. And I love that you are actually celebrating your “making it legal” date!

We are going to make it legal too. AND we were thinking Halloween since that is our anniversay (we confessed we liked each other at a Halloween party, thus the anniversary).
But we are toying with our 6-month-to-the-wedding date so we can have something to celebrate every six months.

 
31.
Mrs. French Bulldog
Bee
Mrs. French Bulldog (message)  6,077 posts, Bee Keeper

HOW MUCH FUN! And I love the word Hallowedding :) What a great way to “make lemonade”!

 
32.
Bee Icon
Bee
Miss Dachshund (message)  487 posts, Helper bee

Thanks for all of your positive comments! I’m really excited to throw this party, my house is the perfect setting for it. The best part is, my living room is accented in black… I’m trying to get decorations that I can continue to use year round!

@Miss Moonbeam: Of course everything will be in costume!

 
33.
Member Icon
Member
grace8367 (message)  203 posts, Helper bee

We did! We had to for insurance reasons. We didn’t have anyone there but told our parents and siblings over the holidays, mainly because a local magazine did a little feature on us and a few of our city-dwelling friends found out and we didn’t want our families to think we’d told anyone else before them. We still had a “real” wedding and even the guests who knew we were already married understood that the circumstances warranted us doing things the way we did and didn’t begrudge us the celebration with the dress, flowers, and all those other details that go along with a big wedding.

 
34.
Bee Icon
Bee
Mrs. Taffy (message)  2,607 posts, Sugar bee

That is so awesome!!!! :) I would love to do this.

 
35.
fiftyfootbride
Member
fiftyfootbride (message)  3,818 posts, Honey bee

Love it!

 
36.
Bee Icon
Bee
Mrs. Lightning (message)  128 posts, Blushing bee

Your Hallowedding idea is AWESOME! Halloween isn’t big in South Africa but I still make an effort every year as it reminds me of home :)

I’ll be doing a big Halloween party myself this year so look forward to hearing your ideas and seeing the pictures from the actual day.

I think you really have found a fun way to keep the wedding spirit alive (or dead hehe) in doing this and it will be a fond memory for many years to come!

I wish you the best of luck in getting it all together in time!

 
37.
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Bee
Mrs. Mouse (message)  3,357 posts, Sugar bee

OMG, how cool is it that you get to have 2 weddings?! And a Halloween wedding? It’s going to be amazing.

 
38.
KatieBug3017
Member
KatieBug3017 (message)  1,434 posts, Bumble bee

This is soooo cool! I would have so much fun planning the “Hallowedding!” What a cute name for it too!

 
39.
Guest Icon
Guest
Cricut Madness: STD Tutorial » Weddingbee » The Wedding Blog

[...] So I’m still super excited about my Cricut. Sure Cuts A Lot really make the possibilities limitless! I imagine I’ll use it for our placecards, favor tags, signage… and so much more! In fact, you’ll see many Cricut projects in our Hallowedding! [...]

 
40.
Guest Icon
Guest
Adriana

What a cool theme! Cant wait to see how it all ends up :)

 
41.
Guest Icon
Guest
We’re Legal! | Weddingbee

[...] was a slight change in plans, though: Our legal ceremony wasn’t quite the affair that we had planned. So that we could include Mr. Doxie’s parents, who would only be here for the weekend before [...]

 


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Miss Dachshund
Miss Dachshund Miss Dachshund, Fresno, CA Age and Occupation: 24, Legal Office Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Computer Technician Engagement Date: April 18, 2009 Wedding Date: May 2010 Venue: Victorian Gardens of Two Sisters About Me: I’m a 24-year-old Californian bride-to-be who found love in the most unlikely of places - an online video game! I’m a farmer’s daughter living in rural Central California, but will always have a special place in my heart for the city. My future husband is a 27-year-old extraordinarily tall, exceptionally cute, and undoubtedly Canadian boy who was able to sweep me off my feet and take me for his bride. I love color, folksy songs that make me smile, interior design, kettle corn, my one-year-old puppy, Juno, and my fiance, of course! We’re planning a DIY garden wedding with a laundry-list of projects, all while dealing with the bureaucracy that is American Immigration!
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