Once I determined that I did not want to have my wedding in Wisconsin, we started researching where we should go.
Our must-haves:
-trees
-mountains
-seclusion
-nature
-adventure
-cooler temperatures (Ryan is a furnace)
While I love coastal scenes with sand and water and bluffs, I am more at home in nature. I think listening to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot too many times as a kid has given me an aversion to large bodies of water.
We wanted to make sure we were somewhere that speaks to our souls.
Initially, we thought about eloping, but since we started looking at dates in March, when Charlie and I have Spring Break from school, Colorado was not a viable option. Roads to my favorite spots are sometimes closed, and I knew I did not really want snow.
So, we shifted to Northern California/Pacific Northwest. To be honest, we thought we nailed it down. My best friend, Lauren (I have two best friends, but Lauren just lives in California), suggested the Redwoods.
Dead end - we couldn't find anything in our price range to rent up there. Plus, something just didn't feel right.
Then, we had an epiphany - Bir Sur, California. If you haven't heard of this place, hop on over to Pinterest and do a quick search. It is dreamy and mythical, as if Odin himself created the space. Rocky seascapes are surrounded my tumultuous waters, and lead into beautiful groves of Redwoods. Perfection had been found.
I went so far as to start a photographer search, and found someone I loved and got a contract going.
But it didn't feel right. I felt like I was floundering and everything was so hard. Nothing was falling into place.
Lauren and I brainstormed again, and settled on the Lake Tahoe area as a logical choice. It has mountains and big trees. Plus, the airports make it more accessible than Big Sur. California is such a beautiful place. It was a good balance of wilderness and refinery - fitting in perfectly with my brand of adventure glam.
There is a word I inadvertently used in that last paragraph that full describes what happened: settled.
Ryan was fine with Lake Tahoe. Our parents thought it would be cool. I accepted it as an okay place to get married. Charlie was indifferent, but that is par for the course on most things. There might be snow, but in late March it usually doesn't stick. It would be pretty cold.
I let this stew for a week. I tried really hard to be excited about it. In the end, though, I was meh.
Then, serendipity came sweeping through, and I finally got what I wanted (but didn't know I needed).
(Yes, this is a cliffhanger.)