Step 1: Secure a date

I took my first legitimate step today in the seemingly impossible task of planning a wedding ceremony and reception on Long Island.  I sat on the couch, with my feet stretched far away from me; I looked over at my fiancée and calmly asked; “Did you call the Country Club yet?”  She looked at me as if a new head was protruding from the side of my neck, and this gave me my answer.  I hopped off the couch and snatched the phone off its cradle as I labored towards the computer.  I dropped myself into the chair as Trot came around the corner of the love seat and slid his furry little face in between the desk and my leg.  I dropped the phone on a pile of mail next to the mouse and took a deep breathe in.  I entered the name of the country club into the URL field on my Firefox browser.

  Awesome.  The first result is exactly what I’m looking for, and even better!  I don’t have to open the page because the phone number is embedded in the short description.  I love you Google.

I called the Country Club immediately and set up an appointment for the next day at 11:30am.  The phone retreated from my ear as my thumb quickly found the “Talk” button and I abruptly ended the call.  Before I stood to address my lady, I had to make sure I wasn’t going to squash my puppy, so I peered around my legs and saw his face nestled between his two front paws, right up against the wheels of the chair.

 Great.  Acrobatics are not my specialty.

I retracted my legs around the hull of the dusk and cautiously rotated the chair and was extra careful to ensure the legs didn’t move.  I stood up from the chair and anticipated the noise that followed as the chair popped up from its air suspension.  It was time for Kelly to make a call.  “Can you call your mother and let her know we’re going to the Country Club tomorrow, she’ll want to be there.”  I tossed her the phone and she relayed the message.

The next morning I wanted to bring Kelly out to breakfast.  I travel Monday to Thursday, and Sunday is my day to spend with the lady.  At first she resisted because she wanted to get to her mother’s early enough so we could all ride together.  We live 20 minutes from the site, while her mother lives 10 minutes removed.  I was easily able to convince her by offering to take out the puppy for his morning walk as she got ready.  We hurried over to the diner and ate our breakfast quickly.  By the time we left, we had 15 minutes to get to the Country Club and we surely didn’t have the time to stop at her Mother’s.  Kelly phoned her mother and relayed this message to her as we agreed to meet at the venue.

First impressions are always important to me, but I’m not a fan of overwhelming first impressions as it tends to remove oneself from reality.  The entrance to our desired venue reflected this sentiment perfectly.  With a large and high ceilinged foyer opening into a beautiful Cocktail Room that overlooks the golf course.  Just shy of the Cocktail Room is an appreciative two tier stair case that winds towards the upstairs pub, a popular venue for Rehearsal dinners, showers and the like.  To the right of the staircase the entrance to the Ballroom was lined with hallways tastefully decorated with mahogany wainscoting and a cream or ivory paint.  In fact, the majority of this building was similarly designed with the mahogany wainscoting and lightly colored paint.  This gave me a feeling of true appreciation for the workmanship as my father has made a living with this very art.

 He’ll appreciate this even more than I can.  I can’t wait to bring him here, for every reason.

The overall design of the Ballroom is very simple, but interspersed with moments of elegance and even more woodwork.  Curtains hung softly over the large glass doors framed neatly in white painted wood.  The sun rested comfortably in the cool winter sky, but provided sufficient warmth by the doors that overlook the golf course.  Sconces hung from pillars around the room and a simple, yet elegant chandelier accented the center of the room, which was overtaken by the oak stained dance floor.

 When did dance become such a central component of celebrations?  This floor looks so gaudy here, so out of place – but then again, so do I. 

We winded our way around the room as the Maitre D’ offered options and descriptions of a typical reception.  I hardly heard a word he was saying, none of these things matter to me as much as the comfort of our guests.  I surveyed the open room and started picturing the tables of guests, laughing and talking loudly over the music that would be played from the back of the room.  I saw Kelly and I sitting centrally, leaning on each other and kissing each time we heard the clanging of glasses.  I could see my father smiling with approval from his table as he conversed with Kelly’s father.

 They’re both laborers, they’ll get along just great. 

Overall I didn’t have a difficult time picturing our celebration coming here.  The venue provided sufficient room and beauty to accent a day of celebration.  The guests would all be comfortable and many would enjoi the view of the 9^th hole approach and green.  I was able to see us all standing there, my 9 groomsmen and I.  Clubs would be in hand and the green and surrounding fringe and rough would be speckled with 10 white golf balls.  Laughter would inevitably be the overwhelming action here as most of us are not golfers, but we’re all finding humor in the scattered golf balls and red faced groomsmen.

 I can live this life.  This is my life.