The first decision in planning a wedding is either when or where, depending on how long you intend your engagement to be and how tightly your ceremony and reception venues schedule.
Daniel and I decided our when when we decided to get married. We were searching for any way to get married before summer (of 2013) and arrived at Spring Break.
Even so, we did end up making some adjustments. Both of my sisters-in-law happened to be pregnant at the time, one due in April and the other in May–and we wanted them to be able to be there if at all possible. Having our wedding one Saturday before the first Saturday of Spring Break would give Debbie 3 weeks rather than 2 before her due date–which just might be the difference between them making it or not. Furthermore, the first Saturday of Spring Break happened to be my brother John’s anniversary–and Daniel’s nephew’s birthday. It would be better for us to get married the week before.
That set, we needed to determine our wheres.
It wasn’t that hard to decide on Lincoln as our wedding location. Both of our parents live in Lincoln–and since much of my extended family and friends live north of Lincoln and many of Daniel’s extended family and friends live south of Lincoln, it made Lincoln a good central location.
Our next consideration was whether to get married at my parents’ church, at Daniel’s parents’ church, or somewhere else entirely.
Daniel was pretty open to going somewhere else entirely, but frugality and sentimentality won the day.
I practically grew up at 4111 NW 44th Street. I attended services and midweek Bible Studies at Rejoice in the Lord Church every week from the time I was born until Rejoice in the Lord closed its doors when I was eleven. Rejoice gave the building to Lincoln Christian Fellowship, who rented it to a little school (which I attended for a year) in the couple of years before LCFs congregation moved out there. My family, of course, transitioned straight from Rejoice in the Lord to Lincoln Christian Fellowship with barely a hiccup.
I was in that building at least once a week (but more often 3 or 4 times a week) up to age 22 when I moved away from Lincoln.
You could say there’s some history between me and there.
I called the pastor, asked about availability on March 9th, about cost to rent the building.
It was free on both counts, for me.
We took it.
How fun to read about how you picked your date and the church! It’s so special that you had your wedding in the church you grew up in.
I’m all for frugality and especially sentimentality! How special to be married in such a special place!