Yes, I said it: C-H-E-A-P

I can already hear the tsk-tsking. "Cheap has such bad connotations!" they'll say. "Use 'budget' or 'non-traditional' or 'bohemian' or people will think you're cheap."

Well phooey on all of you, I'm unemployed. This wedding is going to be cheap. Budget makes it sound like I'm only going a smidgen overboard, instead of morphing into a full-on Bridezilla, and I have a mortal fear of Bridezilla. She should be shot with a tranquilizer gun and forced to have a courthouse-with-barbecue-reception wedding.

But let me start at the beginning. Just to fill anyone in who has not heard the story and/or was not scared off by my disregard for their opinion: Josh and I got engaged a little over a month ago, shortly before graduation and impending unemployment, when life was rosier and jobs were possible. Now every article we read says "Worst Job Market in Years!" and every question we're asked is "When is the wedding?" Apparently it takes money to have a wedding, who knew? And neither of us have any, so if you'd like to donate to the fund... :)

Plus I was never the type of girl who made her Barbie and Ken get married and kiss and started her wedding binder at age 8. I'm pretty lost at this point, despite having gone to what feels like 100 weddings in the past two years (with more looming this summer), I guess I just didn't pay attention to the details. I just wanted to know if it was a finger food or a full meal deal. So now that I'm trying to plan an event for which you can buy entire planners devoted only to wedding checklists, or hire someone to do it all for you because it's just so overwhelming, I'm feeling a bit at sea.

Hah, maybe that should be the wedding theme (seriously? I have to have a theme? Can't people just show up and be happy for me?).