The Wait Is Over

Life's Big Questions

A/N: This is part 100 of "The Wait Is Over". Read it and weigh in on the questions at the end.

Monday night at the Club Quarters Hotel in Houston has a lot of the players taking it relatively easy, because the weather at game time tomorrow is projected to be 80 degrees with humidity around 75%. Lindsey and Emily have cornered Steph and Sam to discuss their upcoming nuptials and how to get a jump on the planning while separated.

Lindsey (to Sam): I know you and Abby are planning your wedding from halfway across the country with some in-town help from Steph and Kristie. We'll be able to plan some of it together, but Emily I think will be doing the bulk of it since she's in Atlanta. What did you and Abby start with in the planning process?

Sam: Abby already knew when and where she wanted to do it, and it sounds like the two of you already have that part done.

Emily: Yes.

Sam: From there, we realized that trying to plan a wedding in Chicago from Boston would require some help, and we also discussed who could we utilize there to help make this happen. We also factored in who we wanted standing up with us and came up with a good combination that would work out. Steph was with the Red Stars, and Megan is from Naperville, so with those two as part of the wedding party, we'd have a bit of a head start with learning about options for various things.

Steph: When Kristie signed with the Red Stars, that made the decision for who they wanted to entrust with this a LOT easier, I think. Even though both Kratch and I can be pretty opinionated and tend to dominate the planning, our focus has always been on two things: 1) Sam and Abby's preferences and personalities; and 2) If this were OUR wedding, how would we want it to be? In hindsight, the two of us should have waited and discussed doubling with Sam and Abby, but I'd waited so long to finally propose to Kristie that I didn't want something to happen during the season that could potentially separate us again.

Sam: Do you know what kind of wedding you want, as for formality or venue?

Emily: Since we're doing it after the NWSL Cup final, it's going to be an evening wedding, and I'd like to do it outdoors if possible.

Lindsey (to Emily): We're playing in Atlanta on July 2nd, so maybe I can head up on Thursday after training and we'll have Friday and Saturday morning to do some work on this together, check out venues in the area that might work for an outdoor wedding.

Emily: Sounds like a good plan. I can research what's available and narrow down the options before then.

Sam: Check that piece off the getting-started list. Next is who you want in it, and who you want doing it, because different people might need various amounts of lead time ahead of the event and different faiths might require you to go through pre-marital counseling or classes in their tradition before agreeing to marry you.

Lindsey: I think we know pretty much who we want standing up for us. My best friend Maddie will be my best woman, and I'm asking Cari to be one of my bridesmaids.

Emily:My twin sister Emma will be my maid of honor, and I plan to ask Moe and Danny to be my bridesmaids.

Sam: So an asymmetrical wedding party?

Lindsey: I've got a second bridesmaid in mind. Just waiting for the right chance to spring the request on her.

Steph: So day, time, place, people. Formality?

Emily: Depends on where we hold it, I'd reckon.

Sam: Only thing that's not sort of ready is the officiant. That was the toughest for us to put in place since we knew NOTHING about who would be good for a same-sex wedding. Luckily, Steph and Kristie stumbled onto someone that has lots of experience at them and comes well-recommended by the LGBT community in Chicago.