field work and wedding planning

Finding a wedding date is getting more complicated. Ideally, I would like the wedding to be at the beginning of May when the semester is wrapping up. Then I can leave for Ukenzagapia a couple of weeks later and still have most of the summer to start my research.

I'm a little anxious that I won't even begin collecting data until next summer (the end of my second year), and because of the course requirements for my sweet fellowship I have to be back in Big City August 2009 - May 2010 for classes. That means I won't have my second field season until the end of my third year or later.

This relates to wedding planning because it looks like we might not be able to have the wedding until the end of May, which pushes back the start of my time-restricted field season even further.

Here are the main things limiting the date of the wedding right now (there are probably even more things to consider, but these are the ones I'm currently aware of):

• Jon's sister's schedule, since we're planning to have the reception at her house (most weekends in May are out for her). This is probably the greatest limitation on dates.
• the weather. We don't want it to be too cold or rainy because we want most of the reception to be in the yard, not the house.
• school. When the semester is over is preferable. I'd be willing to consider April if the weather would agree.
• a big local event happening near Jon's sister's. It goes from late April to early May, and all of the area hotels will be booked.
• my need to leave the country and do field work halfway around the world.

Mid-April is looking better and better.