Dinner & a wedding

You know what makes wedding planning harder than just being pregnant? How about being pregnant with complications that make you high risk. That of which I am because my blood pressure and heartrate/pulse seem to be anything but reasonable and controllable. I've got a good team of doctors taking care of me (if you ever need a referral - I have a great TEAM that I see!) though so it's working out. I'm just blogging now in the event that I have to admit myself to the hospital later to take care of some pressing issues as of today. *sigh*

Anyway, about the wedding. Asian wedding receptions traditionally are held in restaurants. I have no idea why it's like this but it is. It does make sense to do it like this aside from the tradition though as it means not having to rent a myriad of things that you do need for a wedding - dinnerware and silverware and glassware, tables and linens and chairs, a wait staff, etc.

We were originally going to have our reception in a local community "club house." With the turn of events of late and the mass reduction of our guest list, we can now be open to having it in a restaurant! Our original thoughts of going this route were to go to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Eden Center (like "Little Vietnam" of Falls Church, VA). It's called Huong Que or "Four Sisters" and it's just about the nicest and most well known restaurant at Eden. The problem with doing it there are many though:

• Our wedding date is right around Chinese New Year. It's difficult getting reservations at times like Chinese New Year.
• The restaurant is VERY popular and always busy. They are unwilling (and rightfully so) to close down to accomodate us.
• The private room that they have can only be book two weeks in advance and also can't hold more than 25 people. We have twice that many that we would need to host.

So we looked at another option. That being a place called Pho #1 on the Baltimore Beltway. When I lived in Baltimore it was the one and only place I went to whenever I needed "home-cooking" - I grew up eating big bowls of Pho and other Vietnamese goodies like that. The problem with Pho #1 though is that it's all the way in Baltimore and we will be getting married in Bowie! It's not entirely undoable but it's something to consider ruling it out.

Last weekend husband2Be and I found a lovely little Vietnamese restaurant in our local area as I was craving some Pho. It turned out to be the best Pho that we've both had in MONTHS - even comparing it to the multiple places that we frequent at Eden Center! The owner barely speaks English and I only know enough Vietnamese to order food if necessary so my father will likely speak to him to work out details. So far though, the owner and his wife have expressed real excitement about the possibility of us using their restaurant AND it would hold 50-65 people!!!

Not sure where we will end up but the decision will probably be made BEFORE Christmas to help alleviate the stresses of this seeing as how we are just about a month and a half from the wedding!!! Oy!!!!

Now if you'll pardon me, I better go follow the doctor's orders and lie down until he calls. :-p