and then they were wed

Rings and Ring-Engagement
Tuesday the 13th I called the ring-maker to ask about when we could expect the rings (they had originally told us 14 days...that was 17 days ago). Basically asked them if they could guarantee they come before Friday - as Friday we kind of needed them.

Thursday the 15th the security guard at the front desk buzzed up and said a package had arrived. Yes, thankfully, twas the rings. I guess it was the universe's way of making things work out perfectly, as I only had to sit on my couch and look at that package for one afternoon - Judge got off one day early and was home that evening by a bit past 7pm.

==> O'Lime standing guard

After a hot-pot dinner it was finally time: The ring-boxes were unwrapped, the awesome note from the Ring Maker was read, and the unmarked ring-boxes were opened one at a time. First, my wedding band, then his wedding band - we both try them on for size. Then the engagement ring - we look at each other and know that this is it - we're finally ring-engaged!

But, even with the ring on my finger I didn't actually feel much different, and I realized it was because we have been engaged for a long time already. The only difference now was that I had a beautiful, awesome, totally-us ring on my left ring-finger. A difference that had me smiling and looking at my hand a *lot* XD

Day of Getting Wed - Creating our own Traditions
The local temples and gods are a very special part of Taiwan, an integrated part of every-day life, and something Judge and I both feel very connected to. Thus, after brunch the next morning  (sweet-n-hot dumpling/noodle soup) we bought some fruit and crackers to take to our neighborhood god as our first step in getting married.

We put the goodies on the table along with the ghost-money we were going to burn, lit and offered incense, waited a while to let them (neighborhood god and his wife) partake of the offering, burned the ghost money, and took the offering home to enjoy.

[I only had my low-tech camera-phone with me~~ but you see our incense...and other ppls, our offering on the table corner, and far in the back behind the bars is Mr. and Mrs. Neighborhood God]

I then we had to part ways - me off to work, Judge off to prepare the materials we'd need that evening.

5.5 hours later we headed over to an awesome pizza place (not my blog~) where the pizza master tosses the pizza in view of the guests (but inconspicuously off to the side...you can watch if you want but it is not a focus), it's a thin crust slab-oven roasted bit of deliciousness.

And then it was home we went. We had decided that since we were doing this as our own personal ceremony, we were going to have the Heaven God be our witness through the use of a lantern, which we wanted to make ourselves.

We had planned it for 3 hours, between 7 and 10pm, and had asked all our closest family and friends to join us in spirit as they woke up, or went about their morning/day/evening; to just take a few moments to focus their love and positiveness towards us during this three hour period (or before or after for those who had too awkward a time-difference).

After a slight hiccup of not enough paper, and after looking up online what exactly we had to do, it was off to lantern-making we went.

The three hours we had estimated were to include driving to the place we wanted to let it up and home again after, as Judge has a 10-11pm curfew (has to call in by 11pm, and stay indoors after that). Things usually don't go as planned, however - especially not when we're the planners - and when I had a surprise up my sleeve.

Once we were at the point we could write our love, affirmations, promises, and well-wishes on the lantern, I took out The Surprise: all well-wishes I had our closest family and friends send to me that I had printed and cut, so we could read them together as part of our wedding. As expected, Judge had to finish off reading some of them because I got too choked up XD

[Do you see the love?!]

Once they were taped on, our words written, and the lantern's final steps completed, it was already 10:30. We thus faced two options - one to let it on the roof of our building (and have it come down on someone's balcony or car~~) or send it up the next day.

[Ended up being honkin-tonkin huge, to fit all our love...or to not go up in flames when we burn the ghost money underneath]

We chose option two, took out our sparkling juice and two glasses (with "coca cola" stenciled on them...only glasses we own XD), and headed up to the rooftop to exchange vows and rings, with nothing specific planned. We invited all our loved ones again to join us in spirit, as well our ancestors, the heavens and earth to give us their blessings, exchanged sweet words, he repeated slowly after me "we will all" "very" "abide by the will" "of God" (though we do not technically have his parents blessing yet nor did we have bone-and-flesh witnesses, we still wanted to have our wedding in our own fashion), asked each other if the other was ready to be our wife/husband, and exchanged the rings.

And thus, simply, wonderfully, comfortably, and oh-so usly, we are wed.

[I wear my wedding band on my right hand as I am feeling a closer connection to my Norwegian roots these past years, and as luck has it it is also the Chinese way (Chinese way is woman-right man-left)].

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