Going to the Chapel...

...OK, or maybe just City Hall for now BUT the big news is that Yann and I finally have a marriage date set!

On Thursday, September 2 at 4:30 in the afternoon, Yann and I will say 'Oui!'.

After much paperwork, stress, more paperwork and more stress, we went together to City Hall in the 9th Arrondisement to deliver our 'dossier' to the mayor. After initial inspection from a woman with a very discerning eye and a rather constipated look about her, we received the lackluster 'OK, c'est bon' which is French for 'Ok, it's fine,' and silently gave each other a high-five as we talked over what date, what time etc.

As most things go here in France, everything takes much more time than planned. I knew this from previous experience, but my American ways have made the adjustment more difficult than I'd expected.

Just as baking here calls for different degrees of measurement compared to the US, so too should timetables be adjusted to take into account the French way. Here are some examples:

UPS delivery? Count on donating at least 12 hours of your life to waiting for that brown truck to pass as you sit helpless, stuck in your apartment because they can't call you, nor can they provide an ETA. I kid you not. Oh and no, my package never even came.

Post Office pick-up? At least a half-day to wait in line with 30 people and 1 post office worker.

Internet Set Up? Give it roughly 4-6 weeks before your request is even processed.

Marriage Date? You will certainly be missing at least 1 document plus City Hall will undoubtedly request a 'justification' of some sort that was not included on their original list. So I'd give setting a marriage date at least 2 months.

But I digress. The important thing is that the marriage date is set! We can now look forward to celebrating with friends and family with our hearts full and our minds at ease that Yann and I have passed the first of many tests together.

And for that, we will not only say 'Oui!' but give each other thunderous, both hands in the air, jump-across-the-room-high-fives on September 2. Chest butt may or may not be included.