Tying the Knot

My wife Gina and I have been married for only two and a half years but the courtship or "noviazgo" took more than five years. It was stretched out a bit by some major thoracic surgery on my part and a mastectomy due to breast cancer on her part but nevertheless the process of getting married took quite awhile. As a matter of fact and since I don't want to go to Hell for lying, I must tell you that there is still one little item that we need to take care of but I will surprise you with that at some future date. When we began the process I was still pretty compulsive about planning and making lists for which, gracias a Dios, I have since been cured or at least the major symptoms have abated. Today I just happened to come across one of my old notebooks in which I actually wrote a checklist for my courtship and marriage in Mexico. I thought you might be either amused, interested, enlightened, or perhaps even horrified of at all the steps involved. Here we go:

Los Pasos Noviazgo al Matrimonio de Bob y Gina
The Steps from Courtship to Marriage of Bob and Gina

Atracción
Attraction

Amistad
Friendship

Citas Casuales
Casual dates

Conocimiento
Getting to know one another

Relación Especial
Forming a special relation

Exclusividad
Going Steady

Relación Firme
A Strong Relation

Precompromiso
Talking about marriage

Declaración de Compromiso
Popping the Question

Anillo de Compromiso
Engagement Ring

Presentacón de Mano (Petición)
Asking for the Brides Hand in Marriage

Amonestaciones
Wedding Banns

Curso Prematrimonial para Novios
Religious Instruction for the Engaged Couple

Despedidas
Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties

Padrinos de Velación
Choosing the Witnesses

Casamiento Civil
Civil Ceremony

Casamiento Religioso
Wedding Mass

Banquete Nupcial
Wedding Feast

Luna de Miel
Honeymoon

Below is a picture from our civil wedding which took place in the living and dining room of Gina's parents' house. I am in the background holding Gina's little grandson Ian and she is in the foreground in the black and white dress. Very pretty, eh? The rest of the people are nieces and cousins of Gina. This is my favorite picture. I am surrounded by angels!