Ssshhh - Secret Time

Okay don't tell anyone, but.... I'm married! It was just the legal portion so that we can continue to move forward with immigration paperwork (and so we can actually go to the wedding we've been planning all this time), but it's official! We have the marriage certificate to prove it, too! Here's what happened:

1. Fiance visa is approved, meaning we have 60 days to finalize the legal wedding.
2. Mr. Tango's parents fly in from Panama and my family comes down from CT
3. We find a cheap officiant via some online research (he said he'd 'match the lowest price we found' and had our date available)
4. I stress about not having a white dress. I order a used summer dress on E-Bay in 2 different sizes, pay for 2-day shipping, and hope one will work
5. Marriage!

We were lucky enough to be able to get married on our anniversary, which fell on a beautiful Saturday. We snuck into the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens and had a really quick, simple, legal ceremony. We didn't personalize vows and refuse to call each other husband/wife until the 'real' wedding, when we affirm our love in front of God and all of our family and friends and make it really about us. This is just a piece of paper we needed, but it's still an incredible feeling!

I didn't write about it because we're really trying to keep it on the D-L so everyone realizes the meaningful part for us is in February. And there was really no planning - just a grab and go! We wish we didn't have to have the legal ceremony first, but you do what you have to do. And, as my little sister so wisely said - "At least now you really don't have to worry about him not showing up to the altar in February!"

Did you have two ceremonies? How did you feel about it?