Hi, I’m Mo! What’s Your Name?

Salutations EAD readers!! My name is Mo, and I am a quirky, creative, and thoughtful girly-girl living in San Diego with an adorable boy and a really crazy (but cuddly) cat. I am thrilled to be a blogger here at EAD. I’m embarrassed to say how long I have actually been reading wedding blogs, but let’s just say it was way, way, way, way…WAY before I was officially engaged. ;)

We are having a large vineyard wedding in San Diego on July 3, 2010. We’re hoping for a laid back affair with a lot of charm, a lot of whimsy, a lot of creative details, and a lot of chilled wine.

But before I talk about the wedding more, I should tell you a little more about us! Let me begin with how we met. It was a dark and cold September night…

The Time: Friday the 13th, 2002
The Place: Wheeler Hall, the University of California, Berkeley

[Photo via Flickr user CTG/SF]

The Characters: Mo and the boy, bumbling students ready to take on the world

[Berkeley, CA, 2003]

I was sick. Not only was I sick, but I had a really disgusting case of pink eye, so suffice it to say, I was looking smokin’ hot that night *cough cough*. My childhood friend, Jake, took pity on me and asked if I wanted to join him and his friends for a Friday the 13th celebration by watching a campus showing of Evil Dead II. Nothing makes pink eye go away like Bruce Campbell. Because we wanted The Best Seats In The Auditorium, we decided to sit on the steps a couple hours early while gabbing over Thai food.

[Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn movie poster, via Wikipedia]

So there I was on the steps of Wheeler Hall–Buddy Holly glasses on, unflattering bulky green sweater, a case of pink eye and a pocket full of tissues, waiting for a zombie movie. As we waited, two guys came walking towards us because one of them knew Jake. As Jake and his acquaintence talked, I awkwardly sat there, and then noticed that the other boy was also awkwardly standing there, hands in his pockets. I thought he was absolutely adorable, and I noticed a small dimple on his right cheek.

“Hi, I’m Mo! What’s your name?” I asked in my most “I’m totally not sick or gross” voice.

He smiled at me and said “I’m The Boy.” He reached out his hand, and as I was about to grab it, I jerked it back and said “Oh wait! No! I can’t shake your hand I have pink eye!”

Charmer, aren’t I?

He looked a little confused at first, but then shook it off and we started talking. It was only for about 20 minutes, but I could already tell that the boy was something special. His gentle demeanor and constant smiling made me feel immediately at home and at ease. It sounds corny, but was so true. Meeting him was like meeting someone I had already known for years.

After meeting that night, we started making excuses to see each other, and ended up constantly studying at the library together despite not having any of the same classes and completely different academic interests (The Boy’s major: molecular cell biology/genetics. Mo’s major: art history/modern art).

A month and many library study “dates” later, he asked me out. A year later we dated long distance while I studied abroad in Rome. Three years later we graduated from Berkeley. Three and a half years later we did long distance again when I moved to New York City. Four years later I couldn’t handle it anymore and moved back to California. Five years later we made a big commitment and moved to San Diego together for the boy’s graduate program. Five and a half years later, he got me a cat. And six and a half years later, he proposed.

After eight years, we’ll say our vows in front of all our family and friends and walk down the aisle together, hand in hand.

Stay tuned for all the gory details of our wedding planning!

[Image by Jessamyn Harris]