At the ceremony Margaret will be walking in to Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Unfortunately, not this version.

*scheduled to appear, provided I don’t eat the rest of them

Last weekend we went to a fantastic bed and breakfast in western Maryland, Stoney Creek Farm, and got away from wedding planning for a spell. (I’ve been working with one of the inn’s owners, Brandon Green, to help his Washington, DC,-area real estate firm revise its communication strategy. And the bed and breakfast hired me to help promote its website.)

Anyway, Margaret and I had a relaxing time. Stoney Creek farm is only an 80-minute drive from our apartment, which we broke up by stopping halfway at a vineyard where we had a (those of you who know Margaret well can finish this sentence) picnic. The vineyard overlooked the soft Virginia hills and Margaret put out her usual spread of chorizo, cheeses (yes, including goat cheese), salmon, and fruit.

When we arrived at the bed and breakfast we napped, partook in some complimentary wine and cheeses, and then headed out to dinner. Upon returning we sat on the porch and chatted with some of the other guests, admiring the unobscured stars.

It was nice to have a weekend free of thinking about weddings (except when talking about how great a wedding venue Stoney Creek Farm is).

Last Tuesday Margaret and I met with Rev. Paul Abernathy at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. We have three pieces of good news.

• Upon entering church property my person was not engulfed in flames (it happened before, on two nonconsecutive occasions).
• We liked his approach and asked him to officiate at our wedding ceremony.
• Paul (he asked to be called by his first name) seemed to agree with our decision to get married (in his defense we did only meet for 90 minutes).

Now we are reading the “Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage” in The Book of Common Prayer and determining what passages appeal the most to us.

We have four meetings with Paul between now and Sept. 22. In contrast with many people who roll their eyes when talking about their premarital meetings with the minister (I’m looking at you Catholics), Margaret and I find ourselves looking forward to it. (Hey, it allows me to say niceties about Margaret without coming off as pathetic.)

If you want to learn more information about Paul, read his biography at St. Mark’s website.