Just to make sure everyone is caught up, on 4 August 2006, I asked Sara to marry me, and she agreed to do so. Her ring is white gold with a blue diamond and some smaller, princess cut side diamonds.

For our marriage and honeymoon, we are going on a three-week tour of Scotland, Ireland, and England. We leave tomorrow and will arrive on Christmas morning. We will be married in Edinburgh on the 29th at 15:30 (that's 9:30 am CST) and will spend the rest of our time travelling around Scotland and Ireland by car, the Irish Sea by ferry, and England by rail. Click the map on the right to see some of the places we're going to hit.

Let me anticipate a few common questions up front.

Why Scotland? — We wanted to go away on a big trip to get married, but most countries have arduous requirements for non-citizens to get married within them (generally requiring so many weeks of residence). Scotland has no such requirements, only some paperwork that needs to be completed. The British Isles are also convenient in that they speak English. Coincidentally, some of my ancestors lived in Scotland, although this was not a consideration in our decision.

Will the marriage be recognised in the US? — Yes, the US recognises any marriage as long as the marriage is consistent with US laws. This basically excludes only men with multiple wives and other similarly exotic unions.

How does one get married in Scotland? — (1) Pick where you want to get married, call the General Register Office for that area, and reserve a time for your marriage to be solemnised. (2) People who are not UK citizens or have indefinite leave to remain (US: green card) must get a visit-for-marriage visa even if they do not normally require a visa to enter the UK. This involves paying some fees of about £50 per person, assembling some documentation to show you have the means to support yourself whilst there and to show that you're actually serious about getting married there, and then mailing all this and your passport to a British consulate. (3) Both people must lodge marriage notice forms with the registrar where they will be married, supply birth certificates, copies of their passports and visas, and the requisite fees (£112 for the statutory fees and two copies of one's marriage extract; some locations charge additional fees). Details and forms are available from the General Register Office for Scotland.

We intend to post pictures and updates as we go and as we have Internet access, so please sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.