We're fresh off the Jack and Jill party. No, not one of those co-ed showers. A whole different shebang with baked ziti, raffle prizes, and (in our case) a dance party that ends with rhythmic gymnastics. We also talk other upcoming pre-wedding shenanigans including showers and bachelor/ette parties. Nigel, of course, makes several guest appearances.

After a long (and what we thought might have been permanent but turns out to only have been temporary) hiatus, we're back! So much to catch up on, including the plot of Equilibrium, Luke's tuxedo preferences, and Megan's DIY project successes. Don't miss it.

Megan and Luke did some in-person shopping for their online registry and picked out knives like it was picking out a wand in Harry Potter. No joke. Also, Megan made 11 pounds of quince paste (it's quince season!) in preparation for their wedding cheese dessert course. Yes, it's over 9 months in advance but that much sugar will preserve anything.

We're agenda-less today and just talking about whatever. Topics wander from an awesome wedding Megan and Luke recently attended, weird craft projects, a small detour where Megan raps all of Hamilton, Taylor Swift's 1989 tour, Westworld, and the privatization of sex.

Guys, we were all over the place. I hope you join us on this journey.

Megan and Luke are self-DJing their wedding. Is this a good idea? Probably not... Do they know anything about speakers, electronics, sound boards and the like? No, they do not. Luke schools Megan on what they need to know regarding all aspects of self-DJing and discourages listeners from following in their footsteps...

Also, please rate and review the podcast on iTunes! First person to do so will get a shiny gold star and a shout out on the next one we record!

Fivethirtyeight.com is well revered for their statistical analysis of political races, sports, and burrito brackets. But can they tell you whether not giving everyone a plus one is considered okay? What about how much you should expect to spend on a gift for your sister's wedding? Who should be expected to pay for your wedding? Honestly, we can't say that these articles provided much insight on any of the above.. but they sure did try!  

Discussed in the podcast:

scoutmob.com

thesweethome.com

groupcarpool.com

"Ultimate Guide to How Much to Spend on Wedding Gifts": http://goo.gl/hzL20x

"The Ultimate Guide to Weddings: Who Should Pay? And What About Plus Ones?": http://goo.gl/dOa4h8

"The Signal and the Noise" by Nate Silver http://goo.gl/fnxznY

A whole smorgasbord of stuff to discuss today. Megan and Luke get fresh when talking about an unbelievable post on the r/weddingplanning and the importance of communication. Luke gives us an update on his personal growth as he dealt with a scheduling snafu for the wedding tasting. And we finish up with a critique of Catalyst Magazine  - a "wedding space distruptor" to the bridal magazine industry.

Discussed in the podcast: www.catalystwedco.com

How does one ask for gifts while being specific yet not gift grabby but comprehensive but not tacky? Registries are freakin' landmines people. What's okay to register for? How do you tell people about your registry? Is it okay to ask for cash? How much is too much for a gift? 

So many questions and probably not enough answers. 

This extra special episode was recorded back in June while Megan and Luke were on vacation with Megan's family. Joining them today is Megan's sister, Kate, who is a graphic designer who is handling all of their design work for the wedding... She gives us the skinny on what it's like to design for friends and family (hint: hard), how to communicate your vision, and what's important to remember when you're working with a professional... 

If you're interested in Kate's work, check out her website: Katelynmsullivan.com

Luke is cranky and Megan is having none of it. They mainly discuss changing last names, but also several in-session farts (farts have been edited to protect the innocent).