It’s no secret. I am getting married. (DUN, DUN, DUN)

I figure most people know at this point because they have eithermet my wonderful fiancée, Rachael (too soon to be sucking up?) orhave read about it in my previous column (thanks for all thepositive feedback, Brookhaven).

Don’t get me wrong. I am looking forward to starting my marriedlife. While most people tell me to run away before it’s too late,I’m excited to be turning to that next chapter in my life.

As she is in Oxford, the whole long distance thing has resultedin phone conversations about the day’s adventures – and I enjoytalking on the phone as much as I like the New York Giants (I bleedPhiladelphia Eagle green).

My lack of phone skills is not the only reason why I want to getmarried – there’s laundry to be done, food to be cooked and shirtsto be ironed (I AM JUST KIDDING).

Rachael has been my best friend for quite some time and I enjoybeing around her. But enough with the sappy stuff – I might getsick.

Back to the wedding details.

I have given her free reign to choose whatever colors, flowers,decorations or other fru-fru things she wants to make “our” weddingspecial (Note the word “our” as I have been told several times thatit is a shared event). It’s not that I don’t care, but I have noclue about anything decorative.

My responsibilities, which I lobbied for and she gladly turnedover to me, include food, booze and the band (not necessarily inthat order).

Now, if it were up to me, I would still be laying aroundthinking about what to eat, drink and listen to. However, she isnot the procrastinator that I am, so I took care of my duties a fewmonths ago. Nothing left to do now but wait to enjoy the pastastation, sip on my favorite libation and shake my booty (I amactually quite the dancer), right?

WRONG!

My head has been ringing with church bells for the past severalmonths.

There are invitations, groomsmen, groomsmen gifts, guest lists,revised guest lists, addresses, revised addresses, where to havethe rehearsal dinner, (DEEP BREATH) what to eat at the dinner, plana honeymoon, pick out tuxes, take care of marriage preparationthrough the church and much more to figure out … Get thepoint?

Call me crazy, but I had no clue any of this went into planninga wedding! I don’t know that Prince Charming or William had to pickbetween mini beef Wellington and crabcakes or trying to decide whatto have for dessert after the rehearsal dinner (maybe the missinglink between them and me is royalty).

The point to all this bickering is that while I think I have itrough, Rachael has been working on wedding stuff for almost a yearand is still not finished planning the event.

So, for any guy out there who is about to take the plunge awayfrom bachelorhood and decides to have a wedding and reception, beprepared to look at venues, food and clothing despite how minimalyou might think your involvement may be.

However, for as much work as you think you’re doing, you’reBETTER half is working twice as hard for an event you and yourfamily will enjoy and remember for the rest of your life.

(I really hope it’s not too soon to be sucking up.)

Write to Chad Lederman at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602, orsend e-mail to clederman@dailyleader.com.