Dan, My gut instinct was telling me that my inexperience might have me frustrated in the beginning with a better lens like the 70-200mm.
Just to be clear, the frustration that I am suggesting would not be because the 70-200 is a better lens or that it would somehow take more experience to use it effectively, but rather because of the fact that a minimum focal length of 70mm is going to be a very limiting factor. You’ll be trying to take a lot of pictures where you simply won’t be able to fit everything into the frame. If you were wanting to photograph birds and wildlife, it would be different but with formal ceremonies and landscapes and perhaps to a lesser extent, recreational sports, you will definitely want a wider angle. I think that as you get started into photography you will find it more enjoyable if you have a lens like the 18-135 that will enable you to take pictures in the “normal” focal range as opposed to having only a telephoto lens.