Four months and counting...

Christmas day was exactly one year that we got engaged, and brings us to exactly 4 months until the wedding. There are still guest list issues to resolve but it seems we are getting there.. just a few more conversations with Greg's mum and my mum and we might be final! The invites are due to go out in the New Year so I must hurry!!!

Oh my god oh my god!!!!

You won't believe this but today after not much thought we have changed our wedding!!! 

It's still the same date... but instead of it being a civil ceremony at Ewell Court House, it's now a church wedding, followed by the reception and party still at Ewell Court! And this is the church where I was christened and my parents were married!!!!! And our wedding day is 4 days before their anniversary. 

It's all so perfect and unbelievable! Greg hadn't wanted a church do previously, mainly because he is so shy and he thought it would be more scary! After much debating the timing of our day and me getting more and more worried that we would be rushed (with the ceremony starting at 4pm and this meaning our party wouldn't be kicking off til 8.30pm and ending at 11pm if all went to plan) he has changed his mind and is giving me my dream! 

I can't say how thrilled I am, especially as I think it's fate that the church that is so special to my family isn't booked up!! 

Anyway now I have the joyful job of reprinting all my inserts for the invitations that I just finished making!!! aaaah!!! Not to mention calling various suppliers to tell them of the change!!!! 

With the Wedding being earlier I know now that our day will be much smoother and less of a mad panic!

Invite Mania!

Been working flat out on the Wedding invitations and pleased to say they are finally nearing conclusion!!!!!!

A few more to make... just for the ones I have yet to confirm names on, and envelopes to stuff with invites and info sheets and meal option sheets and then ready to go!!!! 

So exciting!!!

Finally I can tell.. I've been nearly bursting!!!!

There is a big reason why some time ago my plans changed regarding bridesmaids! And finally I am allowed to tell why!!! Sarah my best mate who was to be chief bridesmaid is now pregnant!!! She's now 13 weeks which means she would have been very close by the time of the wedding and so we decided better to make her a guest who can relax than making her work her butt off!!! 

Anyway congratulations honey! Very pleased for you, and hoping you will still be able to enjoy the hen night (the one you can!) and the wedding!  Still need you around!!!

Guest List update

Finally, following more discussions with Greg's parents and mine, we seem to have a final guest list! We are at about 90 people which is where we had to be, and I think finally everyone is happy! Now Greg just has to finalise his Best Man and I need a few more surnames and addresses and we're done! Already feels good though to have this much sorted! Just need those surnames! 

Phew! It's all coming together

Wedding Rings Arrive!!!!

Oh my god.. our wedding rings were delivered today and I am just so thrilled with them! Given we designed them ourselves, with the owner of the company that made them, there was always that fear that they wouldn't be what we expected... but they are just perfect! 

From the pictures you can't see the detail. They are the same, just mine is not as wide, and both have a princess cut diamond in, with the wedding date engraved around the outside in roman numerals.

When I tried mine on with my engagement ring it just makes the diamonds pop out and dazzle! 

Can you tell how pleased I am? Just wish I could wear it now!

Long time no blog...

Yes it has been a silly amount of time since I updated my blog, but then I have been busy and actually the wedding has taken a back seat to the house in the last few weeks. We've managed to get the living room into a liveable state now, and even ordered some new sofas which should be coming in the next few weeks. 

Mum and I met with Aidan Tierney our caterer last week and went through all the plans for the day and made some decisions on scrummy food! Greg and Dad opted to let us make all the decisions as we knew what they favoured at the tasting. Aidan was brilliant and he helped us work out the timings for the day, and gave us ideas for drinks. We choose the linen, and the plates that we will be using (actually Greg chose them beforehand), we even chose the way we wanted our napkins to be folded! 

Now we're just waiting for the costing and the menu to arrive so we can go ahead and prepare choices sheets for all our guests! Phew! 

Catering Capers

On thursday evening we went to meet with our caterer Aidan Tierney of Tierneys Caterers, to have a tasting! Our party consisted of us, and mum and dad, and we really werent sure what to expect!

We drove to Oaks Farm in Shirley near croydon, along with about 30+ other couples/parties, all hungry! We found a beautiful room laid with ten different tables, with different ideas for decoration,theme, plates, glassware, different napkins folded, all set to give us ideas. We had canapes and were then seated at our tables, 10 to a table, and were seved a delicious main course of lamb, with roasted mini herb potatoes, with some other variety of potatoes, and a range of veg. This was then followed by an even more delicious plate of three mini desserts, and all accompanied by plenty of wine.

It really was a lovely evening and gave us great opportunities to meet other couples also getting married. For Greg this meant he could chat to grooms and realise that I am not the only nutty bride out there! and to hear how other people are doing their thing! I think Greg had a new found appreciation for my organisation after this!!

Great night! Next step making our choices!!!
x

Six months today....

Six months today we will be getting wed... guess how we feel? It's also one and a half years today that we met! It's been a perfect day so far today, and we have actually spent a considerable amount of time with the owner of a wedding ring design company chosing and designing our own wedding rings. They are now ordered and paid for, and will be on their way to us in a few weeks. We've gone for 18ct white gold to match my engagement ring, a unique style band made by this company, rounded but squared off also, with one small princess cut diamond, (unusually as my engagement ring is brilliant cut, but with a square setting) and around the band, our wedding date in roman numerals engraved. So really this post is all about special dates to us! Today has been one of those days I realise just how lucky I am.

xxxx

Happy Friends

A very good friend of mine today told me that he/she is thinking of getting married. Don't want to give anything away on here, but just to say that I am thrilled, and thrilled to be taken into their confidence! My wedding mags are yours when I am done with them!!! (albeit with lots of tiny bits cut out!!)

Can't wait!!!

xxxxx

Honeymoon booked!

Finally after much searching and trawling through website, and travel brochures we have found a lovely hotel in Crete which we have booked, and which fits all of our wish list!

Greg decided he wasn't up for travelling too far so our destination had to be short haul. I was desperate to have somewhere with a private pool, and luxurious room. I really want this honeymoon to be beautiful! My first choice would be the Maldives, but I would hate the flight so I understand that Greg doesn't want to go that far!

We did like the look of the Atlantica Imperial in Rhodes, and although the hotel does have some private pool's they are just so expensive! We also liked the Lindian Village in Rhodes, but again so expensive and only bed and breakfast!

So when I found Sensatori in Crete by accident the other day, imagine my delight when I realised we could have either a swim up room, or a private pool!!!! We have piped for a private pool for just that bit more privacy and found out that the private pool's are on the roof.. so they sound amazing!!!!

Even better, we fly the friday following the wedding so we have tons of time after the wedding to be packed and relaxed before we jet off!!!

Organising Odds

Mum and I have luckily had the odd chance in the last week to have a few chats and get a few little bits sorted which has been good! It's amazing how many people's surnames you don't know, and addresses you lose throughout your life! Compiling the guest list has been hard work! Still we are more or less sorted as long as Greg's side sticks to the guests we know about... if that changes then I need to rethink a few!

Still.. this weekend has largely been a wedding free zone. I have lots sorted now, and am getting to the stage where I can't organise much more until other things happen! Thats what frustrates me most but I guess it is good, or I would have everything done, and then would probably want to change it all just before the big day!

We had some great news though that Greg has finally sorted things out and got himself a best man!!! Yeah!!! His very good friend Homefield has happily accepted the role! I havent met him yet, but am looking forward to it soon!

Night Night Sleep tight

xxx

Magpie Vintage tops my expectations!

Ordered a couple of items of jewellery from a lovely company online called Magpie Vintage which specialises in vintage items of jewellery, and jewellery made from vintage items. So excited about it! I ordered them on Tuesday night and they arrived at work today! Really beautiful! Excited to find such a lovely company, and such a nice lady who owns it!

Check it out...

http://www.magpievintage.co.uk/index.html

Evening Visit to Ewell Court House

Just got back from another lovely visit to Ewell Court, with my friend Steven who will, if all things work out, be singing during our Wedding Ceremony. We went to visit tonight to check out the acoustics in the room and work out what will be needed equipment wise! Lovely to show someone else the beautiful place we will be wed! And very strange standing in the room, now it's all coming together, imagining what it will all be like!

Vacancy Filled!!

Great news! My little brother Ben has agreed very happily to MC our wedding! He'll do the introducing and the starting of the speeches, and help organise the whole day! So pleased to have him involved and his help will be invaluable on the day! I told him we've asked him as he has a biggest mouth! heheh!!!

So excited!!

Bridesmaid Dresses!!!

Finally the day arrived and Rachel, Scarlett,Mum and I went off Bridesmaid dress shopping! After finding out recently that Courtney was too shy to be a bridesmaid, and Sarah couldn't be one, we had a smaller party than planned... but it was great fun!

Rachel is a big girl like me, and our search was largely around trying to find a shop with a dress to fit to try on! It's absolutely appalling that shops that profess to be specialising in larger sizes call holding one size 22 bridesmaid dress specialising, especially when Rachel isn't that big!!!

Anyway.. we did manage to find a dress that sort of fitted enough to decide that we loved it for Rach, and the most beautiful dress for Scarlett, which will be in pink and ivory. Scarlett spent the whole day saying I want the pink dress, bless her, not understanding that just because one dress isn't pink that we can't have it in pink!!! Anyway she will be thrilled when it arrives!! I'm very excited too to have another thing sorted, and the day start to be coming together! My girls are going to look so beautiful!

Sparkling Shoes!!!

Bought my wedding shoes a while ago, and they are so cute! Decided wasn't going to go the traditional bride route on the shoes... can't wear heels and wanted a pair that were sparkly and pretty and that I could wear again! Found these in Next, would you believe it!!! I think they're perfect!

Thanks for my comments!!!

Just found a few comments from readers. Thanks for leaving them!! Am loving recording my wedding plans for all to see, and it's really special to know people are enjoying it!!

xxxxxxxxxx

Beautiful Pictures

We booked our photographer a while ago after searching and ringing around a fair bit! I was shocked at the price of it really! It's a strange business though, and I found the more sites and photographs I looked at, the more I wanted our pictures to be perfect. We went with Mum and Dad to visit one photographer in Epsom who was lovely and produced beautiful pictures but was just too expensive. She made the most beautiful albums but they were hugely pricey, not to mention the fact I couldnt lift them as the covers were made of metal! In the car on the way home, I realised that much as my heart was shouting I want them all.... realistically we would never look at them, and that really all I want is one beautiful arty shot of Greg and I to have made into a canvas. Of course I want more than one.. I want memories of the day, but really I couldn't justify the albums that let's face, wouldnt fit anywhere other than under our bed!

Still we were impressed by the Epsom lady, until the following night we met David Hares of Contemporary Weddings. Very impressed straight away with him, no pretensions, just a love of photography, and a good feeling that he would enjoy our day almost as much as we will! His photos also are magnificent! This is one from his website, not the most stunning by far, but an idea... have a snoop at the website below!

http://www.contemporaryweddings.net/

Fantastic Find!!!

Just found a fantastic online shop that has the most beautiful costume jewellery. Have ordered some beautiful butterfly hair pins and mini claws to decorate the back of my hair with, and also just cos I wanted them so badly!!!! Scrummy!

http://www.shefaly.co.uk/

Sunday films and activities

With the rainy dreary weather outside have enjoyed being snuggled up on our big bed making things for the wedding and watching Sunday afternoon television. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the millionenth time for me, and Scarlett's first time in Molesey, us sharing our favourite bits on the phone throughout!

Anyway, table names are now all made and put together and here's one. Decided on names of characters from Midsummer Nights Dream, as I love the play and it's in keeping with the theme.

Onto the next task.....

Back from Bournemouth

Just back from sunny bournemouth on a work visit... missed Greg needless to say, and work was interesting, but so nice to bond with some of the girls from offices far and wide in the region! Has made this week fly by, just having two days away! Looking forward to a lovely work function tomorrow night and a weekend of fun too, seeing our band play and spending time together
xxx

Lippy and Locks

Finally today after much searching managed to sort out and book a lovely lady called Mel to do my bridal makeup and her partner in crime Eric to do my hair!

She sounds so lovely and am planning to go to Notting Hill to meet her over the next few months, and plan my trial for around January February time. She may well do Scarlett's hair too!

http://www.melkinsman.com/

Weekend frustration!!

Saturday night and I am bored!! I have so much to do planning wise but just feel like I keep coming to stops on various things! Does anyone else feel like that?? My invitations are coming along well, still need to print the inserts and cut, and address! Then onto assembly time.

Been looking at rings online and found some lovely ones by the same company that made and designed my engagement ring. Need to try some on, and getting moving.

Rach is busy this weekend, and Sarah on hold re dress choosing at the mo, and Courtney.. well we are off to try and see her tomorrow and actually ask her to be a bridesmaid! The whole waiting to sort out the dresses is killing me!

We're also planning to visit Greg's parents tomorrow and have a chat about the wedding guest list. Greg still is adamant he wants just immediate family, which will be difficult I think as his mum wants a few more. Seeing as mine are all coming it makes sense for them to come, but I will have to go alone with what he wants!

Stupid as it sounds I am just wishing time away now already.. it's just under seven months to the wedding and I wish it was sooner!!

Shopping Trip

Mum and Dad met me at work today and we walked along to Elys Department store and had a browse at Moss Bros for the men and the bridal department's beautiful bridesmaid gowns. Found a gorgeous little bridesmaid dress for Scarlett which is perfect with a corsage on and colour in it!

Mum also managed to find two outfits which will suit her and she bought one!!! Can't believe it really! It's beautiful! Mauve and black, a dress and a shrug very flowy and pretty. She looked smart and very mother of the bride but still herself.

Definitely a good shopping trip!

xxx

Catering capers!

Saturday afternoon Mum and I went to visit our venue and meet our Cater Aidan Tierney, from Tierney's Caterers. He was lovely and talked us through what he can do for us, and showed us our room laid up for someone else's wedding! It looked beautiful! It was laid up for a wedding breakfast for 85 people, so about our size, although without the top table. He was great though and gave us some fab ideas for having meal choices, missing the starters so people arent sitting too long, and the party can start!!!

The table that was made up also looked beautiful and it was so helpful as it's made it clear to me that we actually need nothing else on them! We already have birdcages, all the favours, a few little play things, the table names, the place cards.. so plenty!

Aidan may be doing a tasting day in october so looking forward to that!

Appointment at Big Beautiful Brides!!

It was an amazing day!!! Suzanne, the shop owner was wonderful bless her. She'd got in a dress I had seen on the Alfred Angelo website that I liked the look of, and that was similar style to one I had tried on before at Elderberry Brides in Basingstoke, but with more detail.... Anyway tried that one on, the alfred angelo one, and it was beautiful and despite that not fitting I got an idea of what it could look like, although it wasn't perfect for me... Then I tried on one of BBB's new dresses that they have designed themselves... their new range, which I had spotted when I walked in...and it was just perfect!!! It actually gave me good shape and it looked amazing with my necklace and tiara, and shoes. I don't need to wear a bra or a basque with it as the corset is so good... and I decided a veil was too much as I am wearing a wrap with it, that we are going to have attached at two points either side of the dress so it stays in place and disguises my chubby arms!!! Mum, Nan and Rach were all adamant this was the one too which is lovely and at first I thought oh I want to try on more...just cos trying on is such good fun, and I looked at the rail and I then thought.. no I don't I just want this one, and to have this in my head too!! We'll be going back in January apparently to try it on and have Anna make any adjustments for us! Now just have to sort out my bridesmaids (as we ran out of time to get a real idea on them) and my groom!!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited it's unbelievable!!!! Sent Sarah my chief bridesmaid a pic when I got home on email and on pain of death not to show anyone and she got all emotional and said she had goosebumps!!!!

Tired and off to bed....

Tonight we've moved furniture and unpacked boxes in our new house... and finally got the second bedroom to look like a bedroom...

This is all in honour of Rach, who is coming to stay tomorrow night and will be our first guest in our beautiful old house! And the very special reason for her stay is that we are off dress shopping to Big Beautiful Brides in Weston Super Mare on Friday!!! Mum and Nan are coming too and I am going armed with all sorts of bits to try and match away!

So excited but oh so tired too!! Off to Lingfield in Surrey tomorrow morning early so definitely need my beauty sleep!

Night y'all! xxx

Hen Weekend Heaven!

Oh wow got some fab news today... my friend Linda who runs BGP and BGP dating where I met hubby to be, has said I can have my Hen Pampering party at her lovely house in Sandbanks in Dorset! She's such a star! She hosts the best girlie parties there with fun like massage and nail painting, and hopefully if we're lucky an Ann Summers Party and tons of booze thrown in! She's a bit like my fairy godmother... throwing my hen party, helping me meet Greg! heheh

Can't wait! Now just to sort dates!!!

http://www.big-girls-paradise.co.uk/

Little Miss Organised?

Been working hard all weekend.. spent today in the gym with him indoors and that in itself was planning for this wedding of mine! No doubt my arms will be killing me tomorrow!

Have managed to get approx 60 Christmas cards made and finished which is great news! Never been so organised! With the invites for the wedding due to go out in January, it would have been mad to leave them to the last minute!

Now busy on the invites! Found some fab little luggage tags for the teddy favours and managed to get some really individual little gifts for those helping out, but that will have to remain a secret on here!!

Got this great little guestbook from Cox and Cox too!! Things seem to be going great guns right now!!! Let's see if I can keep the organisation levels up!!

The Blazing Donkey

Frank (from work) and Anne's special day was lovely last sunday! We headed down to Deal in Kent for a beautiful wedding where the rain held off and we partied afterwards in a marquee before falling into our bed in the converted stables!

Greg really enjoyed getting to know my work mates and is seeming to enjoy the wedding thing more and more! By ours he should be well in the swing!!

Just found out too that my work friend Rachel who got engaged the same day as us is getting married the day after us! Congratulations Rachel, and to Frank and Anne!

Dress Shopping Appointment!!!

Oooh so excited! Have an appointment booked at Big Beautiful Brides in Weston Super Mare for next friday! Off there with Mum and Rach, trying on some frocks...Only trouble is with dieting I need to work out what size to order! Aaah!

Chief Bridesmaid back off holiday!!!

Well she gets back today and I can't wait to talk to her about all the recent wedding plans! Desperately trying to set up the next wedding dress shopping trip too so that Sarah can come view some dresses!!!

Sooo excited by the whole affair!!

We're off to a work colleague's wedding on sunday! Let's hope the rain stops for them!

xxx

Bridesmaid Alert!!!

Just asked one of my best friends if she would be one of my bridesmaids! And she said Yes!!! In fact she cried first down the phone!!

Originally I just was going to have one adult bridesmaid Sarah, and my niece who is 4! But more I think about it.. more I know I want my friends up there with me.. and Rachel is gonna be needed on hand on the day helping me be calm and telling me I look okay or not! She's also someone I want involved in everything to do with this wedding!

So excited now!!!!!

xxxxxxxxx

Table names

As our theme is a kind of boho,vintage theme, with butterflies etc.. I have been thinking of ideas to theme the names of our tables rather than just numbering them.

Currently my favourite idea is to name them after characters in Midsummer Nights Dream.... which is my favourite Shakespeare play and one I fell in love with as a young girl at the theatre.

Other ideas include:

• Names of places we have been, including specifc places, as a couple
• Famous Couples i.e Romeo and Juliet (although they were tragic!) Jordan and Peter (also tragic in a different way!! haha)
• Marriage words
• Favourite songs

Anyone got any good ideas??

Worried about plans

Some days I feel so organised and other days I don't! Having made a good start on the invitations I am now at a sticking point. I want to print out the inserts and hand write the names on them now before assembling the cards so the butterflies on the front don't get crushed but do we have a finalised guest list? No!

Greg and I really need to go and sit with his mum and dad and thrash out who we are inviting from their side. Greg would be happy with just immediate family, but I'm sure his mum wouldn't. I'm convinced that later my lovely fiance will wish he had more friends at our special day.. and I really dont want the wedding to be all my side and none of his! Nevermind eh! I just need to get the guest list sorted.....

Then to make the name cards/place sittings (guessing on who will be able to come!), the table planner (a rough idea at least), the menus (once we have decided on the food with the caterer!), table signs, info sheets to go in the invites, hmm... think thats it!

Teddies

My best friend Sarah, at her wedding had her smallest bridesmaid carry a rabbit rather than flowers... we got this idea from a magazine a long time ago and always loved the cuteness of it! I can just picture Scarlett Grace with her teddy on Wedding Day. Been searching for a while for not only one for Scarlett to carry but possibly for favours for the few children at our wedding. Originally had planned very small teddies for the favours, but in Tescos just found some beautiful soft teddies. I'm going to change the ribbon on them to pink to match the theme! Might even put a corsage on Scarletts one.

Favours

Wasn't sure really that we were gonna have favours at our Wedding. I mean with 100 guests it can end up costing an absolute fortune... not that we're having 100, nearer 90 on the list currently and trying to cut it all the time! Starting ordering bits and pieces for the tables etc and found these pink butterfly tea lights which I have now got for all my 90 guests, should we actually get 90 yes rsvps!

Oh my god oh my god oh my god!!!

Went with my friend Rachel today to have my first ever dress shopping expedition! It was amazing. I was so scared about finding a dress to fit me firstly and one that didn't make me look like a HUGE woman!! Rach said all along that it would be fine, and she was right.

I have tried on some beautiful dresses and they fit!! More than fit they looked really good! I found a beautiful one by Forever Yours which I just didn't want to take off. The girls in the shop were so brilliant... Elderberry Bridal in Basingstoke. Totally have to recommend them for the bigger bride. The young girl who dealt with me asked all the right questions every time I put a dress on. I totally trusted her judgement and she led me down a path of dresses that brought me to what I think might well be the perfect one for me!

Still a little in shock to decide for certain. Think I must try on a few more to make certain, if only cos it was so much fun!

http://www.plussizebridal.co.uk/index.html

Bird Cages and Invites

On one of my many reading sessions in Bridal frenzy, I found the perfect centrepieces for our wedding. These white wooden birdcages, originally I found from a company called Pollen Nation, and then I found a company called Lavenders of London which had a huge variety of different sizes and shapes.. ( as well as anything else you could dream of for a wedding!)

Our cages aren't all the same. I have one for each table, four of this kind, four taller more pointy ones, a couple of small pergola shaped ones, and a larger more ornate white metal one for the top table. I plan to have butterflies on wire flying in and out of them, and I have bought some artificial peonies to use just the heads inside laying on the bottom of the cage. I also have ribbon, some with our names and wedding date on, and some just pretty and pink to thread through the cages.

The invites started coming together following a browse on a site called Calico crafts where I found some beautiful paper, to go with some beautiful butterfly stamps I bought on line ages ago. I always make my own cards so definitely wasn't going to be buying wedding stationary. I have made a protocol and they are beautiful. Not gonna post a picture of them until they go out to my guests!

Themes

I knew I wanted something Vintage from the start.. something pretty and timeless. I also knew it had to involve Butterflies as I just love them and every pretty thing I see that appeals to me has them on.... bags, jewellery etc.

Once I had decided on pink (controversial for me who always likes purple!) I just had to make sure Greg agreed!!! Lucky for me, he is a modern man who looks fab in pale pink.

Addicted to Wedding TV

I'm totally addicted to Wedding TV since we got Sky recently. I work and watch it all the time! At least I am learning things though... how to plan a wedding on a budget, what sort of honeymoons work, and most importantly how NOT to be a Bridezilla!

Turns out my brother says that he and his new wife Donna were addicted also.

My addiction doesnt stop there. I can't pass a magazine stand without buying the latest bridal mag. This addiction is actually quite pricey!

I'm now getting to the stage where I have so much info coming out of the ears I need to start organising it all!!!

Christmas Day

We got engaged on Christmas day. We'd discussed it lots of times beforehand and Greg had me choose a ring so I knew it was coming but wasn't ever sure it really would. My parents got engaged on Christmas Day and I think I saw this as a good omen.

My ring was handmade in Brighton, and we picked it up just before Christmas, on the foggest day ever. The company had sent a dummy ring beforehand and the day it arrived I could barely contain myself leaping around with excitement. Greg wouldnt let me wear it apart from trying it on, and to this day, I am surprised I managed to keep it to myself. I nearly didnt want to give the dummy one back, I had loved it so much even though it wasnt diamond, or white gold, as my real one is!

On Christmas eve, we went out for dinner with my family and I was just so excited the whole time. On Christmas morning, I woke, and Greg ran around the bed, to my side, naked and with a little red box in his hand and got down on one knee. His actual words I can't remember, but it was something to the effect of he never thought he would get married until he met me, and that from the moment he met me, he has loved me, and he wants to grow old with me. I cried and cried and he put my ring on my finger...

Then came the ignoring of the usual christmas phonecalls until I had got to Nan's house and told Mum and Dad!!!

We stopped on route to Nan's briefly to see Sarah,and briefly flash the diamond. She cried too I think!

Once at my Nan's house, my nearly 3 year old niece called me in telling me that Father Christmas had brought her some "bling" to which point I pulled my hand out of my pocket shouting and he brought me some bling too!!!!

Mum cried and cried, and told me later that she believed herself to be lucky in life, having everything she ever wanted apart from two things, one to see me happily married to a man who loves me like I deserve and lastly to see me be a mother. We both sobbed much as I am now remembering this. Love you mum. xxx

Ewell Court House

This is our Venue for our wedding.... This is the front gated entrance

and these are the stairs that I will walk down in my dress.....

before entering this room to become Mrs M! Our ceremony and reception will all take place in this room which is just beautiful! Mum found it... she takes the kids to the park at the venue all this time, and the advantage is that my littlest bridesmaid should feel very comfy here!

So far Nicola at the venue has been great at talking me through any questions I have!

Vintage Magpie

Found this wonderful website that makes bouquets from Vintage pieces, and are just so beautiful! Well depending on the dress I may have to have one of these!!

She can also do wrist corsages for my bridesmaids....

Ooooh speaking of bridesmaids I must get around to asking Courtney, Greg's niece if she would like to be one!


http://www.vintagemagpie.co.uk/

Think this will really fit into our whole Boho Vintage theme.

Funk Monkeys

Finally sent the contracts off for the Funk Monkeys.. our Wedding Band! http://www.funkmonkeys.co.uk/

Pleased to know that's all sorted! Always wanted a band rather than the normal DJ! Just think it adds a certain fun to a wedding... Greg and I are off to see the band shortly play a gig.

oooh its so exciting!

Back from Paris

My little brother's wedding to his new wife happened last friday, and what a wedding it was! With the ceremony in the Chapel at Fort George, and the reception at the Ben Wyvis Hotel in Strathpeffer it was beautiful and classic and all my brother had dreamed it would be.

Ben had been giving us all a countdown in days, hours, and minutes to his big day... and it really was wonderful. I cried throughout the ceremony, throughout the speeches and the first dance.

Now it's my turn!

Dores

Just back from Inverness and what a beautiful place that is.. Even 12 people in two caravans couldnt prevent it from being heavenly. This picture was taken at Loch Ness at Dores where a lovely man lives on the beach in a (non) mobile van, creating nessies to take home while searching for the real life Nessy himself.

Bliss.

Him indoors

My fiancee Greg is not so geared up to weddings, having only been to one ever in his life and that was my brother's wedding last week!!

Greg is a star though, and I have loved him since the first week we started dating. I never felt the love on first sight thing that some people do. I think I'm too long in the tooth for that. Greg told me in the first week together that he was saving for a ring, and I wasn't sure how serious he was. He says now though that he never wanted to get married before he met me. He was definitely settled being a bachelor!

What a beauty is he though!

First attempt at Blogging

Well it's just less than 8 months now until my wedding and I am full of panic. So much to do, and prepare and so little time! Actually I swing between feeling totally organised and totally unorganised.

Today my panics are all about my size. At a size 30 I'm not the average bride to be! Dress shopping is something I've been a little scared to start, but all that's about to change on Saturday.

This is short and not so sweet a start to my wedding journey on line...