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...