Rain, rain, go away...

I always thought that the worst thing that could happen on my wedding day was rain. Now, I realise that there are indeed many other things which would be far worse (groom doesn't turn up, dress gets ruined, the venue burns down...) but rain has always been the one thing that every bride dreads.

Other people also worry about it on your behalf and I am convinced it's because of the way us Brits are obsessed with the weather. If you meet a stranger, weather is a topic of conversation that breaks the ice; meet a bride and people will cross their fingers for you hoping for sunshine.

However, no matter how much luck, crossed fingers, sun dancing or other such hopeful jestures, you can't control the weather so I've decided to accept what will be will be. Last weekend, two of our closest friends went to a wedding that they were both quite a big part of and I felt trully awful for the bride and groom as the weather was just the worst. Not even a glimmer of sunshine for the photos.

And that's the main reason why I don't want it to rain on our parade - the photos. I think I'm not alone in saying that the photos are one of the most important parts of the wedding and I have already storybooked our weding album to a certain extent in my mind, knowing the kinds of shots I want. But if it rains, we need to have a plan B to fall back on so that it doesn't but a dampner on things.

It may sound silly to say that the weather could spoil the day - this just isn't true - and now that I have accepted this, I honestly think that on the day I will be fine, come rain or shine, because it is still our special day. We are holding our ceremony and reception at the same venue, Hogarths Hotel, and many of our friends and family are staying at the hotel so getting wet isn't really an issue, apart from having photos outside.

What will be will be and whilst Hogarths doesn't neccessarily have sweeping staircases, a grand hall or other such photographic areas inside, with a little creativity and forward-planning, we should have no problem in getting some amazing shots of each other and our wedding guests if the heavens do decide to open.

Little Hobbit Feet

As the girls in my office will tell you, I have been through many trials and tribulations trying to find a pair of shoes for the big day. As if it's not hard enough to find a) ivory shoes b) ivory shoes in the right shade of ivory c) shoes in the right shade of ivory and with an attractive, non-bank breaking price, BUT me and my silly hobbit feet (as Ste calls them!) made the task 10 times harder.

I now know that I have EE extra wide fit feet after looking it up online. I feel like I've spent the last few weeks as a Goldilocks of the show variety, dancing from one shop to the next in search of a pretty shoe that would be juuuust right. I did find a stunning pair in Dorothy Perkins, but my pinky toe was so squished I couldn't even move:

                                                     

                                             

Then I found this pair from Red or Dead, but again my feet were apparently too fat for these beauties too:

                                                     

I have always had some difficulty buying heels - aside from boots and flats whichI don't tend to have trouble with - but the high street only caters for the standard D foot width for the most part, aside from New Look and their wide fit range.

Just when I thought I'd have to either go bare foot or skip down the aisle in my slippers, I had a brainwave - Evans. Being especially for the larger lady, surely they would have wider fit shoes? Off I ran after work and found not one, not two, but three different ivory shoes to choose from. These are the one's I have picked - they are too cute for words and so, so comfy:

                                          

So let's hear it for all hobbit footed brides out there - don't dispair, even if you don't need to shop at Evans normally, you should now because they have a cracking range of wide fit shoes!

If music be the food of love...

With less than five weeks to go, our attention has turned to confirming all the little details with all our suppliers, our venues and our registrar. As part of this, we've had to make our final decisions when it comes to music because anything used during the ceremony itself has to be approved by the registrar to confirm it's not religious in any way (which it shouldn't be, considering how we chose not to have a church wedding, but you'd be surprised how many people get this wrong!).

Anyways, I love music. Love, love, love it. I have very ecclectic tastes as anyone who knows me will tell you, whereas Ste is a little more fussy. One thing that has helped us with the music choices however is the theme we are using for the day. Now, I can't go and tell you what it is (I'm doing my very best to keep this bit quiet so everything is as much a surprise for our guests as possible) but surfice to say, the theme helps narrow down some music choices.

For me, music is a very emotive part of the day and whilst the evening party is in the hands of our DJ (albeit armed with a list of 'do not play if you value your life' songs) and the requests our guests have made in advance, the pieces we choose for the day have a key role.

We need a processional song (we've chosen Canon in D - always gets me teary)and a recessional song (that's a secret) plus three songs in between for when we are signing the register. Then there's the music for when the guests start to arrive, to help set the mood, then for during the wedding breakfast and then it's the big one - the first dance.

This was decided long ago. Ste and I went to a Travis concert in our early days as a couple and Keane were supporting (noone knew who they were). The song that really stood out for us was Somewhere Only We Know and it reminds us of when we first met so picking the first dance was easy - but knowing how we're going to play it is a whole different thing! We are going to have to start practicing dancing together to this song because we have seen some very pathetic first dances and with all eyes on you, you have to try your best to pull it off.

Now, I love dancing but it's not often we dance together, let alone in a slow and romantic way with 80 guests watching on. We did toy with the idea of doing something funny, or getting other wedding party members involved, but decided that this is your only chance to do a first dance and that whilst nervous as hell, we should enjoy the spotlight for three and a half minutes. So, we're going to get our dancing shoes on and start working out how we want to approach it all. We did look at having a professional dance session but before getting the purse out again, we'll give it a shot ourselves.

We've bit the bullet now and chosen all the key songs for the day. I'm glad that we have taken our time to consider what songs mean something to us, rather than sticking to purely wedding cliche tracklists (although I'm sure the odd cheesy song will get through!). I have no doubt that on the day, we won't even hear half of them, but our guests will and we hope that the music makes them as happy as it makes us.

For those not familiar with Somewhere Only We Know, here are the lyrics:

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin


I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute, why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go somewhere only we know?
Somewhere only we know


Oh simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin


And if you have a minute, why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go? So why don't we go?


Oh, this could be the end of everything
So why don't we go somewhere only we know?
Somewhere only we know
Somewhere only we know

Purple Passion

We chose purple as our accent colour for the wedding - bridesmaid dresses, confetti, flowers etc - mixed with silver and black (trust me, it works for what we're doing!). I just love this collage of purple ideas - I can almost picture our room now!

Know your role!

We have quite a large group supporting us in the lead up and on the big day itself - 5 beautiful bridesmaids and 5 gorgeous groomsmen - and with them living all over the place, it's been a challenge to keep everyone up to date with what they need to know.

I did a 'bridesmaids bible' earlier in the year and Ste has issued a 'groomsmen guide' so each person 'knows their role'. These people are the closest guys and gals to us both and we wanted to make sure that they were a big part of our day. But with great power comes great responsibility and I realise we need to start to lean on them a little bit more now that there are just 5 weeks to go.

They've all been involved in this and that and both hen do's and both stag do's have been pretty much handed over - we're planning a wedding, we can't plan four top weekends as well!

To help us in the quest to delegate a little more to our bridal and groom parties, I read the advice on weddingmagazine.co.uk to see what the official duties should include. It's given me some food for thought!

To read on, visit: http://www.weddingmagazine.co.uk/articles/receptions/313245/who-does-what-on-your-wedding-our-wedding-traditions-guide.html

I heart rock'n'roll

Over my lunchbreak I have been taking in the gorgeous photos of Lucia and Paul's wedding, as featured on the bride-essential website http://www.rocknrollbride.com/.

Their attitude to the whole day is to be admired and their personalities really do shine through. I love their 'no compromise' approach and how their family all pitched in - certainly useful to have people close to hand who are crafty or great cooks!

The photos are so fabulous and they look like they had such a fun time, which is what it's all about. Each bride and groom is different so deciding what rules you do and don't want to follow, or if you'd rather throw the book out the window altogether, is so important but you need to be flexible. What I thought I wanted for our day has changed quite a few times now and I do think having taken time to plan everything has helped us keep organised and be sensible about our choices.

That said, there's always some new idea to catch your eye and you end up wanting to have your cake and eat it too... Wish you could have more than one wedding so you could incorporate all the ideas, themes and details.

I'd like to wish Lucia and Paul all the best for the future - I hope that we have as much fun on our day as they seem to have on theirs.

View: http://tinyurl.com/2abwez3

Hocus Pocus?

Love this article from UKWeddingBelle - I'm not particularly superstitious, but I certainly think the groom seeing the dress is a BAD IDEA, plus I have a silver sixpence ready to put in my shoe. Also, Ste will be packed off to his parents the night before and I will definately see a black cat (my little Sherlock) so hope that does give me a little good luck on the day!

Overtly ridiculous wedding superstitions

View original article: http://www.ukweddingbelles.com/weddingmagazine/miscellaneous/46-weddingsuperstitions

Are you superstitious? Even if you are not yourself, you will probably be able to sympathize with the wedding day anxieties brides have suffered through the ages. With all the anticipation involved in marriage and the significance placed on creating the perfect wedding, it is no wonder superstitions developed around
the big event. But did they really have to be quite so demented.

Bonkers Brides

It is thought unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress. Anyone wearing a wedding dress that I made would be extremely unfortunate!


To put on full bridal array prior to the wedding was considered unlucky. While this seems difficult to avoid in the fitting process, brides would put their dress on in sections, never all at once. Some would even leave part of the hem unsown so the dress could be finished on the wedding day. Liars, they were too

lazy to finish them off in good time. “sir I didn’t finish my history homework because its superstisious to finish it all in one go”.

Furthermore, the bride would not look at herself fully dressed wearing the wdding gown in a mirror. Even on the wedding day it was considered important to leave off one part of the bridal attire, such as a glove, when the bride checked her appearance in the mirror. This way the bride never saw herself completely attired before the wedding. And many of Aunty Maureens guests wished they never had at all.

Don’t be ugly, Do live nearby to Whipsnade Safari Park.

The bride and groom also traditionally avoid seeing each other on the morning of the wedding day. Perhaps this superstition derived from the period of arranged marriages. The father of the bride may have feared the groom would flee if his fiancé was not to his liking. So they postponed the "unveiling" until the actual ceremony. A wise idea for Aunty Maureen’s dad to have undertaken.


On the way to the wedding, some sights or events were considered lucky for the bride and groom. Others were thought to be disastrous to their happiness. The bride was expected to exit her house out the front door and step out right foot first. If the sun shone on her or she saw a rainbow, good luck would ensue.

Meeting a black cat, a chimney sweep, or an elephant were also fortuitous. That probably explains the divorce rate in the UK, not enough random elephants hanging around the front door.


Unlucky sights included observing a pig running across the road. The worst of all omens was to meet or even see a funeral procession. Death was also foretold if the horse (or the more contemporary car) refused to start. Ditch the Datsun and make sure pinky and perky are securely in their pens before departing for the church!


Who said poems have to rhyme?


Married in White, you have chosen right
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Blue, you will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Brown, you will live in the town,
Married in Pink, your spirit will sink.

Hurrah - my blog has been featured on the UKWeddingBelle website!

Last night I blogged about my concerns about being the 'fairest bride of them all' and it seems I'm not alone in this. In fact, UKWeddingBelle website asked if they could use my blog online - how could I refuse?

To check it out on their very handy website, visit:

http://www.ukweddingbelles.com/weddingmagazine/weddinghairbeauty/161-fairest

Fairest of them all?

One thing is said about every bride - 'doesn't she look beautiful?'

This simple phrase, whilst flattering and honest in it's sentiment, strikes fear into this soon-to-be-wed's heart. Why? Because it's a lot to live up to!

We've been planning our day for quite sometime now and for the most part I have felt in control of all the different elements, decisions and details we have arranged. Until, that is, I came to what I thought would be the most fun part of all - the makeover.

The dress I found 6 months ago but since I started having make up and hair trials, I've been depressed when I've seen the outcome. It's hard,being the centre of attention, to see yourself how others see you and therefore to be objective about whether a certain look works for you. The dress and our day has a distinct theme but each time I've tried to picture my complete ensemble, it's been more of a fantasy version of myself than reality.

I know every bride has self confidence issues at some point but my greatest fear is that I will a) look no different to normal b) look like a completely different person (in a bad way) or c) lack that wow factor that every bride is under pressure to have.

I know I'm probably worrying needlessly, but with the day so close now, I can't help asking my reflection in the mirror: 'will I be the fairest bride of them all?'

The Thick Of It - Fact or Fiction?

I recently discovered the joy that is BBC's 'The Thick Of It'; fly on the wall style documentary that follows the 'fictional' Government department of social affairs and citizenship (SAC). Jumping from one crisis to another in each episode, the realism of the programme leaves you feeling like you are really seeing the inner workings of the various Governmental departments.

Malcolm Tucker, believed to be based upon spin king Alastair Campbell, is a pure legend. Harsh talking, toy throwing, fear inducing Director of Comms acting as the PM's enforcer and crisis manager who takes no prisoners. The way that he handles each new and even more fantastical PR problem that his ministers seem to wander into on an almost masochistic basis is something truly to behold. Bluffing on what facts he has and bending the truth at his whim, Malcolm manages to get the 'Government' out of sticky situations too often to count.

He may be a fictional character, but the acting is so superb and the scripting so believable, you feel that you are really seeing the inner workings of our minsters' offices.

Having been on a crisis management training session today, I was well and truly in the mood to watch more of this series as after all, it can't get any worse than what happens in the episodes... can it? Whereas 'The Thick Of It' seems to show the PR team just getting through by the skin of their teeth, in the real world, forward planning is crucial in trying to nip potential reputation disasters in the bud, before anything even happens.

Sure, it would be great if we could all look into a crystal ball and foresee every eventuality that our clients could encounter - be it the result of an irresponsible comment (see Gerald Ratner and Topman's David Shepherd - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/top-man-brand-director-says-his-suits-are-for-hooligans-678357.html) or a product fault, national disaster or other unfortunate eventuality.

Alas, such a useful instrument has not been invented so we are left with the need to imagine the worst case scenario and plan the steps needed to be taken should it ever become a reality.

This kind of 'expect the unexpected' ethos is central to today's society, where negative press often seems to be the only press and where companies can be held accountable for almost anything, regardless as to how tenuous the link may be. And as PR professionals, we are the ones with whom the buck often stops so they only way to ensure we aren't on the back foot before we begin is to scope out the potential pitfalls and, as ever, keep our fingers firmly on the pulse.

It's official - the five ladies I have as bridesmaids are the the best bridesmaids I could have hoped for. This weekend just gone was my first hen do / birthday weekend which I spent with Linds, Bex, Nat, Rach and Erin at Vatch Cottage in Stroud.

Beautiful scenario, cute cottage and my lovely ladies, spoiling me with especially made hen party t-shirts, a veil, personalised 'the bride' eye mask, 'beautiful bride' wine glass, lucky horseshoe Pandora bead, New York Cheesecake, films and SATC all day long in our PJ's and nothing but junk food to eat. Lush!

It was so nice to get away from everything and spend some quality time with my girls and I want to thank them for all their thoughts and efforts.

I have posted some of the pics on Facebook and our weding website - just go to 'Wedding Photo Albums' to take a look. Any of our guests can add photos to this section before the wedding as well as after, so don't forget to come back and see what snaps other people have taken.

The 100 day countdown has almost begun

Can't believe that it has been 2 months since we last blogged - it's a cliche, but time really is flying by.

The invites have all gone out as of last month (although one or two had to be remade and resent as certain people had given us old addresses... naming no names!) and we are in the process of waiting for responses. There are around 14 people left to respond who we have no idea if they can make it but hope to add them to the 'accepted' list soon. Deadline is 30th June to RSVP to us and please do remember to let us know of any dietary requirements or if you'd prefer the vegetarian options - if you don't, we can't make arrangements with Hogarths.

Talking of food, we are going for our menu tasting evening tomorrow, trying three lovely courses each to decide what you will all be having on the day. It was tough to narrow down the choices and depending on our thoughts after tomorrow, we may need to go to a second tasting evening in early July to make ur minds up. What a pain that would be!!

With just over 3 months / 104 days to go, everything is on track. The suits need to be sorted in the next week or two and I need to confirm the make up artist for mum and I, but other than that all the key things have been booked. It's just a case of making the final payments to everyone and with only three pay days left for us, don't be surprised if you don't see a lot of us pre-wedding!

One addition to our plans we have made is a videographer. There will be two of them on the day so between them and the photographer, no-one can escape(http://www.silhouetteweddingvideo.co.uk/)! We just wanted to have a record of the sights and sounds and overall feel of the day plus by having a video, there will be lots of things that we ourselves will have missed (such as seeing the bridesmaids walking down the aisle before I arrive). Another great thing about this is there will be time between the ceremony, reception and evening party for you to leave a message to camera for us if you should so wish. We will also have notecards on your tables if you want to leave us a written message (which we will then be putting into our wedding scrapbook) but if you want to be immortalised on film, than be sure to grab the man with the videocamera. Don't be shy...

Whilst most of the arrangements have been confirmed, we have a number of decisions to make this month. We are currently choosing our music for before, during and after the ceremony itself plus the reception meal and we will soon be meeting with the registrar to hand them our 'ceremony brief' which will tell them who is going to be doing readings, what vows we want to say etc.

Whilst it feels like this wedding has been forever in the planning, we still can't quite believe that the day is nearly here and we will soon be married. We don't anticipate that things will change greatly after we say 'I do', but seeing the list of all our family and friends who will be there on 18th September has really brought it home what this day means to us. I just need to find out a way to stop myself from crying (tears of joy) during the important parts. After all, if I do blub, it will be caught on tape. Eek!

What A Carrie On

Just like most twenty, thirty, forty and fifty something women, I was unbelievably excited about the second Sex And The City film. Having been a fan ever since my teens and knowing each episode word for word (much to the annoyance of my other half), the prospect of enjoying another two and a half hours in the company of my surrogate friends, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, was one I have looked forward to for months.

From the trailer, it looked set to be a girlie romp in the Abu Dhabi dessert, a glamorous combination of camels and cocktails. With the tease of a wedding and the reappearance of fan-dividing past-love Aidan, it seemed that this film would have a lot to offer.

As the familiar theme music began, I couldn’t help but wonder… was this film going to be fabulous, fashion-overload or a farce?

Sadly, I was not the only person in either of the two cinema outings I went to over the launch weekend to audibly sigh with disappointment into my popcorn when the lights went up. I had refused to listen to the critics beforehand who poured scorn on this second cinematic outing; after all, any time in the SATC world would be a fun time surely?

However, to my mind, there were two clear problems with the film; a lack of real story for each of the characters and a rather disconcerting feeling of it all turning into a modern day Carry On film.

The ever questioning Carrie worries about becoming ‘too married’, with itchy feet two years on from marrying her true love Mr Big. So, when she meets Aidan in the Abu Dhabi market, everyone was on the edge of their seat anticipating a steamy affair. Alas, this twist was reduced to just a kiss, and after confessing all to Big, she is rewarded with a black diamond to remind her she is married. What a tough penance to pay.

Meanwhile, Miranda struggles with a new boss, Charlotte struggles with a crying two-year old and a braless nanny and Samantha struggles with the menopause by taking ever pill and potion know to man. It may sound like this is quite a lot to cram in but none of this is explored at real length and don’t even get me started on the men, who share a few meagre lines between themselves with the exception of Big.

However, this lack of depth all pales in comparison with the uncomfortably un-PC representation of Abu Dhabi and the country’s attitudes to women and relationships. Now, I know that being ‘politically correct’ can often be a bone of contention, but the way in which this culture is depicted is often stereotypical and the reaction of our four favourite women to the rules of the country verges on insulting (particularly when Samantha waves condoms in the faces of Muslim men in the market and simulates having sex. A touch too far perhaps?) Yes, the other women look suitably concerned with the predicament they are in, but when they bump into a group of women who hide their designer label clothes under their burkas, the film then transforms into a complete farce (I was willing to turn a blind eye to Liza Minelli singing Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ at Stanford’s wedding at the beginning of the film) . To flee the maddening crowd, the SATC girls disguise themselves in burkas, at which point I honestly expected Sid James to pop up.

Instead of exploring the facets of each character, all four ladies are turned into caricatures of their former selves, with costume changes averaging every 3 minutes, turning the film into a fashion show. I was more anticipating the next outfit than the next witty remark and this is a letdown because it means that every person who rolls their eyes when you say you are going to see Sex And The City is right about the stereotype.

For me, SATC was a sharp, witty and refreshing TV series and a fun, fabulous and emotionally wrought film and will always be dear to my heart. So much so, I am having Carrie’s ‘He was the end of her endings’ poem read at my wedding and will be going on the tour in New York on our honeymoon, with a picture of me sitting outside her apartment waiting for Mr Big to pick me up due to have pride of place in my hallway.

I have no doubt that the film will be a commercial success, which will no doubt lead to Michael Patrick King rubbing his hands together at the prospect of a third cinematic outing for our favourite four leading ladies (after all, how many films stick at just two? Most are tempted to become a trilogy). If this were to be the case I no doubt would succumb to my SATC addiction and rush out to buy my tickets.

However, as much as it pains me to say this, I think I would rather leave Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda in New York now, ever wondering what real love means over a cosmo or two.

Feeling very relaxed... should we panic?!

Everything has gone really well with the planning and booking etc (touch wood) so we are feeling quite relaxed about it all.

Since we last wrote, I have chosen THE dress and it is ready and waiting for me and my final fitting at the end of July. The diet is going ok - been having treats here and there but have lost almost a stone so I'm happy. Just a few more pounds to go over the next couple of months...

The cake side of things is all sorted now - don't want to say too much but we've chosen what we want and hope that you'll all like it (if you have a sweet tooth, you certainly will!)

We also have chosen our wedding rings and these are tucked up safely at home. Trying to resist the urge to try them on again, but Ste thinks it may be bad luck.

We paid 75% of the venue fees this week which felt good, although I don't think our bank account would agree! At least that's a huge weight off our minds. We only have a few organisational things to arrange now (choosing our vows, wedding breakfast meal etc) and Ste has his appointment at the Austin Reed to make with his best men soon.

Oh, and the invitations of course! From the amount of visits we've had to this website, I know that a lot of you are aware of quite a few details but the invitations will tell you all you need to know (hopefully). As I mentioned last time, we are making these and have all the bits and pieces together - just need to find the time to do them. Bex is coming to stay at the end of April so will help us make the final touches then they will be in the post so expect them in four weeks or so. We may have a few addresses missing, so will let you know if we need yours...

Everyone around us is getting very excited about the big day too - Louise and Ellie almost seemed more hyped up than us at the weekend!! We have even been notified of a wedding gift from Tina and Dave already - a 3 day pass for us both to see all of New York's sights on our honeymoon! They have just returned and absolutely loved it so we can't wait to go - and thank you to them both for the generous gift.

The rest of this month will be spent doing very little while we start to save up the pennies again. We're almost 2/3 of the way with the total costs so need to be super strict over the next few months.

It will all be so worth it though.

The Good Wife's Guide - don't be getting any ideas Stephen!

A colleague kindly sent this old Housekeeping Monthly article from 1955 to me, so I knew what to expect from married life...

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
• Be happy to see him.
• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
• Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
• A good wife always knows her place.

Hmm... glad that we live in the 21st Century and that times have changed!

Ticking Things Off

Not that we're counting at all... but just 208 days until the wedding!!

We've had a busy fortnight and the plans are really coming together now. Completely out of the blue, I've bought all the bridesmaid dresses! Three of the five girls were up the other weekend because of John's 30th and one happened to mention they'd seen a nice purple dress online that would suit everyone. Right colour, right style and right fit for all my ladies! Everyone loved it straight away so I snapped them up there and then. That's a big TICK off the list!

Next up, flowers. Have been to see a couple of florists to talk through what we're looking for and think we have settled on one now, just waiting for the final quote to come through before booking. So that's another TICK.

Now, for the big one... THE DRESS! I've started the search and had appointments at three shops and think I may have found 'the one' after trying on a zillion different styles. Just wanted to get into my baggy clothes straight after though, some of them are designed for beauty and not comfort! I've shortlisted two dresses and in less than two weeks my mum and dad are coming up so will be going to try the first one on again... very exciting. We'll be off to see the venue too as dad hasn't been yet and then to the wedding show, just in case I see the dress of my dreams there with a dream price attached!

And that's not all. Crafty bridesmaid Bex has been giving us hints and tips on invitations, as we are planning on making our own. Decided on the style etc. and have ordered the bits and bobs this week so we'll be cracking on with those over the next month - expect invitations to hit your doormats early April. I know you are all keen to know the details, so hopefully these will help tell you all you need to know.

The stag do is also taking shape and because I'm greedy, I'm having two hen do's, although one is really for my birthday!

Finally, we've also worked out the theme and what we want to do for the reception and party, and through the wonder of ebay, have started to get this together too so in Stephen's words, 'we're pretty much sorted now, aren't we?'

Well, there is still quite a bit to do - need to think about the suits, rings, cakes etc. but there's plenty of time to get this organised. We have a chunk of the venue payment to make at the end of March so everything will happen in time.


That's all (for now) folks!

Less than 8 months to go... time to get busy!

Apologies for the lack of blogs - we've both been crazy busy with work and the wedding plans have just been slowly ticking over.

So, where are we up to now? Well, the venue, registrar and photographer are all booked, our application of marriage has gone through (no-one stepped forward to say they were against it which was good!) and with less than 8 months to go now - eek - things are really starting to get busy.


We got ourselves organised over Christmas, making decisions on the overall theme of the day, what little touches we want to introduce etc. We also assigned all the rooms at Hogarths (check the 'accomodation' page on our wedding website to see if your name is on the list - if not, we've listed other hotels nearby) and have announced who is in our 'wedding party' (profiles of the 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsmen have also been added to the weding site if you want to take a look).


I've also put together a 'Bridesmaid Bible' for my lovely ladies, so everyone has something to look after and Ste is working on his 'Groomsmen Guide'. With everyone living all over the place, and the weeks flying by, it's really handy to have a list of dates and tasks close to hand to keep us all on track.

The honeymoon has also been booked now which is very exciting - a wedding gift from Tim and Sally. We're off to the bright lights of New York on the Monday after the wedding for one week, staying in the Upper West Side opposite Central Park. We've always wanted to go and I'm excited about living like Carrie Bradshaw for the week. Ste is slightly less enthusiastic about the SATC tour, but we'll be doing all the other big 'touristy' things too. I want a Statue of Liberty headpiece for sure! We even have matching 'I heart NY' t-shirts, Christmas presents from Bex and Nat, to wear on the flight over...


The search for THE dress begins in February as I've made several appointments at bridal shops in the area to try on every style imaginable. Have a strong opinion when it comes to dresses and an idea of what I want, but going to start by being open-minded about it because you just don't know what might suit you after all. It also means I'm on a health kick right now - a girl has to look her best on her big day after all.


Mum and I are off to the National Wedding Show at the NEC again at the start of March so we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for a bargain or two. Then in April the bridesmaids are all getting together for a natter and to sort out their dresses - if anyone spots any purple dresses that might fit the bill, let us know! Looking for deep purple (not lilac) and a style that could suit anyone as my ladies are all unique! If we can't find a style everyone likes, then we'll be having them made from the same material but to suit each bridesmaids.
Suggestions on a postcard...

We've also got to start thinking about flowers. Not planning on having them everywhere (we have other ideas for the reception) but we need to think about bouquets, buttonholes and dressing the ceremony room too.


That's about everything we can think of right now. It's already looking like a great year and we almost can't believe that it is really happening. Just 237 days and counting...