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.