Friday 30 January 2015

Wedding catch-up


A few people have been kindly asking how the wedding planning is coming along. After all, there is only 4 months to go! 

  • Ceremony venue 
  • Legal ceremony venue
  • Celebrant
  • Dress
  • Shoes
  • Bridal party wardrobe (I have the dresses not the shoes!)
  • Licence to marry
  • Catering for reception
  • Save the dates
  • Flowers
  • Cake
  • Invites
  • Order of service
  • Band for reception
  • Photographer
This is a shortened list. Partly shortened because I got so overwhelmed I delegated certain jobs to my fiance (who thought he was getting away with doing little - not a chance!) and partly because it scares me to write out everything I haven't yet done. But as you can see, bit by bit i'm getting there! We did make it harder for ourselves by not marrying in a licensed venue, so we're still deciding where to do the legal ceremony. 

We're going on holiday next week and apart from discussing worship songs we'd like and order of service, we're taking a step back from the planning to just enjoy time together. I don't want this wedding to define our time together for the next 4 months, we want to have fun too! 




Saturday 17 January 2015

Engagement is yours not hers


When we got engaged weeks before Christmas kicked off we were elated and anxious at the same time. Why anxious? Because we didn't want to steal the Christmas spotlight for others, especially those in our family. There were toasts to our engagement and future together but we didn't push it. We weren't the reason for the season after all.

So planning got pushed until after the New Year. This suited me especially because I found the whole adjustment period i.e. being a girlfriend to being a fiance, particularly stressful. See, I don't cope well with change in my life at all. Going on holiday? Stress. Change to daily routine? Stress. So naturally becoming a fiance and faced with lots of well meaning comments such as "let the planning begin, you won't know what's hit you!" didn't go down too well. On the outside I was smiling, on the inside I was wanting to crawl into the nearest hole. When we were together as a couple and enjoying our relationship as we did before, and without we had without constant comments from others I was fine. The holidays didn't give much couple time to us though.

Into middle of January and after really seeking God's peace on the change and I'm starting to really look forward to the whole shebang and elopement is quickly disappearing from my mind. We've started to get quotes from venues and some nights I toss and turn with excitement about it all.

I guess the lesson here is that your engagement is yours. It's your emotions, your plans, will go at your speed and will be best shared between you, your partner and God. Don't be sucked into a make believe world of what you "should" be feeling and "should" be doing at any particular time. Reading other blogs has both helped and hindered in this regard: I love reading about what others have done for their weddings though often only positive emotions are written about and none of the stress, anxiety and nerves are laid down.

And don't get me started on the battle of budget vs. dreams (read: Pinterest)!

Do you have any wedding planning tips for me?


Monday 12 January 2015

New Years 2014

Not my photo but found through Google from The Daily Mail news website

This is late. In fact, not just a couple of days but almost a full 2 weeks. That's just me really, once a procrastinator always one. I will try harder blogging world I promise.

New Years eve and both my man and I were struggling with exhaustion from the holidays. We'd had a week off work (well, almost) and yet had crammed more in than we would in a normal working week. I'd booked tickets to the London New Years Eve Fireworks display back in October because you see, standing on the banks of the Thames to ring in New Years had been a dream since I was a child. Tickets in hand, lolling on my sofa at home, I just couldn't muster the energy to move let alone drive to London.

It was my boyfriend fiance (I love that) who persuaded me in an entirely easygoing way. Go to London together or stay home and not bring in the New Years together at all. It was harsh love that got me off my butt and into the car.

After a couple of hours with family, a delicious roast dinner and hours of queuing, we were in the compound by 10pm. Boy was it worth it!

 This was our view for the fireworks! My photos didn't turn out too great so i didn't take many and just enjoyed it with my man.


After the fireworks there was singing, dancing and frivolity. Then a long journey home with thousands of others which was made better by a McDonalds breakfast at 2am and friendly people on the Tube.

Would we do it again next year? Man says no. I say, not the fireworks but definitely into the city to an event if we can. It was definitely worth it and would recommend it to anybody who can make it to London next year!

Info on all London events can be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/