I believe it's wrong to steal Valium from vulnerable people but let me tell you, the last two months has left me tempted. There were points where I wondered if marrying TOH (aforementioned - The Other Half) in a field somewhere in Vermont wasn't the finest idea ever to pop into my head. However, the fear of a herd of bovine creatures munching on my leg curtailed this thought somewhat, so onwards with the wedding plans.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank unreservedly, gushingly and with absolutely no consideration to the fact that I sound like I was going utterly mad.. which I was, to the girl who will keep me in check on the big day. She rushed down to Swindon with her laptop, Excel spreadsheets and a fine bottle of vodka and saved me from certain doom. She somehow extracted from the swirling pit of panic what it was that I wanted from my day and firmly but gently set me on the path to a day that won't leave me forever reaching for prescription drugs.
I love her almost as I love the man I'm going to marry!
Monday, 4 February 2008
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Where am I going to feed all these people?
I do not wish to go into the absolute hell that is attempting to put together a guest list, needless to say when the hairdresser puts my hair up on my wedding day, she'll have a heck of a lot less to deal with because of that little fiasco.
I am somewhat relieved at the moment, we have found a venue. That doesn't mean its over, that because of who I am, that I won't spend the next couple of weeks/months/year in negotiations with them. But we have at least found somewhere that checks a lot of boxes, and I can't begin to tell you how many checkboxes there are.
If you are reading this as a newly engaged girl/guy/relation of newly engaged guy or girl, be forewarned.. the venue thing is a nightmare. We are getting married in church, it was never up for debate, we just couldn't come to terms with a civil ceremony. This was the first checkbox and one that meant that we really had to limit our venue to somewhere within reach of our church.
We live in Swindon, Wiltshire and are getting married about a mile from home in a beautiful but very small church on a road that gives me nightmares. I am extraoardinarily scared that we may lose guests or an usher or two in a high vis. So our venue search was limited to somewhere within 20 minutes drive. I did suggest that some time out between church and venue was not a bad idea but I'm informed not all hire cars have sat-nav and that rescuing guests when they get lost in the maze of Swindon's badly signposted roundabouts was bad form.
So the checklist:-
Within 20 minutes of our church
Not difficult to find
Lets re-visit that guest list, not for us a small wedding. We are actually limited by our churches capacity thank goodness, or half of Lancashire, Ireland and Swindon would be coming to our soiree. The first rendition of the list had me on the floor with severe chest pains. "What the heck do you mean 140?"
Once we had got the list down to a number that didn't involve hoisting guests into the rafters to enjoy the ceremony, we were down to 100. I'm hyperventilating at this point, immediately 75% of the venues in our area have disappeared and my dream of a small initimate do have vanished into fresh air.
Within 20 minutes of our church
Not difficult to find
Capable of holding 100
Luckily availability wasn't a major issue.. we aren't getting married until the next millenium, it was unlikely that it was going to cause a problem but add it to the list just in case.
So I start looking with this simple list in mind. Really it can't be that difficult.. can it?
I am somewhat relieved at the moment, we have found a venue. That doesn't mean its over, that because of who I am, that I won't spend the next couple of weeks/months/year in negotiations with them. But we have at least found somewhere that checks a lot of boxes, and I can't begin to tell you how many checkboxes there are.
If you are reading this as a newly engaged girl/guy/relation of newly engaged guy or girl, be forewarned.. the venue thing is a nightmare. We are getting married in church, it was never up for debate, we just couldn't come to terms with a civil ceremony. This was the first checkbox and one that meant that we really had to limit our venue to somewhere within reach of our church.
We live in Swindon, Wiltshire and are getting married about a mile from home in a beautiful but very small church on a road that gives me nightmares. I am extraoardinarily scared that we may lose guests or an usher or two in a high vis. So our venue search was limited to somewhere within 20 minutes drive. I did suggest that some time out between church and venue was not a bad idea but I'm informed not all hire cars have sat-nav and that rescuing guests when they get lost in the maze of Swindon's badly signposted roundabouts was bad form.
So the checklist:-
Within 20 minutes of our church
Not difficult to find
Lets re-visit that guest list, not for us a small wedding. We are actually limited by our churches capacity thank goodness, or half of Lancashire, Ireland and Swindon would be coming to our soiree. The first rendition of the list had me on the floor with severe chest pains. "What the heck do you mean 140?"
Once we had got the list down to a number that didn't involve hoisting guests into the rafters to enjoy the ceremony, we were down to 100. I'm hyperventilating at this point, immediately 75% of the venues in our area have disappeared and my dream of a small initimate do have vanished into fresh air.
Within 20 minutes of our church
Not difficult to find
Capable of holding 100
Luckily availability wasn't a major issue.. we aren't getting married until the next millenium, it was unlikely that it was going to cause a problem but add it to the list just in case.
So I start looking with this simple list in mind. Really it can't be that difficult.. can it?
Saturday, 3 November 2007
The disclaimer
Before I start blogging about my impending wedding, I need to add a disclaimer to my posts. I find the entire process absolutely intriguing, I find the industry that supplies those of us who are about to get spliced utterly horrifying. I'm sure, in fact positive, that over time I will find suppliers who I learn to trust but oh my, there are some sharks out there.
Add to that the truly strange things that go through your head when your contemplating spending 1/3 of your outstanding mortgage on one day, and the whole process takes on a slightly bizarre slant.
However, I haven't lost the plot.. at least not yet.. I do know what this is all about. There is a man in my life who I adore with all my heart. I can't wait to be his wife, the thought of spending the rest of my life with him is truly amazing. The thought of standing next to him in our church and promising to love, honour and (well the next bit is up for debate) till we get old and wrinkly is quite possibly the most amazing idea ever. My vows to him are held in the highest esteem, they will be the most important words I ever say as I dedicate my life to him. None of this is lost on me.
Hanging onto that should get me through the wedding issues, I'm praying it will help me stay calm when I recieve quotes that leave me struggling to breathe as my ribs explode in horror. I can't wait to be Mrs Johns, I just need to keep it together to get through the wedding and my blog is just really a way of keeping track of my sanity, maybe getting input and a light-hearted look at how the first day of married life seems to be the scariest.
Add to that the truly strange things that go through your head when your contemplating spending 1/3 of your outstanding mortgage on one day, and the whole process takes on a slightly bizarre slant.
However, I haven't lost the plot.. at least not yet.. I do know what this is all about. There is a man in my life who I adore with all my heart. I can't wait to be his wife, the thought of spending the rest of my life with him is truly amazing. The thought of standing next to him in our church and promising to love, honour and (well the next bit is up for debate) till we get old and wrinkly is quite possibly the most amazing idea ever. My vows to him are held in the highest esteem, they will be the most important words I ever say as I dedicate my life to him. None of this is lost on me.
Hanging onto that should get me through the wedding issues, I'm praying it will help me stay calm when I recieve quotes that leave me struggling to breathe as my ribs explode in horror. I can't wait to be Mrs Johns, I just need to keep it together to get through the wedding and my blog is just really a way of keeping track of my sanity, maybe getting input and a light-hearted look at how the first day of married life seems to be the scariest.
Monday, 13 August 2007
The initiation of WMA
My local newsagent haven't seen me recently, at least that is, in my normal guise. I used to stride in, head held high, before bunging a couple of ping meals into my basket, running the gauntlet that is taking a 6 year old through a sweet aisle and heading for the checkout. No longer can I do this, instead I sidle in, with a hoodie that would have me the leader of any gang of 16 year olds, pulled tightly over my head. My mission is simple, to get in, get something and get out again as fast as possible, avoiding eye to eye contact with anyone who might recognise me for fear that this was the 5th time this week.
My name is Nickki P and I stand before you with an addiction. I'm a Wedding Magazine addict.. The first step as they say is in the admission.. now I've accepted it, I can deal with it but next week you understand, as soon as Wedding Ideas comes out. When I was younger, I had a thing for Twirl bars, not so healthy but oh the bliss of a chocolate binge. Now I feed the sugar monster through the pink, frothy perfection that is the expertise of those who promise the perfect day.
Of course, the slippery slope was so gentle to begin. There was this little chat, where it was suggested that an engagement was a good idea, that married life was what we both wanted, I'm sure he'll come to his senses shortly but for now, and whilst I gently batter him round the head with a cricket bat, he's still convinced it is.
So wow.. I'm getting married, I need a guide, I need to know where to start, despite the fact that I've worked nearly purely online for 9 years now and I'm more likely to reach for Google than anything else in my life, I need a magazine. Why? I'm not entirely sure. It makes sense as I hand over my £3.95 and I retreat to the car.
They are so pretty, the pages silky, beautifully laid out, page after page of dresses, inspiration, honeymoons, checklists.. oh yes, I need a checklist, I need to get this right. I devour every column inch hungrily, making mental notes, strangely enough reading backwards from the day itself.
STOP RIGHT THERE! "Month 9, write your guest list" I breathe deeply at first, it must be a typo. It says just there in Month 18 to book a venue, how on earth do you choose a venue when you have no idea how many people your inviting. I need another magazine.. this ones wrong.
Do you see where it started?
My name is Nickki P and I stand before you with an addiction. I'm a Wedding Magazine addict.. The first step as they say is in the admission.. now I've accepted it, I can deal with it but next week you understand, as soon as Wedding Ideas comes out. When I was younger, I had a thing for Twirl bars, not so healthy but oh the bliss of a chocolate binge. Now I feed the sugar monster through the pink, frothy perfection that is the expertise of those who promise the perfect day.
Of course, the slippery slope was so gentle to begin. There was this little chat, where it was suggested that an engagement was a good idea, that married life was what we both wanted, I'm sure he'll come to his senses shortly but for now, and whilst I gently batter him round the head with a cricket bat, he's still convinced it is.
So wow.. I'm getting married, I need a guide, I need to know where to start, despite the fact that I've worked nearly purely online for 9 years now and I'm more likely to reach for Google than anything else in my life, I need a magazine. Why? I'm not entirely sure. It makes sense as I hand over my £3.95 and I retreat to the car.
They are so pretty, the pages silky, beautifully laid out, page after page of dresses, inspiration, honeymoons, checklists.. oh yes, I need a checklist, I need to get this right. I devour every column inch hungrily, making mental notes, strangely enough reading backwards from the day itself.
STOP RIGHT THERE! "Month 9, write your guest list" I breathe deeply at first, it must be a typo. It says just there in Month 18 to book a venue, how on earth do you choose a venue when you have no idea how many people your inviting. I need another magazine.. this ones wrong.
Do you see where it started?
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