****2016 Brides**** 326 brides (and 3 grooms!) so far!

Hello ladies.... been lurking for a little while, but after seeing this post, thought it was time to make myself known!! I thought that I was being ridiculously early in our preparations, but seeing this makes me feel a little better about it being so far away... So far we've booked our registrar and venue and that's it!!!! ?

Been lurking for a little while but after seeing this, I thought I'd say hello!! It's reassuring to see that I'm not the only one who starting to organise their wedding when it seems so far away. So far we've provisionally booked the registrar and the venue, so according to FH I can now sit back and leave all wedding related stuff alone for a year!! No such luck ? I keep looking on the interweb at all things wedding, from invites to cars to dresses to random stuff that we don't have a use for but has seemed to turn me into a bit of a magpie *ooo - look shiny stuff!!*

Our date is the 3rd June 2016 - so feel free to add us to the list too ?

Can you please add me to the list?

Another date twin here: 16/07/2016

YAY, that's 4 of us now ? hello fellow date "twin" ? (aren't we now date quads? lol)

Haha yeah I suppose we are - Quadruplets!

Hello! ?

Aw, hope you're feeling better now!

inovermyhead - welcome ? I'm in the same boat as you - just can't stop looking at wedding stuff!

HeavyMetalMaiden - welcome to the 2016 group, but more importantly welcome to the 16th July group! ?

As for me... last Friday I saw that the wedding shoes I've always wanted were half price - £34.99 instead of £70. I snapped them up and hoped I would like them as much in the flesh, and I do! So for half of what I expected to pay, I have my shoes! And then, the next day, I went to try on dresses with my mum and sister. In our area there's a company that goes round and does open evenings in hotels, I've been a few times before and always expected to get my dress from them, but I didn't expect it to happen so early on. But, I have a dress!! ? Last years collection so it was down from £999 to £500 - obviously it's been a week of half price bargains!! Also, the venue answered all our questions with perfect answers, and they are holding our date until next month, so we can get insurance that will cover it. So soon we will have that sorted as well!

I've been coping with the move pretty badly, feeling really homesick and missing the cats especially so much so all these wedding things have definitely been a way to take my mind off it all. Yay for productive weeks!

P.S. Sorry for all the exclamation marks in my post, haha

Ooh welcome to 2016!!! :]

@laurafish

Ahh hugs hun, just think you'll be settled in your new house soon though.

YAY! Fab news on the venue and the dress...? any chance of a flash? Lol

Hello ladies!!

Just thought I'd share what I've done as I'm starting to feel organised now!!

Paid our deposit on our venue today (yay!) So date confirmed for Sunday 3rd April 2016 ☺ have bought my dress and booked our DJ. Meeting a photographer on 8th July and waiting to pay the deposit for our caracturist!

Think I'll have a few months rest now ☺ xxx

Now that sounds interesting...? and YAY on everything else.

Got to say we are an organised bunch ?

Congratulations! Very organised

As for my shoes, this is the best picture I could find:

They have a heel but it's not too high so I should be able to last in them all day. And they're so sparkly

They are these but in the silver, which is now sold out: http://www.schuh.co.uk/womens-red-red-or-dead-lindy-hop-glitter/1258083060/

Am very tempted to buy the red ones too - total Dorothy shoes

Don't think I'm going to flash my dress just to be on the safe side, but that's also a bit sparkly so they go quite well together

@laurafish

LOVE LOVE LOVE the shoes, they are so much nicer in the silver.

Boooooo, lol, spoil sport ?

I love glitter and those silver shoes are fab!

Feeling really stuck in limbo today. It's so frustrating not being able to do much...and continually being told 'you have plenty of time' I just want to get stuck in and get everything organised!! arghh!! Hurry up 2016!!!

What have you got organised so far?

I'm feeling the same if that helps. We have booked the registrar and celebrant, other than that we have bought a couple of decoration bits, but that's it. II think once we have a bit of free time we might start looking at booking a photographer and a band, as it's generally the earlier the better with those from what others have said. Have you got those things sorted yet, perhaps you could do some research on those?

I meant venue and celebrant (*face palm*)

Glad someone else feels the same!! To be honest we are pretty organised so far, got our venue, TOG & booked the registrar. My friend made me some sample invites yesterday & am completely in love with them. Think what's driving me mad is things like dress shopping? Tried a dress on and think love it but can't even think of ordering till next October? Haha I just need to calm down I think! Oooh and the other thing is some suppliers not taking things seriously when you tell them your date!!

Think Im driving OH mad!!

Pahaha I have had some daft moments too...

I am wondering why no-on is responding to my e-mails... I put .co.uk instead of .com at the end of my e-mail address - TW*T!

I am trying to book a TOG myself, and for ages there wasn't anyone about that photographed in a praticular style I wanted, now we are spoilt for choice!

TOG 1 is my first choice, dream TOG. *Slightly* over budget but just about affordable. Lives super far away so meeting up won't happen. She has an amazing reputation and loads of experience with alternative weddings.

TOG 2 is quite local, lovely work, more in the style I wanted and cheaper than TOG 1. He has shot at my venue before.

TOG 3 is also local (well 1hr drive away), and his work is incredible, I am yet to hear back about his prices though, so that could be make or break. However, looking at his deposit cost and portraiture cost, I have a feeling he will be affordable...

ARGH I dno I am crap at making decisions... unless I am in work... maybe I should decide in work...

Hi Ladies!

Wow think I've managed to catch up on so much I've missed, I've been so busy lately! Completely MIA so I apologises, so many lovely ladies have joined, and I now have 2 date twins! for 03.06.2016! Fabulous!

We've passed the 2 year mark now! 23 months to go, You guys are all so organised, We've got the venue booked for the wedding and the night before so our guests have the option of staying both nights if they want too, so we're planning on putting on a big curry for all those who stay the Thursday night before the wedding, then the boys will stay in the bar at the venue and all the girls will head down to the bridal lodge for a pamper evening before the big day!

Apart from the venue we have a meeting with our potential photographer this Saturday to meet her at the studio and go through everything, then we can hopefully book her! It her local venue and her photography is just what we wanted lots of natural shots, not too much posing etc!

We've asked our best men (2 of them!) and my bridesmaids 5 of them, and our nephew will be our page boy. Althogh we're not sure on a flower girl yet, as OH doesn't want loads of children at the wedding. We're only having our nephew because SIL insisted but I don't mind that. Not sure how we're going to tackle the 'no kids/kids' debarcle yet!

We've got our guest list to about 90 people we think, but its most likely to be around 100 we think! Not too sure when to send out save the dates, but thinking maybe June next year? When is everyone else sending save the dates? Or have you guys done already? Sorry I might have missed some information somewhere!

I keep changing my mind about themes/colours at the minute but think Im still going to go with some very bold, clean lines, big colours etc.

Hopefully I can now keep more on track with the thread going forward!

I promise to take all enquiries seriously regardless of when the wedding is! I don't understand suppliers that don't! I will also hold my 2014 price if booked this year.

Now that's magic!

Totally know how you all feel, there's so much I want to do but I'm worried about doing it all too early!

We've got our venue, photographer, humanist, decor company + just need to get the deposit down on the caterers. I agree about the dresses, so desperate to try them all but I don't want to get one too early incase I end up seeing something else - but at the same time I don't want to leave it too late.

We're getting married 04.06.16 + were thinking about the save the dates. We're sending ours out Jan 2015 because some people like to book big holidays to like Florida or something early because of the deals that might be available - better to be safe than sorry!

Thats my thoughts exactly! We actually have a holiday booked to Disney World, Florida next September! (Better deals like free dining if you book this year ) Im one of 'those' people, I just hope no one books their wedding next september!

Ah we're one day before you 03.06.16!

If you looking to get away & you see a great deal then it's obvious you're gonna want to book it ? fingers crossed they don't, it'd be a shame for you to miss out! The way I see it is I'd rather give them too much notice than too little - then you won't have people moaning that they didn't have enough time & stuff like that.

Eekk that's so exciting! ? it feels so long away right now but it'll probably end up being here before we know it!

Hopefully 29th April 2016

Nothing booked yet but this is what we are aiming for!!

We've already been engaged 5 months and that has completely flown by so hopefully this next 12 months will, then the proper planning can commence!

People always seem surprised when I say I haven't got my wedding dress yet when they know it is 2 years away! I dont want to try and one, choose one then change my mind!

We've been engaged since xmas eve 2011 but only booked our wedding in March 2014. I was pregnant with our little boy when he proposed so until this year I've never looked into anything until it was booked. ❤️

Yeah I'm the same as you! I'm looking at dresses online at the moment but that's all. But at the same time I want to go try some on to see what it feels like to be wearing one! Us brides just can't win - the grooms get it too easy ?

We have 2 years today til our wedding! Let the2 years count down commence!

730 sleeps! Lol

A lot of the suppliers who we are using (or have enquired with) have all said we get the price it is now, so what the harim in putting down a deposit for things now, at least you will know the price of things in advance and you know when you'll need it by and it will give you longer to save for it.

Think our next job will be looking at prices for things like the DJ and transport. Just got to see if you want a DJ for the full day (and if anyone does that), if we only have on in the vening, we've got to figure our what to do for music during the day (we are in a marquee so we would have to bring our own stuff with us)

OH said he will go to look at prices for suits at the weekend and get the rpice then, we are lucky enough that there is a suit shop at the end of our road.

I think I may have a slight freakout when I reach the less than 2 years mark and pretty much all of next year (when I can say we are getting married next year lol)

Plus I suppose wedding insurance would definitely come in handy if there's any problems ?

Is your wedding in 1 location or do you need to go somewhere else after the marquee? See for during the meal, what are your thoughts on having something light to listen to during it or would you just leave people to enjoy each others company/conversations?

For the evening, OH wants to just have a DJ all night but I'm unsure if I want a band or something to break it up a bit? My main worry is people getting bored, I've never been good at planning things let alone a wedding ?

Hopefully it doesn't get to the point we all turn around and say "why didn't I do it last year when I had the chance" ??

I'm so impressed at how organised everyone is. We've booked our reception venue, caterers and photographer. Church is un-officially booked as it's the church I work in. Haven't decided on bridesmaids/best men yet as our relationships are changing a lot because of geography. I do have my chief bridesmaid and know that my future step-kids will be bridesmaid/ushers/ring bearer- just not sure which yet! I haven't started looking at dresses because I want to lose a bit of weight first and keep it off for a while, rather than having to have alterations later.

One thing my and my HTB can't agree on is whether to have a DJ or live music in the night. I'd really like a live band- swing or something easy to dance to. My cousin had one at her wedding and people of all ages were up and joining in. But I'm not sure if we can afford one, and there's a higher risk of noticing a band that aren't good than a DJ who isn't. Does anyone have any experience of this or has had to make the same choice?

Wowzers, this thread has seen a lot of action today!

Can't wait for our 2 year mark, congrats to everyone who has passed it!

We are definitely getting a band if we can afford it. I just think it makes the evening so much more fun and people are more likely to get up and dance, it's more socially awkward to ignore a band playing than to ignore a DJ I think.

Still don't have a flippin' date twin!