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

Thanks @Stephanie104, I will make user I check mine when it arrives.

Ha, I know what you mean, but aren't you glad you have done a lot of it so early on? I know I am. We are going to look at rings when we are off in a couple of weeks and i'm leaving the suits to my OH, I am staying out of it, lol. We are also going to have to look into the guest list with more accuracy now, just so we can start making proper arrangements for transport.

As for jewellery, im getting a custom made bracelet, I cant wait for it to arrive, but as it's all hand made, i'm in no rush, and i'm wearing a neacklace that my mum got me for my 21st so that will count as my something old.

We went to look at BM dresses found one we liked, but we both agreed paying near £250 for a dress was excessive, so we said well leave it to the new year and try again (this was me and my MOH by the way, lol).

I've got a bit of a quandary over flowers, will do another post on that though, I need some opinions.

I know part of my thinks next year may well just drag, it'll be just paying for stuff as the majority of it is booked, but I think after next Christmas it will fly by! ha, what we like, wishing the time away.

Hello

I am a 2016 bride. 11th September 2016

Feels like sooooo long away

? hiya & welcome Miaajane, it'll come round quick enough, you are already under the 2 year mark.

Really excited as today it's now less than 500 days!

Also saw the venue for the second time at the weekend and it was even more beautiful than I remembered.

Only 499 days to go

Wow - some of you are so organized - thinking about BM dresses already.

I haven't even picked my BMs yet, but it's something I'm thinking over at the moment.

My best friend and my fiance's sister are already on the list, but I'm conflicted about my own sisters.

My parents were only 18 when I was born, and beat the odds to still be together today, and I now have five younger siblings (aged 15, 13, 11, 8 and 4. I'm 24 (25 in December).

My sisters are 13, 11 and 5. I love them dearly, but it's very hard to have a close relationship with sisters, when they're 11/13/20 years younger than you!!

I have it in my mind, that I only want adult bridesmaids, but I know in my heart of hearts, each of my sisters will be expecting to be asked. The youngest has never been a bridesmaid before, whereas the 13 and 11 year old have twice, for two of our aunts.

Aaaargh - why can't this kind of thing be easy?!

Don't worry about not having your sisters as bridesmaids, both of us have sisters and we have not asked either of them, and we are not planning to either. We are having 1 adult bridesmaid (my best friend), her young daughter, and our niece. I will say though if you are not too sure on whether you want someone or not, just don't ask them, wait until you are sure either way, it totally sucks (and that's being nice about it) being unasked to be someones bridesmaid if they change their mind on you, trust me, I know it's happened to me.

Thanks for your advice Jen-Lou.

I wouldn't dream of asking anyone to be bridesmaid, and then unasking, which is why I won't ask anyone for definite until I've made a final decision.

Me on 21st May.... EEEEEEppppp!!!

Welcome ?

How is the rest of your planning coming along?

Just had a text from the bridal shop to say my dress has arrived!!! Can't wait to go and try it on now, its more than likely to be after Christmas tho xxx

YAY, great news ? mine should be in this month, I have my phone on silent in work so I do keep checking it just in case I missed there call.

Have you flashed us your dress? (sorry if you have I can't remember, my brain is not with today)

Bet you can't wait, i'd be checking my phone every 2 minutes. This was completely out the blue, I wasn't expecting it until after Christmas!!

I've only got pictures from the website no pictures of me in it yet!!!

Hope the pictures aren't as big after I've posted! Still no idea when posting flashes! xxx

Aww your dress is lovely, I found mine last week ? but wont be ready for about 8 months lol

Im trying not to think about it too much, but when someone else mentions theres I just think..."ohh I hope I get to say that soon" te he he.

Wow, what a lovely dress, bet it gives you curves in all the right places, love the little sleeves/straps too.

Can i join?
We're booking our date on Tuesday, but its definitely in 2016

? welcome, the more the merrier.

You got a date in mind yet? (you may already have a date twin ?) hows your planning coming on?

Aww thanks girls! Jen-Lou, you'll be saying it soon enough.

Hi hellandglory, welcome xxx

I've picked my dress but they won't order it till August next year .

Wont be long till we can officially say we're getting married next year! and not in 2 years time

@McHelenz August will be here before you know it.

App I know, can't wait to say next year, still get odd looks when you say that you're getting married in 2016

@McHelenz August will be here before you know it.

Eppp I know, can't wait to say next year, still get odd looks when you say that you're getting married in 2016

I get weird looks too when i say 2016. glad its not just me

YAY, I'm a date quad!!! (It's been a while since I checked ?)

Glad I'm not the only one who sees those looks when asked about the date. It's like their interested until you say 2016 and then like they loose interest because it seems too far away!! If only they knew how much I'd got sorted already though hahaha ?

We don't have a date in mind as the venue is quite booked - we did want may but are having to have july instead.
We'd rather have the venue that a specific date though.

Planning is coming along quite well - venue booking and then reception booking asap!

Also, its going to be a really relaxed affair so i'm getting a 'comfy' dress, which is a LOT cheaper than the £2000 dress that i adore. Unless i win the lottery that is - and then i'm getting my dream dress!

Gah - i could talk about my plans all day!

Yeah i find people are interested till i say its july 2016 lol

cant wait to say im getting married next year

ive got quite a bit sorted, think i need to slow down lol

@sarah121 - wow your dress is stunning, really gorgeous.

We went venue "shopping" at the weekend and we now have a reception venue.

Our reception will be at my fiancé's old school, which is an all-boys school in SE London, with gorgeous old buildings and stunning grounds. It was my fiancé's father who suggested we made an appointment there, but at the time I was convinced I'd want another venue, but the moment we got to the school it just felt right. You know they say that when you're buying a house, you know the first moment you walk in, whether it's right for you? Well I got that feeling on Saturday with the venue. My fiancé felt the same, even if he did get flashbacks of his school days! ?

I think it's really nice, we've got a venue that one of us already has a close connection with, and now it will end up a place we'll share a connection with. ❤️

They haven't got their 2016 prices yet, although they have an idea about what they'll be, but we said we were happy to commit regardless. At most the hire fee will be about £500 more, we're happy to pay that.

We were told that as an "old boy" of the school, we could marry in the school chapel, and despite me saying a few days ago that it was important to us to marry in our regular church (also in London), we've decided to take up the opportunity to marry in the school chapel. It was actually our church minister who said yesterday, "I think you should do it, because we're about six miles from the venue, and it will be Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve in London. You can put transport on for your guests, to and from the reception venue, but think about the possible London traffic on that day." And he's right, we hadn't thought about that, and he made sense. Thankfully, the school have said that while the legal parts of the ceremony must be conducted by the local minister, they're happy for our minister to do all the other bits (like talk about us, as he actually knows us), and that's really good of them.

It's actually starting to take shape - I can't believe it!

******

Oh and a small update on the bridesmaid issue.

We popped round to see my parents yesterday evening, to tell them about the venue news, and while my mum and I were in the kitchen, she raised the BM thing.

When I told her that I was considering not asking my sisters, she burst into tears, and told me that would make a terrible person. Then she did the guilt trip thing, told me how much my sisters look up to me, and how I would devastate them.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I asked my sisters to be BM last night. They were ecstatic, the 4-year old told me I was the "best big sister ever," and then I felt a pang of guilt because actually I'm not.

I feel a bit weak now, that I caved in to my mum so easily, but you know what? They say life is short, so pick your battles wisely, and I guess I figured this was a possible battle that wasn't worth fighting.

All sounds good, so far.

Ha, that is what we are here for ?

@CoconutDonut

Your venue sounds amazing ?, it's a lovely little touch too that you can have the legal bit there too.

Ahh, its a great feeling when you know it's all starting to come together.

Got to say, that's a bit unfair of your mum to do that, and for the record I would like to say it would not make you a bad person if you didn't have them, but as long as you are happy with your choice in the end then all's good.

Hello, I'm new! Newly engaged a couple of weeks ago. Planning our wedding in February 2016! Loving all the tips and advice on here xx

I'm new too. We've just booked our wedding for 29th May 2016...only 558 days to go!

Aww thanks CoconutDonut. Your venue sounds lovely, sounds perfect. It's great that you can use the chapel there, I've always loved the idea of having everything in one place. Think it's a lovely touch using your own minister.

Welcome and congratulations NearlyMrsHunter and Boro_Bex xxx

Hello, newbie here

Boyfriend asked me to marry him on Halloween this year, we have just booked our wedding for 30th November 2016. Chose a Wednesday because it lets us have our first choice of venue for thousands cheaper! 30th November is also the day we met in 2013.

Hope everyone's initial planning is going well, looking forward to chatting xxx