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

That's totally pants! (sorry if you have answered this before, my brain is not with me at all today ?) Is your MIL paying for it? Did you like anything about the other venue she suggested?

I'm waiting for the issues with my FMIL to start, nothing major has cropped up at the minute, but I know it'll happen, it's just the little comments on things so far, but i'm trying to ignore them (ha, shhh, don't tell her that ?)

Only wedding realted stuff this weekend was looking at invitations, wll going round in circles looking at invitations and creating a website for it all, just so stumped.

BUT, got an appointment to see about a brooch bouquet next weekend, and she'll show me some table arrangements too, so got that to look forward to.

Sorry to hear you are having MIL troubles. I think you have every right (if not more) to be stubborn. It's yours and your OH's day and nobody should interfere, even if they are contributing to it. I hope you get what you want. Good luck.

Thanks girls - OH's parents are contributing to the wedding (as are mine, different amounts) but aren't paying for the whole thing - we are paying for most of it ourselves. Their contribution, as generous and appreciated as it is, wouldn't cover reception costs so it's not like there could be the argument "we are paying for the reception so we get a say". That being said I totally understand that once you accept money, you will inevitably get this sort of thing too.

It's not that I necessarily didn't like the venue she found, it just doesn't 'wow' me like the first one does - but for half the price (venue hire only, not food) that's to be expected. I can completely see why this new venue is a practical choice - it's a big saving I know - and it wouldn't be the end of the world if that's where our wedding was, but I can't help feeling disappointed and annoyed anyway. It should be our choice.

Knowing OH's mum, and knowing the multiple issues we've already have, I'm sure this is only the beginning! Like you say Jen, I'm going to have to learn to ignore, but it's not easy is it?!

On a lighter topic - I know how you feel with invitations! There are things I like the look of but wouldn't necessarily have myself, haven't come across anything 'perfect' yet. But we have time on our side

And for both of you Jen and Shelly - we passed another month marker yesterday!

Oh Laurafish sorry you are feeling the way you are!

I think you need to go with your gut instinct on this one! Its YOUR wedding, not HERS! If you love the first venue, book it. Its you that really has to look back at the photographs for the next 50 years If your paying most of the budget too then really it is your decision, if your budget allows the extra expense of the first venue I think you need to go with what you want and now what FMIL wants.

Fingers crossed you get it sorted out hun x

I'm really lucky in that I really get on with my FMIL, she is brilliant.

Had quite a difficult discussion with my mam at the weekend though. In case I haven't said she is severely disabled now, she has a progressive neurological condition (as yet undiagnosed) that started 7 years ago. I took the opportunity at the weekend to do wedding stuff as the OH was in Germany on a stag do - we went to my first dress appointment on Saturday afternoon together with my chief BM and her mum. Then yesterday we went to a wedding fair. This all must have been too much for my mam as she got really upset when we got home and when we talked about it she said she wishes she could help me more and it is really getting her down. I just tried to cheer her up by saying that she is helping! There are more ways to help a bride than physical stuff like making decorations etc. I value her opinions especially on things like dresses as I normally hate shopping and struggle to see if I look good in something.

On the plus side, I thought I would hate dress shopping but actually loved it! Didn't see 'the one' yet but I think it is a bit early. It's amazing how you think a style will/won't suit you then you try it on in the flesh and it's totally different. I thought I would look best in quite a big princessy dress or at least A line but it was the slinkier more fitted numbers that my mam etc thought looked better. I will flash if anyone's interested when I get time.

Has anyone else been to a wedding fair yet? The one we went to on Sunday was a nightmare, I hated it! It was far too cramped and especially with my mam in her wheelchair it felt claustrophobic and I just felt stressed and bombarded. I expected to get free stuff but just got give loads of leaflets and business cards. What's the point? I can bloody well use google!

I've been to a few and I'm not sure I'll bother going to any more to be honest. I don't feel like I got any new ideas from any of them, like you say it's just loads of cards & flyers. Especially for us we're pretty sure who is doing our cake/photos/DJ, so the majority of the stands were no use to us. But even if we didn't have those things sorted, I find hitched or just googling to be much less stress!

Edit: I don't know why the text is so huge! Sorry!

21st Aug 2016 for me x

Oh OK then! Conclusions of my first dress experience: I like trains, I hate veils on principle but in practice I confess I did like it when the woman made me wear one (the shame!), I don't suit and no longer like princess dresses (though I like the bodice on this one just the skirt was too big and gypsy), I suit V neck and I like sparkly sashes. What do you think? Or have I got it totally wrong. As I said I normally hate shopping!

Here is one with a high neck, I like the main dress but not sure of the embellished neck bit:

Here are the V neck dresses:

And here are the two strapless ones I tried, the second is the more 'princessy' one, there is one of the back and one of the front:

I think the first one wit the high neck or the second strapless one look lovely on you x

I know its easier said than done. My FIL's have give us money to help towards the wedding, I see it as a gift, that we can spend it on what we want. You wouldnt expect someone to give you money for your birthday then tell you what you can and cant spend it on. You should have just paid the deposit and then showed her what you have "booked" te he he. My in laws are going to see our venue once the marquee is up and our deposit has been well and truly paid, if they dont like it (and im sure the FMIL will have something to complain about but tough!)

Well dont settle and be disappointed with your venue, it should be your and H2B choice. Yeah its not easy to ignore, im lucky me and my OH are of the same opinion, if people dont like what we want to do, regardless of who it is its just tough

.

OH MY GOD!!!! PANIC....te he he only kidding

❤️ ? that sentence has just made my Monday, how quick is it going by already

I-go-by-many-names

That rubbish about your mum feeling down about it, but I know what you mean, my mums not in the best of health either so I ask her to come dress shopping and other little things like that and ask her opinion on things, anywhere I can drive and park outside suits her best, it's not easy or ideal, but there is no way she could have come round a wedding fayre with me, but as you say there are plenty of other ways to help.

I've been to 2 wedding fayres, one was well better than the other. The first one was so overwhelming though so many people talking to you and asking you stuff, luckily my MOH/best friend was there to field some of the questions, she was a great help. One good thing was seeing some of the items in person, and the fashion show.

I've looked at the dress pics you posted and ill comment on them separetly in a min

I'm struggling to rein myself in. I've got 2 years to go but am just so excited I can't stop organising little bits and pieces. Think my head will explode lol !

Mrsspence2016 - Have added you now, welcome have you got much planned yet?

IGBMN - I agree with Jen on the two favourites, I also think the first one with the higher neck is really nice on you To be honest though they all look great!

Shelly - I think we are all the same! It's hard to hold back, especially when you know what you want! But it'll come around soon enough

IGBN - first dress is my favourite (I could see myself in something like that!!)

No real planning going on here - off to meet the Vicar tomorrow to discuss having our church wedding!!

I've been to 3 wedding fairs, 2 I hated, one I made a provisional booking on the venue before I'd even gone home

Hi all

Im a 2015 bride (May 16th) but if anyone has a cadbury purple the,me I will most prob be selling things after our day. If anyone is interested let me know

Thanks

Sarah

Hey guys

Just wondering when you are going to be sending out your invites and how far in advance your rsvp will be?

For example as soon as you pay the deposit on my venue they want a guest list estimate so if I'm booking a year in advance, when do you ask people to reply for a 2016 wedding? I'm so confused!!!

Any help will be much appreciated!!

Hi the venue tends to just want a rough estimate on guests final numbers are usual 4 to 8 weeks before the wedding. I'd say send save the dates about 9 to 12 months before the wedding and then proper invites 4 to 6 months gives you plent of time to get your ts ps in and it's not to early that guests will lose the invite. Hope that helps xx

*rsvp's even not got a clue what "ts ps" are hahaha xx

Hi Leanne1811

Thanks that what I needed to know. Didn't want to send them out too early and like you said, have people lose them or even worse, forget!

Thanks once again xx

No worries gives us plenty of time to get designing and making them ?? xx

God I hadn't even given invitations a thought. I don't think we will send STDs as we are telling/have already told the most important people when it is anyway and I kind of see it as a waste of money/time/effort when you're sending invites out too.

Well I did say I'm struggling to hold back as I'm 2 years away yet but so far the ceremony and reception are booked, my dress, tiara, shoes and jewellery are bought and yesterday I got the invitations back from the printers. Still waiting for our personalised napkins and have started a box of bits and pieces to decorate our venue. Am loving every minute of organising our special day :-D

That's impressive, I don't think my OH would let me get carried away this early. I'm just using Hitched as my fix LOL. We have booked the venue and registrar as I bugged my OH since our engagement saying 'if we don't book early, someone else will swoop in before us' and we are getting married on a Saturday in summer. Sure enough when we found our venue we didn't have that big a choice on dates during that period so people do actually get in very early indeed.

Got something that may make you laugh, hang on, will take some pics for a flash...

I work in a school and as part of a 'rites of passage' project we asked our students to create a collage representing a rite of passage in their life, so e.g. their christening, important birthday, their future wedding day etc. Loads of the girls unsurprisingly chose their wedding day.

I decided as a joke to bring one home to show the OH, who says I am getting too carried away with wedding planning and seems to view me as a bit of a bridezilla, and pretend I made it. It helped that when he came in last night he had been out after work for a few drinks so was probably a bit more gullible. Sure enough when I showed him it he fell for it and thought I had made it! Took him a good couple of minutes to realise the date on the front was wrong and in fact it was made by a child, LOL.

Flashes below, sorry for the nana carpet, we bought a 'project' house and haven't got rid of them yet...

HI everyone, i thought id posted yesterday but must not have clicked post! Anyways...i have an official date so can someone please change mine to 23rd june 2016 And complete change of plan im getting married in cyprus!! Basically my nan lives in Paphos Cyprus so my OH said a while ago he would love to get married abroad and my nan would be able to help us...but i said no because i thought all the important friends and family wouldn't be able to make it. Turns out they can!!!! So after doing loads of research and speaking to my nan i found the perfect venue which is a new 5* hotel in paphos, its due to finish being built next month. I love it, we will be having the ceremony and reception at the hotel. Ive been emailing the wedding planner for the hotel and she's booked my ceremony date and time in with the town hall then my nans going to meet her on the 31st at the new hotel to answer any questions, take a million photos and pay deposit. Im so excited!!! It actually feels real now..i will try do a flash of the hotel in a min, bear in mind some arnt proper photos with it not being completely finished yet ....sorry if the pics are massive!

Any other 2016 abroad brides?

xx

Hope everyones weekend is going well. I had a lovely meeting this morning with 2 lovely ladies about my bouquet and venue decorations and they give me some good advice and direction on where to go with things, so i've got a better idea of invitations and things like that now. Super excited. Got to say I am dreading getting the mock-up photos and things we talked about and the prices, but i'm not tied into anything so that's good. So house to myself today/tonight so now ive got direction i'll be looking at invitations ?

I-go-by-many-names Te he he, when I went to the last page of this thread, it just opened up on your pictures, i thought you had lost the plot until I read the text before it. te he he ?

Thanks for sharing the pictures ... love them! I found that people were booking venues early too and having found the perfect venue for us I didn't want to let it go. Once we booked it the rest just seemed to happen but at least we've worked out our budget now we know all the details and the best bit is we have 2 years to save without worrying about the cost x

I want to plan everything now! haha I think for now im just gonna re-price everything up again seen as though its now in Cyprus all the prices will be different to the UK. Seen as though im doing it abroad when does everyone think i should send invites?

x

I have been to a wedding fair today and so many of the brides are getting married in 2016. I've been booked for June 4th! It's never too early to be organised. How are you all getting along?

12th August 2016 - happy planning everyone