****2017 Brides****Currently 166 Brides and 1 Groom****

Positive note - we are tasting cakes this week ??

Ooo cake tasting - yum!

Meet with the other photog and go from there as you say - you need to gel with them if you're giving them money

I'd like to say don't just throw something on the Credit Card but, um, that's like all I do lmao

xx

Aww scan photos! It's such an exciting time. Fingers crossed you can get in your dress or they can make it more accommodating.

I think with photographer if you're not bothered about two photographers stick with the one you have if you like him. If he's good you've got a great deal with or without the second shooter.

I've booked my first dress fitting. 24 days of diet and excersise left. I'm really focused on this and I'm having pizza and ice cream for dinner because I let my son choose what we eat!

We've also booked our final meeting with the venue at the end of next month. We're getting married 11 weeks tomorrow, how did that happen?

The only problem we have is the company we were hiring our love letters from have vanished off the face of the earth but I'm not fussed and I've not lost much money, not anywhere near enough for me to bother chasing them back, not worth the hassle. OH says it's worth paying the money to not have the letters but he's a grump.

Well, fiance's family played a couple of blinders this week. Way back in Jan 2015 when we got engaged, we asked FIL to take pics of our dog to do the invites. He's a very keen amateur photographer. It took till August to get him to take the pics . . . . he mentioned in passing LAST WEEK that they were 'no good'. Thank God I was lucky enough to win ssome gorgeous in a competition. In the same meeting MIL casually tosses in ' we were thinking of having a birthday party for (our 2 year old nephew) at your wedding reception. That will be alright won't it?' I kind of wish I'd been there to see OH's face. He thinks he politely declined, but he definitely declined! They've been full of 'anything you want', 'anything we can do to help' since we got engaged but have consistently failed to deliver anything that we've asked for. It took 6 months to get a copy of their wedding pic so I can put it out on a display.

I'm just going to leave this little tease of our invites here... I might post some more later if you're all good!

Mr_P x

It's been a while since I last posted, so thought I should pop in and say hi! I hope everyone's planning is coming along nicely - I see we've already had our first few weddings of the year!

2016 was a very busy year - we bought our first house together in April, which is a huge step. I was temping at the start of the year, and that turned into a permanent role in March - it's a load more responsibility, but it was nice pay rise (which went straight into the wedding fund) and it's great having that extra job security. H2B got himself a promotion as well in August, so it's been a pretty great year all round.

This has meant that wedding planning got put on the back-burner, and we've decided to re-schedule the wedding to May 2018. So with that, I need to be struck off the list for 2017. I will continue to lurk, and I wish you all the best for your weddings this year!

MrsQ, I didn't pay by credit card it was a bank transfer annoyingly.

MrP those invitations look lovely so far ☺

Jess - good luck with your 2018 wedding plans.

We've decided to do our own sweet buffet in the end after pricing up some carts it was just too much. We were paying more for the cart which I don't care about than the sweets which I do.

Our next job is our card box which we've agreed we will make in steps over several nights. We're doing the companion cube box and neither of us are especially crafty. I can't remember who else was planning one but have you done it yet and was it easy enough?

I'm also trying to work out seating plans as the RSVPs come in. Our venue has 1-2 tables (depending on how many we need that are tucked out back and honestly if I went to a wedding and got sat there I'd feel on the reject table! I'm lucky that we don't have any situations where X can't sit next to Y but finding the right balance is a bit difficult.

I'm enjoying wedding planning at the minute. I feel that I'm trying to fit work, gym, parenting, my increasingly sick mother and then other family members, friends and day to day life in that everything is so difficult and I'm dropping balls everywhere. Wedding planning is something to look forward to at the minute because it just doesn't get enough time. I hope my make up artist has some extra strength concealer for the dark circles that will be under my eyes at the wedding!

Mr_P... I have a little (massive) bit of invite envy going on here- they are stunning- I need to see more!!

I'm having a week off work, which of course means WEDMIN.... so far we have been to the very last wedding fair at our venue before our big day- a pointless exercise really but it gave us another chance to look round and fix in our heads what was going where. H2B was particularly keen to check out the bar prices and sample the cider on offer...!!

From a DIY point of view, I've sorted out who is sitting where and started making the table plan, have made a couple of 'signs' for the day and I've also booked my hair and make up trial and updated all my numerous spreadsheets.

Tomorrow my Mum and I are going to shop for her accessories, then on Wednesday it's my birthday so H2B and I are off to buy our wedding gifts to each other- both of us had the same idea to buy a painting from a particular artist we both love....we managed to let slip to each other what we were thinking, so we are going together to choose our paintings!

Thursday himself is off for his first suit fitting and on Friday I'm going with my Matron of Honour to have her first fitting for her dress.

It's all been a bit non stop this week, but I feel like I've achieved loads ?

I'm making a Companion Cube card box. We're doing it by building a box first using stiff card and a net template. Then we're decoupaging the design on top to give the 3D effect. It's reasonably easy. You can find loads of tutorials online on places like YouTube and Instructables.

MadamRed and Slink I now REALLY want a companion cube card box!! Can't wait to see photos.

Go on the 2BMrsC.... here's another couple...

Where did you guys buy your invitations from? I wanted some to match my colour scheme (yellow & grey) but that's proving to be impossible!

Now I just want to find nice ones that I can order quickly!

Those are lovely Mr P! Slink you sound so positive - I hope the wedding planning is a good happy place for you. It's almost a refuge from the real world isn't it? xx

DreamsComeTrue2015 -

We got ours designed and printed by https://www.graystarling.com/ - a Leeds based designer of wedding stationary but she must do mail order as she has en Etsy page I think?

Oh Mr_P.... I think we may have been separated at birth... I so wanted to have 'enthusiastically decline' and 'Regretfully accept' as options on our RSVP's! Sadly I was over ruled ?

Love your invites eveb more now!!

Mr P I love the rsvp options! I wish I'd thought of that. And I love the A to Z, what a great idea. Did you do the whole alphabet? What on earth could you do for X?!

Just tried to have a little catch up

Mr_P I love those invitations! They look brill

Everyone seems to be getting along nicely here with their plans!

I've just about recovered from my Hen Weekend now, had a great time.

Went to turtle bay with my BMs on Friday night and my Sister insisted we attempt to drink our way through the cocktail menu. We managed 4 each lol

Saturday we went to the Spa for the day and I had a Hot Stone massage, environ facial and a manicure. The massage was perfect! So relaxing. The facial was weird as it used probes to zap your skin. It was tingly but I have to admit, my skin is lovely and smooth now!

The Spa let us bring our own food and then set it all up for us to have some lunch and they even provided prosecco. It was brilliant - will definitely go there again

On the night, we went to TGI Friday's where we had a meal and even more cocktails! I had 2 frozen Pina Coladas, 1 Pina Colada "on the rocks" and 2 woo woos before we moved onto our next location where my BMs had booked the "VIP area"

It was hilarious. A Restaurant by day and a "bar" by night with a DJ who thought he was playing Ibiza haha the place was deserted though, which was great for me as it meant we could have a chill when we wanted and then dance if we pleased. Had a double vodka red bull while there but then had to stop drinking before I passed out!

Overall, it was a great weekend

Great invites Mr P!

Stephisaur - glad you had a great hen do - not long now!

Mr_P I love your invites, the alphabet is great!

Sounds like you had a great hen do Stephisaur, but under a month to mine now and I'm worrying what's in store :p

I'm sure it will be fine Miss_Conduct!

Just don't let people bully you I should have said "no" when my Sister made me mix cocktails on Friday ?

Although, jokes on her. I'm 25 and still blessed with recovering from a night out quite quickly. She's 36 so... yeah ?

Mr_P thanks! I'm looking on their website and feeling hopeful!

I looked at etsy but you needed to print them at home and that just confused me! I'm getting really worried about them now. I've ordered none and we really wanted them to go out at the start of March - to give people lots of time to reply. We also want to put menu cards in.

Wish I'd just sent out an email now haha!

We had our final details meeting and menu-tasting yesterday. We've settled on broccoli and stilton soup for starter, chicken wellington with mushroom sauce accompanied by potato dauphinoise and fresh vegetables for main, and then raspberry meringue for dessert. Vegetarians are have a vegetable filo basket for main, and our solitary vegan is having melon with Cointreau-marinated strawberries to start, roasted vegetable casserole main, and vegan chocolate brownie for dessert.

We weren't going to have canapes but, after talking through timings and considering the venue is so far away from where most of our guests live, we've decided to add them to the list. We're having vegetable dim sum, chicken satay skewers, and sticky pork belly squares, with a separate vegan option.

I need some help from you girls. I'm backing up all of the files I might need on the day of the wedding onto my laptop, in case anyone leaves anything at home or there's problems with any of the suppliers. Can you think of anything I need to add to the list?

Contracts

Florist

Venue

DJ

Lion Dance

Photographer

Videographer

Other documents/files

Vows

Readings

Speeches

Wedding insurance

Music (before ceremony, processional, recessional)

Contact details for all of the suppliers (including hotels and taxi companies)

List of posed photos for photographer

Got our cake booked - Yay! Getting something off the list feels good

Still have our photographer issue, meeting a few this week so fingers crossed we get somewhere - I have gotten over the second shooter issue now my bridezilla in me is thinking 'when is she due on.. my wedding day?, are you going to abandon us, do you have a replacement in case of emergency??' I am going to have to send them an email to check these things and then hopefully come to a decision!

The 6 month mark is creeping closer too quickly!

I think you've got most of it covered there MadamRed!

What are you doing in terms of transporting things like the favours/gifts/rings etc?

Your menu sounds very nice - we saw our venue co-ord on Sunday and she told us there was a new canapé menu so we've chosen completely new ones haha

I also had my new passport (in my married name!!) arrive the other week which is REALLY weird lol

I'm mostly living for the Honeymoon at the moment - I'm so excited!

X

I'm staying over at the venue the night before, so we're going to take centrepieces, favours etc up there in the cars and then set up after dinner.

Yes we get married on the Sunday and fly on the Tuesday morning!

I'm so excited to change my name haha but it will take some getting used to!

Also I can now say my Wedding is next month. WTAF. I'm not ready for this lmao

That's so exciting!! It's going to fly by so fast! Have you much left to do?

Madam Red you are a genius- I hadn't even thought about having contracts and contacts and lists at the venue on the day- am now in the process of printing ro copying everything to put in a folder to take with me!!

Stephisaurus... WOW! Next month!! I'm itching for ours to get here (ten and a half weeks for us!) but I'm sure once I get to the 'next month' stage I'll be panicking too!! Have you got much more to do?

We've mostly got last minute bits and bobs left.

I need to finish my comic book roses and we need to sort out getting menu choices and numbers to the venue.

Nothing major, but it's quite a long list of little things haha

Time's passing almost too quickly for me! I'm 3 1/2 months away, & I think I'm going to miss the planning once it's over - bar a few little frustrations I've really enjoyed the whole process. I'll have to tout my services on here once I'm an OM to see if anyone needs help with anything! ?

I'm like you Chapples - really enjoyed the whole thing! I could really do this for a job I think! The only thing that has really stressed me a little is how slow my best man has been in organising the stag do, but that's all in hand now!

We have food tasting next weekend - our menu is very simple so won't take long. Just a case of agreeing the canapes really. Then the following weekend we're off to Escrick Park for Papakata's open day where we're meeting with the lady that'll be running our day with regards the tipi's and layouts etc.

Think I'm buying the booze from Majestic Wines Calais - 1/2 the price of buying in the UK and an excuse to go to France for the day!

Just back to invites - ours went out about two weeks ago and we had a flurry of replies (mainly positive, which is a good start!) but now it's gone quiet with whole groups not responding! Did other people find this? How long before we start chasing?

The OH is off to Country Baskets tonight, no doubt the budget will be blown... AGAIN!

Love the idea of a wedding binder, bringing together all the contracts and contacts etc - think that'll be this weekends chore....

Bye for now ladies - always fun catching up with all your plans!

Mr_P x

What was your RSVP date Mr_P?

Ours was end of January and we're still getting a few in dribs and drabs. We left chasing until 2 weeks after the RSVP date.

We've verbally confirmed now with all the day guests and we're taking educated guesses on the evening guests.

Family? Probably coming

Friends we haven't seen in a while? Probably not.

X