So, I just realised this will be my 500th post and it just happens to coincide with a rather large event in my life!!! For those of you who remember my very first post, I'm the lady who has been planning her wedding as a gift to her h2b for his 50th birthday. For those of you who weren't around or never read it - here's the story. Warning - this may be a long post!!!
Just over 18 months ago, my h2b proposed to me in a restaurant where I was with my family celebrating my 40th birthday. It was completely unexpected and a wonderful surprise - it can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZksyT8DL7g
However, the proposal came with a proviso - we wouldn't be able to get married for quite some time as we wouldn't be able to afford it, and he hoped I could just enjoy being engaged and know that the promise was there. While I loved the idea of being engaged, what woman doesn't want that to lead to a wedding???
I understood the problem of course! We are both on our second time round and we have seven children between us. While some of them are off our hands, many of them aren't and financially, we are responsible for them and will be for at least 10 years more. Added to that, I don't work at present as I'm studying for my degree in psychology. While I could get a job, it wouldn't make us any better off at present so we decided a while ago that it was more important that I get that darn degree and then get a much better job at the end of it. It also allows me to be at home for my youngest child when he gets home from school which I admit, I love ?
So, naturally, all my friends wanted to see the ring and talk weddings with me! I explained and a really lovely friend came up with a suggestion - that a wedding doesn't have to cost thousands! Well, of course it doesn't!!! My friend suggested that with a little help, we could have a budget wedding that would be everything I ever wanted and she offered immediately to help out with the buffet for the evening reception. Another friend then suggested she could do the flowers and help with the decorating. Yet another friend said she would love to help with centrepieces and then I found my dress - online, preloved, just £100.
So, I thought and thought and thought. I talked to my family. I talked to my OH's family. I talked to my friends and I talked to his friends. I even talked to people I'd never met on my psychology course!!! I know my OH and I know how much he worries about finances, but could I pull it off? Could I set a budget of £2000, save it up and pay it all myself without him knowing? The original plan was to save every penny possible and then give him the pot and show him that it could be done BUT then another suggestion was put forward - why not just plan it and then tell him it was done? How about doing it for his birthday? After all, he surprised me on my 40th? Why not surprise him for his 50th???? Everyone loved the idea! My future in-laws all thought it was great which reassured me, after all - who knows him better (apart from me of course!). He does love a surprise and he does want to marry me - this could be either a great romantic gesture or a great disaster ?
Then another occurrence that really helped me along - a legacy from my great-uncle of £500 and the request to do a bit of babysitting for my sister for which she'd give me £10 a day - all of which I could add to the pot. I rang around a few venues and got some rather large quotes. Then I rang my favourite venue - the place I really, really wanted to get married. We had talked about this a few times and OH had always said that it was entirely up to me. £600 - just for the ceremony. But that's all I wanted! Maybe I could do this!!! Did they have our date? Yes. Could we have the time I wanted? yes. It seemed like fate! I booked the venue. Then I found our reception venue (which will be held a few days later as OH's birthday is on a monday during a school term) which only charges for the staff, not the use of the room:
Danson House, our ceremony venue
Then I got in touch with the woman on facebook who had my dress for sale an it was still available so I went to try it on - I cried, my mum cried and it needs only a small amount of alterations so I bought it:
I already knew I wanted my daughter and my two nieces as my bridesmaid and my flower girls and their dresses have cost me a mahoosive £39.50 in total!!! Would you believe it??? No pictures I'm afraid as I don't have them here but they will look gorgeous! My friend is a trained hairdresser so I can have the hairstyle I desire:
and I'm having a make up trial with a lady who is just completing her portfolio so has offered to charge me just £40 for the trial and no further costs. We have yet to choose a photographer because this is one of the things I think we should do together.
my jewellery will be made by my daughter and the bridesmaids jewellery is being made by yet another friend - i love my wonderful pals!!!
I found a cake maker who can make my cake egg-free at a great price of £150:
with celtic knots instead of the dots and a personalised topper
As I said, my friend is doing all my flowers for me so I don't yet know what they will look like - but in her words, they will be the best wedding flowers ever!!! However, I do know the little girls are having wands:
I have made a start on our invitations, designed and ready to go as soon as he knows:
So. The plans are in full swing but I now come to the point where we have to do some things together. I can't and won't choose our music or readings without him and I can't go to the registry office on my own and do our notice of intention. So then the next plan came into play - how and when to tell him. I asked him in january if he would leave all arrangements for his birthday to me and he asked me then, would he find out before the day itself - I told him that yes he would and he was happy with that. 3 weeks ago, he asked me again when he would find out so I promised I would tell him this coming Friday - why then he asked? Think about it says I - just in case you haven't worked it out either - Valentine's Day - what could be more romantic right??? In the meantime he's completely forgotten of course!!!!
So, now I have just two days before I tell him and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous but I am confident that he will be excited once he gets over the shock, especially once I show him just how little it all has to cost ?. We do have a sneaking suspicion he might have picked up some clues along the way!! So, I'm asking all you lovely hitchers to wish me luck and to keep your fingers crossed for me please xxx
I asked, he said yes!!!!!!!!!!! I'm getting married ?
