Marquee Decoration

In Loughborough, when visiting Nick and Louise, we girls got to go off for a wander, and we found on a market a lovely stall with all manner of beautiful weddingy things. I bought two lilac butterfly mobiles with glimmering stones and gems which can hang at the doorway, and an ivory photo holder like a tree heart on which I'm going to put photos of me and Steve growing up. Maybe!!

I still need to work out my message tree too, so looking out for something I can use there! ooh, and mini pegs :)

Invitations Invited!!

They're done! Hurray!

And all envelopes are stuffed and ready to go.

I've given out Joe's, and Samira's and the girls at works.

Mum's going to hand deliver a bundle of Biggin's to Aunty Joan to take to King Street Church, and Nick and Louise can have theirs on Saturday.

Finally, I can start to relax and hope folk can't make it!

The Cake Stand

Well, I had a bit of a vision, of 15 matching cream lace cake stands, all processing into the reception piled high with fruit cake and fairy cakes, and jam and cream scones.

I don't think this will happen now.

Pretty much, before Christmas I found these:

And at £9.99 each, it was more feasable to purchase 15 at a cost of £150 to then use for one day, and sell on Ebay afterwards to maybe even make a profit.

Anywho, they've gone up to £15.00 since then (not including VAT) which means I can't likely afford them, and more to the point, the website I found them on called 'verynice2.com' has some dreadful reviews of folk having paid, the money going through, and no products being sent. It seems that the website has gone under, and when I called them (before having seen this site) there is a huge phone network of dial this for these and lots of different voices, but no-one actually there to speak to.

Waaay to risky. So now we're going to wait until a month before, and email the family and the church and as I have a stand, I'm sure we can borrow 14 more of folk. For free! They won't match, but I don't think it'll matter. It's more the look of the stands, laden with cakey goodness that I'm after.

More trials and torment in the wedding planning!

Happy Invite Workers

And another fun filled afternoon of sticking invitiations... Here's Dad and Amy working hard,

Say cheese!!!

And here they are all laid out to dry overnight in the conservatory! Impressive, non?!

Ooh, pretty!

What do we think of this to go on my sash? I think the shapes will go with the headband:

And only £15. Hmmm. Glitzy secrets have a lovely one with a pendant, but for £35!!

But I think the sharper points of the first one would complement the headband a bit better.

Dress Fitting News

Mum and I headed off to meet the dress fitter we'd found, and it was brilliant!

I put my dress on, and showed her how I could twist myself underneath it without it moving, and with a deft movement, I had pins in my shoulders and round my middle, and suddenly, i could see that I went in in the middle! Hurray!

She also turned up the hem an inch, which I think helped show a bit more leg, but not detract from the rest of it.

I was most pleased, and even felt a bit emotional at how perfect my dress is for me! I can't wait for my sash to arrive to try it on together. She's told me to come back in two weeks as she's tacking it before stitching it, so wants to trial it on me first. Mustn't gain or lose any weight now!

I'm so pleased and happy.

Ooh, plus, the earrings came and I fixed them to my shoes, and they look brilliant! Just right! I am really chuffed with them. I'm now looking at buying a brooch for my sash, and with glitz on my headband, waist and feet, think that'll be enough!

I also have brought my bra now, an ultimo plunge one, so will take that to try on with the dress next time.

I love, love, love it!

Shoe Clips

I've finally got some crystal earrings to clip onto my shoes with:I think they'll be big enough to be seen, and the right colour and tone and at £6, even if they're not, it doesn't matter too much!

More Paper - Quick!

Another dash to Nottingham to get invite supplies. I totally over bought, but I guess we'll find uses for it elsewhere, but it needs to get done, and couldn't be doing with another Hobbycraft trip. Another £40 gone - eek.

Oh well. Next items on the agenda are 6 more frames and 15 cake stands. Ho hum.

Finishing off the invites this Saturday.

Did I tell you about my envelopes? The perfect blackcurrent shade of pearlescant, which are 55p each from hobbycraft (which would have worked out at £44 from there for 80), I found on Ebay for £8 for 100. Yes, you read that correctly, £8 for 100! Bargain of the wedding thus far!

And...... we're in!

As of Thursday 21st January, I have a wedding dress fitting!

Hurray!

A slight shortening and tightening, and Bob's your uncle.

Or something like that! I'm excited. Can you tell?

Dressmaker, dressmaker, fix me a dress

Woo hoo, I have seven whole numbers for local seamstresses who do fittings so I shall be calling around for appointments.

I have decided that I would like it to be about two inches shorter, I am only a petite girly and I want to show a bit more leg off, and tighter at the waist and shoulders. The length can be done any time from now, but the waist I will wait for until April I reckon.

At least the bridesmaids are perfect.

I ordered a sash the other day to try with it as well. And I may change the ribbon on the petticoat as I have the perfect colour and the one on it at the moment is a little dark I feel, but I can do that part myself by hand. I'd like to think I've put some work into my own dress :)

My Hen Do Dress

This is the dress I've bought to wear to Warwick Castle. Isn't it beautiful! I can't wait to wear it. Despite the shock at costs and posting and shipping. These things are worth it! =D

Invite Making Day Part II

Well, we got 80 made but haven't quite finished them. We have run out of blackcurrent paper so i'll have to go to Nottingham for some more, and the inside paper, (my maths didn't quite add up! Oh well) but on the whole, the main printing and gluing is done.

I have some pictures to add to show the process at some point.

Here's Dad with his guillotine, choppping away to tremendous accuracy!

And the outer of the invites, all lovely and printed!

The inside, with our monogram, and a faint lavender butterfly on the inside.

Here's 80, all tri-folded and weighed down by my two punches!

and Dad has cut out the card to stick on the front here, very precisely done!

And these are the inserts to go in the middle. I love the font, I love the colours and everything about them :)

Hopefully this weekend we can complete the rest of them.

Waist Sash

I've bought a sash in the same fabric as Sarah and Amy's dresses just to try out. I feel it'll give me more of a middle, so I'm looking forward to that arriving.

MKM bridal have been so helpful.

Although, they can't do a bolero for Amy, but she doesn't mind. I think she'll be ok with it as she'll have got back from Egypt and her tan will help her skin I'm sure.

I think coloured sashes are really 'in' at the moment, and I really like the look.

Bags Galore

I should also add that I bought the bridesmaid bags last week half price in the Monsoon sale. They're pewter silver in colour and gathered up with a pearl and crystal jewel thingy, and although they're a clutch, they also have a chain inside so can be slung over a shoulder if needs be.

So the bridesmaids are officially sorted now as they're doing their own shoes. Huzzah.

Invitiation Making Day

This Saturday we've decided we have to get on with making the invites as they have to go out next month!

So Mum is going to get going with printing the cards, and the new backing card is with her, all 125 sheets of it and I reckon we'll need about 85 invites making.

We're going to print peoples names inside the invites, and print labels to go on the envelopes all in the matching colour.

And last night I had a go at the table names and they are so perfect. The font is lovely, the colours match and the names are sorted. I was so happy I looked at them all through dinner. I just did two to be going on with, 'Love Actually' and 'Moulin Rouge'.
The tables names will be:

1 - Love Actually
2 - Moulin Rouge
3 - Shakespeare In Love
4 - Stardust
5 - Casablanca
6 - Gone With The Wind
7 - Amelie
8 - The Princess Bride
9 - An Affair To Remember
10 - Enchanted
11 - Chocolat
12 - Sleepless In Seattle
13 - Pride and Prejudice
14 - A Midsummer Night's Dream
15 - It's A Wonderful Life

Can't believe we need 15! It's adding immense expense! Ha ha!

Bridesmaids 3.....

The dresses arrived the week before Christmas and on getting them out of their parcel I was amazed at how gorgeous they were. The colours were amazing and the detailing on them was incredible. I was so happy with them, words can't express it.

Then on the 20th December, Sarah and Amy came over for Christmas dinner, and tried them on. And even though Mum and I had randomly added a few inches on Sarah's all over, and measured them ourselves, the fits were perfect and don't need any adjustments!

The headbands went perfectly, and it's all good! Hurray for internet shops! =D