So 2013 is here and I can hardly believe that Simon and I are now able to say that we are getting married this year! It’s all going crazily fast.
Shortly before Christmas, I went wedding dress shopping with my Mum and my best friend, Laura. I was very lucky to get a last minute appointment at Proposals in Chichester. I wasn’t sure what I wanted for my wedding dress, but as I have seen so many dresses at all the weddings we’ve worked on I did know that I wanted something very different.
I have to admit I had hesitations about whether I would find a dress to suit my non-traditional wedding. However, I was pleasantly surprised that after trying on about eight different dresses in Proposals, I found myself wearing the perfect one.
I was tempted to just put it aside and wait until the new year, but I decided to take on board all the advice I have been given over the years and snap it up straightaway. I’ve heard too many horror stories about brides going around in circles, umming and aahing over the first dress they tried on, when they should have just stuck with their original choice.
Credits: 1. Rock n Roll Bride; 2. Fur Coat No Knickers; 3. Ian Stuart; 4. Oh My Honey
So with my dress now purchased, we actually have quite a long list of achievements to date: the venue is booked, the save the dates have been printed, we’ve received our quote for the catering and the generators, electricians and security are all booked.
We are extremely lucky to work for an incredible events company that we know will deliver excellence when it comes to feeding our guests – although we could actually turn out to be the trickiest client they’ve ever had! In keeping with the theme of carnivals and festivals we decided not to have a formal sit down meal, but instead have food stalls offering hand held favourites that our guests can keep munching on whenever they get peckish.
I alluded to the fact that all this wedding madness has given rise to one or two ‘Bridezilla Moments’ since our engagement last year. It’s the kind of thing you think will never happen to you and then suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a meltdown about some tiny detail or other.
My problem is that I am a self-confessed perfectionist with a healthy dose of being a control freak. Throw into the mix a splash of DIY obsession and what you have on your hands is a bride-to-be with an inability to let things go! Whether that is delegating some decisions to Simon or admitting that I don’t need to do everything myself to ensure it is perfect, this wedding planning is certainly turning out to be a learning curve!
Most importantly, I need to learn how to take up the incredible offers of help from my family, friends and work colleagues. I am eternally grateful for all the support, kindness and patience everyone has shown Simon and me.