Wow! I haven't posted since March! I didn't realise it had been anywhere near that long. Maybe a couple of months, but 6?! Crazy!
Anyway, it's funny, when I started this blog I thought it would be cool to share my experience of planning a wedding with people, but once I got started, I was torn between posting spoilers or not posting at all!
I suppose as I've done a fair amount of stuff now I can make a worth while post without giving too much away!
I've finally picked dresses, both my bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses for my girls. I'm very excited about having a bridal party! As well as 3 of my bestest friends, I've also asked my too younger cousins to take part as juniour bridesmaids, and after some concern about my sister (who's currently living in Sweden) and her family possibly not being able to make it to the wedding, we've now got the word that they can come! Which means I will get to have my youngest neice, Gillian, be my flower girl. She'll look so cute!
I was hoping to have the wedding ceremony outside by the lake in Canberra, but for a number of reasons it didn't work out (mainly the dragon boat races hapeening the same day as the wedding and booking all the nice spots for a wedding!) so Shane and I decided to take the wedding to the coast instead.
We haven't decided where the ceremony will be yet. We've had a bit of a look around but weren't sold 100% on anything, so for anyone out there who's had or been to a wedding in the BatemansBay area, or anywhere within a 25 minute drive of there, I'd love to hear from you about the place you went and what you thought of it!
We're having our reception at a restaurant can't Briar's Restaurant, which is run by the Comfort Inn, just left of the main roundabout taking you into the Bay. It's really lovely! The restaurant looks out onto a lake with a little gazebo on it. Great for photos! And it just looks like a very nice, tranquil place. Perfect setting for a wedding!
We've decided on a theme, and as most of you have probably heard from me already, we've gone with fantasy, though knowing us it will probably have a bit of a twist! Those things we'll save for the day though!
I've been doing a cake decorating class which just finished last week. I'm hoping my grandma will help with the cake (she's done previous family wedding cake) but I haven't actually asked yet. Must put that on the to do list! I'm positive she will say yes though, and it's going to be the most wonderful cake ever! I've also been busying myself with flower arranging as I'd like to do my own flowers for the wedding, and as such I've recently purchased some silk flowers for my own bouquet!
So now it's on to invitations, place settings, decorations and all that sort of stuff! It's all very exciting, the only problem is it's a bit tricky trying to get everyone together (like mum, almost mum, bridesmaids etc) to look into and help out with things, but I guess that's all part and parcle of the bridal process!
Until next time!
Bel
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Dresses and more dresses
It's been another busy week here, mostly over run by housing loan stuff, but when that wasn't happening, last weekend, I got a chance to do some wedding preparation!
I went bridesmaid dress shopping on Saturday with one of my bridesmaids Mel and it was heaps of fun! We tried out a boutique in Queanbeyan, Nouveau Riche, which I really wasn't that impressed with. It was a very impressive looking boutique and no doubt way over priced, but we got absolutely no services. No one even came to say hello to us, even though they were standing right there when we walked in. So we stood around for a little while waiting and then figured we'd have a look at dresses on our own. There was nothing all that interesting so we headed out to place called Affordable Bridal in Gundaroo. We didn't realise until we got there that it's by appointment only, but the lady happened to have a 2pm appointment with another girl, so she let us in to have a look around and to try on bridesmaid dresses. We just weren't able to try bridal gowns, but that's not what we wanted to do anyway.
We found some gorgeous dresses by Mr. K that I really liked and I think Mel looked gorgeous in them! But I've had a bit of a look around on the web as well for some similar styles and found some really nice dresses.
I think they're all really gorgeous, and some wonderful colours. But my particular favourites are these next ones.
The pink one I think is gorgeous, and if I could get in a different colour would work fantastically! I love the beading on the purple one as well, and when Mel and I both saw it in the Affordable Bridal shop, it was a favourite for us both!
Would love comments on what people think of the different dresses, particularly my bridesmaids if you feel like dropping a line! Also any suggestions on colour. I'm thinking maybe shades of purple, though originally I'd been thinking red, so they're quite different!
I went bridesmaid dress shopping on Saturday with one of my bridesmaids Mel and it was heaps of fun! We tried out a boutique in Queanbeyan, Nouveau Riche, which I really wasn't that impressed with. It was a very impressive looking boutique and no doubt way over priced, but we got absolutely no services. No one even came to say hello to us, even though they were standing right there when we walked in. So we stood around for a little while waiting and then figured we'd have a look at dresses on our own. There was nothing all that interesting so we headed out to place called Affordable Bridal in Gundaroo. We didn't realise until we got there that it's by appointment only, but the lady happened to have a 2pm appointment with another girl, so she let us in to have a look around and to try on bridesmaid dresses. We just weren't able to try bridal gowns, but that's not what we wanted to do anyway.
We found some gorgeous dresses by Mr. K that I really liked and I think Mel looked gorgeous in them! But I've had a bit of a look around on the web as well for some similar styles and found some really nice dresses.
Would love comments on what people think of the different dresses, particularly my bridesmaids if you feel like dropping a line! Also any suggestions on colour. I'm thinking maybe shades of purple, though originally I'd been thinking red, so they're quite different!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Moving along!
Well, I've had a few weeks break from wedding preparations while Shane and I have been getting house stuff organised. We just bought a house! It's so exciting. Massive mortgage, but exciting all the same!
For those who are interested, here's a picture of the pretty house. We're exchanging contracts next week. So excited!
Now that the house hunting is over, it's back to the wedding planning. Yay!
Last Saturday, we had our engagement party, and one of my wonderful friends, Michelle, agreed to be the designated photographer for the evening, which was really great. You never get the chance to take photos at your own party!
For some it was a time to practice poses for facebook photos
For others it was a chance to get deep and meaningful with their discussions
But regardless we all had a whale of a time
My dad made a fantastic speach, where he compared Shane to a bunny rabbit. In context it's not really as bad as it sounds. I promise!
Then there was cake!
And we got made to pose for a kiss after it.
I tried so hard not to laugh, but I couldn't help it!
So, there's a quick overview of the engagement party. I've got lots more photos, so anyone who would like to see them, let me know! And a big thank you to everyone who came and helped to make the night so special for us both! And to both our parents who helped organise it all and threw a wonderful party for us. We love you!
Now it's back to looking at reception venues, and today we're off to visit a place called Grazing for lunch, to see what it's like.
Till next time.
For those who are interested, here's a picture of the pretty house. We're exchanging contracts next week. So excited!
Last Saturday, we had our engagement party, and one of my wonderful friends, Michelle, agreed to be the designated photographer for the evening, which was really great. You never get the chance to take photos at your own party!
But regardless we all had a whale of a time
and ate lots of cake
(my mum made that!!!)
My dad made a fantastic speach, where he compared Shane to a bunny rabbit. In context it's not really as bad as it sounds. I promise!
Then there was cake!
And we got made to pose for a kiss after it.
I tried so hard not to laugh, but I couldn't help it!
So, there's a quick overview of the engagement party. I've got lots more photos, so anyone who would like to see them, let me know! And a big thank you to everyone who came and helped to make the night so special for us both! And to both our parents who helped organise it all and threw a wonderful party for us. We love you!
Now it's back to looking at reception venues, and today we're off to visit a place called Grazing for lunch, to see what it's like.
Till next time.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
It's all about the dress
Yesterday, I had my first try on of wedding dresses. It was awesome! I had so much fun, and I'm pretty sure I found THE dress as well!
I went to Angelic Inpirations in Gold Creek Village and was blown away! The staff are so friendly, which I knew from previous visits for bridesmaid dresses for my sisters wedding, but not only are they friendly, they skill for picking dresses is just magic!
I've been looking and in magazines to get an idea of what was out there and everything I liked seemed to me that it just wouldn't suit my figure. But I took along my ideas anyway and when I told them my very favourite, they pulled out the dress they had closest to it and said they were sure it would suit. Low and behond, when I put it on, it was perfect! The only problem was, it was my second dress. The first I had seen on display at the bridal expo last weekend and also really loved it.
So the decision is now down to two. I thought I could check out some other shops and see if there was anything else, but to be honest, I think it's actually best not to have too many options. I've already got the two that I really love to choose between. If I went somewhere else it would be in the hopes to find something that I loved even more, that would win out over the other two, but I just don't think that's possible, which would mean I had three equally great dresses to choose from instead of only two! So I have decided to make my decision based on the location of the wedding ceremony and reception, and which would best suit the scenery. Which means I just have to make my mind up about that now!
Decision, decisions! There's so many of them to make! I am however very excited that this is one which has almost been made!
I went to Angelic Inpirations in Gold Creek Village and was blown away! The staff are so friendly, which I knew from previous visits for bridesmaid dresses for my sisters wedding, but not only are they friendly, they skill for picking dresses is just magic!
I've been looking and in magazines to get an idea of what was out there and everything I liked seemed to me that it just wouldn't suit my figure. But I took along my ideas anyway and when I told them my very favourite, they pulled out the dress they had closest to it and said they were sure it would suit. Low and behond, when I put it on, it was perfect! The only problem was, it was my second dress. The first I had seen on display at the bridal expo last weekend and also really loved it.
So the decision is now down to two. I thought I could check out some other shops and see if there was anything else, but to be honest, I think it's actually best not to have too many options. I've already got the two that I really love to choose between. If I went somewhere else it would be in the hopes to find something that I loved even more, that would win out over the other two, but I just don't think that's possible, which would mean I had three equally great dresses to choose from instead of only two! So I have decided to make my decision based on the location of the wedding ceremony and reception, and which would best suit the scenery. Which means I just have to make my mind up about that now!
Decision, decisions! There's so many of them to make! I am however very excited that this is one which has almost been made!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The World of Weddings
Long day + Bridal Expo = Frazzled Bridal Brain
I spent the better part of today at the Canberra Bridal Expo with my cheifs bridemaid, Lisa (who has also just got engaged, so excited!) and my parents. I had a great time and received a lovely cloth bag upon arrival which has now been filled to overflowing with flyers, business cards, magazines and the like, and there was a great fashion show too!
I'm really glad I went. I arrived this morning with ideas in my head of what I wanted and thinking I knew how to go about them. I then left in the afternoon feeling quite drained from all the walking around, a little downhearted about the difficulty of my chosen path for a reception, but at the same time uplifted by all the other opportunities out there!
The original plan, an outdoor wedding ceremony, followed by a spit roast reception in a nice hall. I spoke to a few people today who have had experience in this kind of reception, either as a helper, or for their own wedding, and they all said it ended up being a lot more work than expected, and costing just as much, if not more, as booking a venue where everything is done for you.
Our reason however for wanting a spit roast was one, because it's a nice simple meal, buffet style and we liked the idea, but two, working on a small budget, it's a lot cheaper than anything else we've looked at. There's some great places, but they all have packages for $100+ per head, and then some of them you have to pay room hire and alcohol on top of that! It was all a little daunting, but I've been doing some research this afternoon and have found some places that are a reasonable price for what you're getting, and still a really nice location. So I'm excited again! I still plan to look further though, so if anyone out there reading has suggestions for a small budget wedding reception, I'd love to hear them! You may know the perfect place that I haven't been able to find yet!
Recption costs aside, I saw heaps of great stuff! There were some great entertainment companies at the show, something else to look into, hair and makeup artists, and who would have known, but they come to you! My experience from both my sister's weddings is that they went to the hairdresser to get their hair done, but apparently now they come to you! Which is fantastic. Makes for much less stress on the day!
Also, there's this company FormalWear Express who, like the makeup and hairstylists, come to you! They appear to only have men's wear, but I think it's a great idea. You get all your groomsman together at someone's house, and they bring their collection to you in a van. You try on different outfits, work out what you want, then they get everyone's measurements and get all the suits fixed up and ready for you. How fantastic is that? I mean, seriously, there's nothing worse than seeing a bunch of guys standing around awkwardly in a shop full of suits and formal dresses while they get fitted out for a suit. At least... I don't think there is. =o)
There were some gorgeous dresses in the fashion parade, which was really great to see. So far I've only seen dresses on the internet or drapped off a hanger and not really looking their best. It was wicked to see them being worn by people, in real life, getting to see how the material fell and moved as they walked passed. Loved it! I don't know how I'm going to cope on my wedding day though, I was almost in tears with the excitement of it all just watching the fashion parade. I'm going to be a mess once I get that dress on for real!
So that was my day. Now the next challenge is discussing it all with Shane. So long as I don't start talking over his computer games (which unfortunately I seem to be particularly good at no matter how hard I try!!), I think it will be fine!
And finally, before I go, to anyone out there reading, I'd love to hear and ideas or comments you've got! All help is muchly appreciated!
I spent the better part of today at the Canberra Bridal Expo with my cheifs bridemaid, Lisa (who has also just got engaged, so excited!) and my parents. I had a great time and received a lovely cloth bag upon arrival which has now been filled to overflowing with flyers, business cards, magazines and the like, and there was a great fashion show too!
I'm really glad I went. I arrived this morning with ideas in my head of what I wanted and thinking I knew how to go about them. I then left in the afternoon feeling quite drained from all the walking around, a little downhearted about the difficulty of my chosen path for a reception, but at the same time uplifted by all the other opportunities out there!
The original plan, an outdoor wedding ceremony, followed by a spit roast reception in a nice hall. I spoke to a few people today who have had experience in this kind of reception, either as a helper, or for their own wedding, and they all said it ended up being a lot more work than expected, and costing just as much, if not more, as booking a venue where everything is done for you.
Our reason however for wanting a spit roast was one, because it's a nice simple meal, buffet style and we liked the idea, but two, working on a small budget, it's a lot cheaper than anything else we've looked at. There's some great places, but they all have packages for $100+ per head, and then some of them you have to pay room hire and alcohol on top of that! It was all a little daunting, but I've been doing some research this afternoon and have found some places that are a reasonable price for what you're getting, and still a really nice location. So I'm excited again! I still plan to look further though, so if anyone out there reading has suggestions for a small budget wedding reception, I'd love to hear them! You may know the perfect place that I haven't been able to find yet!
Recption costs aside, I saw heaps of great stuff! There were some great entertainment companies at the show, something else to look into, hair and makeup artists, and who would have known, but they come to you! My experience from both my sister's weddings is that they went to the hairdresser to get their hair done, but apparently now they come to you! Which is fantastic. Makes for much less stress on the day!
Also, there's this company FormalWear Express who, like the makeup and hairstylists, come to you! They appear to only have men's wear, but I think it's a great idea. You get all your groomsman together at someone's house, and they bring their collection to you in a van. You try on different outfits, work out what you want, then they get everyone's measurements and get all the suits fixed up and ready for you. How fantastic is that? I mean, seriously, there's nothing worse than seeing a bunch of guys standing around awkwardly in a shop full of suits and formal dresses while they get fitted out for a suit. At least... I don't think there is. =o)
There were some gorgeous dresses in the fashion parade, which was really great to see. So far I've only seen dresses on the internet or drapped off a hanger and not really looking their best. It was wicked to see them being worn by people, in real life, getting to see how the material fell and moved as they walked passed. Loved it! I don't know how I'm going to cope on my wedding day though, I was almost in tears with the excitement of it all just watching the fashion parade. I'm going to be a mess once I get that dress on for real!
So that was my day. Now the next challenge is discussing it all with Shane. So long as I don't start talking over his computer games (which unfortunately I seem to be particularly good at no matter how hard I try!!), I think it will be fine!
And finally, before I go, to anyone out there reading, I'd love to hear and ideas or comments you've got! All help is muchly appreciated!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The Proposal
So, four weeks ago today, 9 January 2010, my then boyfriend proposed to me! I'd just returned from a 9 week overseas holiday, a bit of a nightmare, but well worth it for coming home to a proposal!
It was simple, but so very sweet. On returning home, I cried, he laughed, and I asked if he really thought I was that silly for crying, to which he responded "some things are just better to cry about" as he slipped a ring on my finger! Shortly after the proposal we were off to a farewell party for a close friend. It was around 7pm, and as we were driving, the sun was at just the right angle to catch the diamonds. I almost squealed with delight at the sparkle, getting horridly excited over it, and I've been so ever since.
Now it comes to the tricky part, organising the wedding. I've spent the last month googling and looking at function venues, possible caterers, decorations, invitations, dresses. You know, all those wedding kind of things, but haven't come up with much, except it's all horridly expensive and requires a lot of research to get what your money is worth. Mention the word wedding, and suddenly the price of everything about doubles! So I've been trying to avoid the word as much as possible.
So far, we've decided on the official date. That was difficult enough because neither of us were all that fussed as to when we wanted to get married, except I had thought autumn, and Shane had thought spring, but said he didn't really mind. In the end, knowing we both wanted to go on a cruise int he South Pacific for our honeymoon, so we worked out where we wanted to go, the best time of year, and the best price, and booked our honeymoon cruise for 4 April 2011, a Monday, and so, it was decided the wedding would be the Saturday before that, 2 April.
One decision down, and you think there's not that much left to do. Pick a place to get married, pick a place for the reception, choose a dress, make sure your man turns up on the day and it's all good, right? But as I spend day after day thinking 'wedding, wedding, wedding' you realise just how much each component actually has to it. You have so many ideas and jump from one to another like a jack-in-a-box and you can never really make your mind up!
Over the following months, however, I hope to make a few good decisions, as difficult as they may be and this is where it will all be documented! So keep checking back to hear the latest from the 'Bridal Brain'.
It was simple, but so very sweet. On returning home, I cried, he laughed, and I asked if he really thought I was that silly for crying, to which he responded "some things are just better to cry about" as he slipped a ring on my finger! Shortly after the proposal we were off to a farewell party for a close friend. It was around 7pm, and as we were driving, the sun was at just the right angle to catch the diamonds. I almost squealed with delight at the sparkle, getting horridly excited over it, and I've been so ever since.
Now it comes to the tricky part, organising the wedding. I've spent the last month googling and looking at function venues, possible caterers, decorations, invitations, dresses. You know, all those wedding kind of things, but haven't come up with much, except it's all horridly expensive and requires a lot of research to get what your money is worth. Mention the word wedding, and suddenly the price of everything about doubles! So I've been trying to avoid the word as much as possible.
So far, we've decided on the official date. That was difficult enough because neither of us were all that fussed as to when we wanted to get married, except I had thought autumn, and Shane had thought spring, but said he didn't really mind. In the end, knowing we both wanted to go on a cruise int he South Pacific for our honeymoon, so we worked out where we wanted to go, the best time of year, and the best price, and booked our honeymoon cruise for 4 April 2011, a Monday, and so, it was decided the wedding would be the Saturday before that, 2 April.
One decision down, and you think there's not that much left to do. Pick a place to get married, pick a place for the reception, choose a dress, make sure your man turns up on the day and it's all good, right? But as I spend day after day thinking 'wedding, wedding, wedding' you realise just how much each component actually has to it. You have so many ideas and jump from one to another like a jack-in-a-box and you can never really make your mind up!
Over the following months, however, I hope to make a few good decisions, as difficult as they may be and this is where it will all be documented! So keep checking back to hear the latest from the 'Bridal Brain'.
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