Hello RMW-ettes!

I trust you are all well and wedding planning is going smoothly. Did you know this was my second last post?! How on earth did this come around so fast! With just over 8 week or one day less than 2 months I am starting to get oh, so excited! And with Rebecca's Real Bride Wedding Write Up over the past few days I am not sure where the time has gone.

Tick, Tick & Tick

I have started ticking things off my to-do list at a rate of knots. I started very quickly in the New Year with my hair trial with the lovely Siobhan. After which I got my dad to pick me up and save me from the rain to take me to my bridal shop to try on the veil and dress. I don't want to give too much away about my look but it has taken a vintage turn which I love but one veil made me feel a little bit too much like the queen so a slight alteration is needed there. We met up with Jane from Glen Tanar to go over final details and I feel I am in the safest hands with her and running through the day has given us a pretty clear to do list.

We had the meeting with the caterer Elizabeth from Country Flavours of Alford and have the best plan every for food! I went in to the florist and have sorted my bouquet and all the boys buttonhole. A tip to the wise: rocking up to the florist with no ideas or inspiration except 'I like tulips' isn't the most helpful. We have ordered our wedding rings which are in the jewellers: Finnies We have finally decided on a bridesmaid dress and today I went shopping with Ciaran's sister, Devon, to find one for her. Last night I had my make-up trial and whilst you are reading these very words I will be in John Lewis picking out our gift list. I had fears about a John Lewis being too restrictive but after a quick look at other things we decided it was the easiest and least hassle for us. We are your traditional couple who have not lived together so we need to furnish our home and would gladly receive forks and knives. But what have you gone for? A Honeymoon fund? Prezola?

What do you think? One eye is darker than the other...

You Are Finally Invited To...

So you will be glad to know that we finally got around to making all of our invites. A total labour of love, but I really love them and so glad we made them ourselves. We originally saw the idea on Etsy of a hessian scroll invite and Ciaran totally ran with it. This time last year we had made our first mock up but it wasn't until just before Christmas that we finally ordered all the materials and then after Christmas had a few hard core craft (read sweatshop) sessions to get them made. We still have one or two to send out but the end is in sight.

The scroll evolved into what you see, because we couldn't find a way of attaching the card to the hessian and then rolling it without crumpling the card; something I found too upsetting for my beautiful invites so we stopped. I designed the inserts after hours trawling through dafont.com and with the help of paint. Yes paint! We can't all be pros

We chose to have RSVP cards mainly because I wanted the post but because it seemed the most sensible way to keep on top of replies, dietary requirements and to gauge whether we needed to put on a bus for our guests to get out to Glen Tanar. We added an information card which has postcodes for the church and Glen Tanar, a list of local hotels, B&B and taxi firms. As it is so remote even the taxis have to be pre-booked. We also included some vital information such as the poor phone signal being so remote, the fact we will be having a cash bar but there is no cash machine for miles, and that a spare pair of shoes may be sensible for outside activities, especially for stiletto wearers. The last pieces of advice came from the father of our neighbours who got married at Glen Tanar not long after they moved in a few years ago. Oh and we stamped everything we could get our hands on with our stag stamp

The Final Countdown

Tomorrow I am off on my Hen weekend which no doubt you will hear more about in my next and final post as a bride-to-be, but for now I have question for you: how long do we need to make ourselves beautiful? My makeup artist and hairdresser are amazing, but should I be concerned that there is not more of them? For myself, 4 bridesmaids and a mum?

On the morning of my wedding there is me, four bridesmaids and my mum to get ready... Which would be fine but we are having a 12noon service. I knew we were an early start was necessary but it was only when Natalie, the MUA, seemed quite concerned a 7am start may still not give her enough time, than I began to worry.

Naturally I looked around the internet and the wedding world; to find myself back on these very pages reading a really old post (from my wedding date 2011!), part of the RMW Genius Guide to Wedding Planning. From this post I learnt that you cannot have enough time to get ready - 'would it be the worst thing in the world if you're ready early and have to sit around with your best girls drinking champagne?' - And it takes much longer than you imagined getting a bride and a bunch of bridesmaids in to their dresses. Which makes since, I would guess it would take about 10minutes; however I have read that I should leave 45minutes to get into my own dress and that I really need to train someone well in how to tie me tightly into my dress to ensure it goes smoothly and on time. Which I understand, as no doubt I will be running round like a headless chicken trying to remember the safe place I have hidden my shoes and my earrings.

I have joked about challenging my church's latest bride (45mins and the minister had thought about what he was going to have to say to the congregation) but I really can't be my usual late self as with an hour travel to Glen Tanar we don't have too much time to spare in the day. And I really want time to get photos at my house with everyone before we leave and at every other given point in the day we can.

So what is your planned schedule for the morning? Married ladies any time saving tips? Anything you would have done different on the morning of your wedding? And are you doing anything special on the morning of the wedding, perhaps a first look shoot?! Do tell!

The day I marry my man is getting oh so close!

Big excited love,