Hello Bridelings, it's my "final post". Wah! This little part of the web has begun to feel like home over the past year; I've really loved writing about all the ups, downs, ins and outs of our wedding planning experience and have relished sharing it all with you.

It goes without saying (because the Stef, Jackie and Sophie have already mentioned this...) that personally, this whole RMW real bride experience has been made all the better thanks to your comments, anecdotes and words of support. I also have five new awesome friends in Stef, Jackie, Sarah, Carly and Sophie - you girls have rocked the socks off these polka dot pages - whoop whoop!!

You will be unsurprised to hear that our wedmin accomplishments have gone OFF THE HOOK since my last post. Buckle in, my final post is intense....

Ceremony Shizzle

We decided early on that we wanted someone special to officiate our wedding ceremony for us. Yup, just like Joey in Friends! As you may or may not know, before you can legally marry in a foreign country you usually have to "reside" there for a period of time before the ceremony. Most countries require a week or so but French law requires you to be in France for forty days! This meant we would have to have a wedding of two parts: the legal marriage part A and the real wedding part B. It also meant we could have the type of wedding ceremony that we wanted - really personal, intimate and fun without having to worry that a friend would need to be officiated for it to be legal.

We knew just the person we wanted to lead the show for us. Enter Vicky T: a special someone we have lived with and who knows all our bad (and good) habits, we shared our Ozzie adventure together and she's someone we know will be an important person in our lives until we are all ancient.

After doing a lot of online research and speaking to other friends who had done a similar thing (had the legal bit and then the real wedding bit) Jacko and I wrote out a ceremony structure and gave it to Vicky T who has independently worked on bits and bobs that we won't hear until the day. Everyone and their dog loves Vicky T and we know she is going to ace it. Go VT!!!

Surprise, Surprise

I've been 'reminding' (read: nagging) Jacko to get his suit sorted since January but being a typical bloke he was un-phased by the 5 month lead time, we covered this a bit in a previous post called Man Stuff. One freezing NY January Saturday we went on an epic shopping trip that saw us give Hugo Boss, Prada, Reiss, Ted Baker, Burberry, J Crew and Topshop flagship stores in Soho a try. We hit up Saks, Bloomies, Barneys and Bergdorfs (the latter was purely for the fun of it, wow - what a freaking store, if Liberty's and Bergdorf were to have a love child, I would make that place my heaven) and actually had a few personal shopper experiences in the fancy department stores that proved both fun and informative (as a side note, the personal shoppers were so un-pushy - I would defo recommend going to see one). But we left very empty handed. I think I cramped Jack's style to be honest and I felt like I was adding pressure. He kindly told be to back off and said he would sort his outfit out himself. We made the decision back in March that I was not going to see his suit pre-wedding day, our outfits will be reciprocal surprises for each other. EEK!!

With me out of the way, he then went on multiple shopping trips with "the boys" (thanks again Alex and Martin!) and finally pulled the trigger on a Hugo Boss number. I have no idea what colour/style/fabric it is but he has had more fittings than me and I can't wait to see him on the day looking all lush. Being a tall (and skinny) bloke, who struggles to find threads that fit like a glove, having a head to toe tailored look will be a first and I am so happy for him!!

Jack prefers a bow tie over a neck tie, the only request I had was that he chooses self-tie-bow-ties (I like the pouffiness!). He set off on another shopping expedition (he's become a rather big fan of Etsy these days!) and found this awesome dude based in NY who makes self-tie bow ties with his fair hands in his Brooklyn studio. As much as Jacko thought the ties were pretty hot, the company is called " Knot Now ", he's a sucker for a pun and knew this Brooklyn hipster was the guy for him. Carlos (the Knot Now tie hipster) came in to the city to meet Jack with a briefcase of fabric swatches, they had a man moment on a New York street picking fabrics - job done. Easy as that.

Jack had carte blanche on what to wear from suits to shoes to bow ties... I wanted to make sure he felt comfortable and not feel like he had been dressed up like a doll, I'll be honest though and say it's defo put me out of my comfort zone!!! It also feels very refreshing though. My go-to style is very matchy matchy, I am guilty of colour matching earrings / shoes / handbag etc and really wanted to avoid having a matchy matchy wedding look. I personally think it can look a bit too over styled and too formal which isn't what we envisaged. I honestly think leaving Jack to his own devices on choosing colours etc will make the whole wedding look a million times better.

Fitness & Beauty

I promised myself that I could invest in regular posh facials, body treatments and mani/pedis when we reached the six-months-to-go mark.

I found an awesome facialist in NYC who has done the most amazing things to my skin. It is noticeably smoother, clearer and has a real brightness about it. I had been getting hydrodermabrasions sporadically in Sydney and was really impressed with the results, but they pale in comparison to the signature facials I have been getting at Elena Rubin - I have had peels, ultrasound, light therapy, extractions (ouch) and all sorts. I would recommend starting six months out, I have had 3 facials over the past 5 months and my skin is ready (fingers crossed.....)!!

If you are looking for some beauty saviors to add to your wedding prep regimen, the beauty products I swear by are:-

• Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish - a body exfoliant that gets rid of any nasties, it smells amazing and leaves the skin feeling so nourished
• Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil - the most hydrating moisturizer ever. For all those cynics who don't think that an oil will work with their skin, I urge you to try one, your face will never thank you enough!!
• Elena Rubin Veritas Clarifying Bar - literally the best cleanser I have ever tried, makes the skin squeaky clean without feeling tight or uncomfortable. I have never liked the idea of using a soap bar, but I am hooked on this product. It comes with a little sponge that buffs and polishes and the stuff lasts a life time.
• SKII Facial Treatment Essence - this is expensive but oh so effective. I have been using a full SKII regimen for about two years and honestly I love everything. This product in particular has evened out my skin tone and brightened up my skin. I also like using the SKII Cellumination Essence serum at night too - if you have any pigmentation, scarring or dark freckles, invest in this - it is amazing and the next morning skin is noticeably illuminated. A bottle has lasted me a year. Cost per usage is not too expensive!!
• Crème de la Mer Face and Body Gradual Tan - Admittedly this is expensive for a self-tanner but after trying it for the first time in April, I am hooked. It's the best gradual tanning product eve (better than St Tropez in my eyes). It really doesn't have that gross self-tan smell, the effects are noticeable after one application (I haven't found that many gradual tanners are noticeable that quickly), it doesn't wear off and leave any residue/streaks/marks and it doesn't streak on application, if anything it feels so luxurious and moisturizing when it goes on, you forget it's a self-tanner product. It really is fool proof and I am so glad I took the plunge

I know I am guilty of expensive taste when it comes to beauty products but my mantra is fewer and better. I haven't got cupboards over flowing of products only used twice, that actually equates to hundreds of wasted pounds. I am selective and smart when it comes to trying before I buy, there are too many expensive mistakes to be had!!!

A topic on (almost) every bride's lips is the dreaded wedding diet.... I've got to be honest and say that I've been pretty crap when it's come to a wedding diet/exercise overhaul. I've always been an active person who goes to the gym 3-4 times a week but have notoriously been a pretty bad eater (high fives for pizza and curries!) and regular alcohol drinker - 80% of results are from nutrition my trainer has always told me, so no matter how disciplined I was in the gym, I was not achieving any great physical results. I had to change my mindset if I wanted to try and achieve Jennifer Anniston-esque arms and a tight booty.

About 2 months ago a girl I had originally known in Cardiff (but who has been living in Sydney for the last 5 or so years) launched a new online training programme called the Athletic Fox Blueprint - an all-encompassing moduled programme inclusive of structured nutrition and training resources. Rachel is one of the world's most well respected trainers and a real expert on female training - just look at her figure and you'll see why!! She is super knowledgeable and super awesome and has really thought through what women want and need when it comes to getting a smoking hot body, that is not limited to just being for your wedding or honeymoon.

Although I've only been following the blueprint properly for about 5 weeks I am super impressed with the results. I love the weight programmes and although I haven't been following the structured meal plans per se (they are there should you want them though), I've been adhering to the nutritional advice that Rachel has built in to the site (ie step by step nutritional guide on how to build meals, even if you are out for dinner etc). I have lost 1.5 inches off my waist, 2 inches off my hips and a total weight loss of 4.5KGs - everything feels tighter and higher - a really huge thanks to Rachel and her blueprint!!!! Let's hope this hard work pays off in my final dress fitting on Saturday!!!

The Honeymoon Period Starts Early

When this post goes live, wedding day will be a mere 9 days away - that's 216 hours. It's hard to package up my emotions right now but I'm going to give it a try.... bear with me!!!

I don't know about you but when I was a kid, about 7 or 8 years old, I still believed in Father Christmas (I believed until I was 11 - Believe people, Believe!!!) and I vividly remember the excessive excitement levels that my sister and I felt as we counted down the days until our annual summer holiday to France with our cousins. Days felt like weeks and we must have been a right pain in the backside for the rents - we were like bottles of pop, they used to say! It's a pants reality that as we grow up get older, excitement levels for things like Christmas or summer holidays pale in comparison to those emotions we felt as naïve 8 years old. Of course we still get excited (I'm not the fun police!) but whether it's because we live in an era of having more experiences and going to more places, more often or some other sociological reason, overall excitement levels have definitely diffused. That sucks really, doesn't it!!

Well, I can tell you that those excess excitement levels come BACK a couple of weeks pre-wedding. Yes they do! I seem to have mountains of energy running through my bones that I don't know what to do with it all at the moment (as I write this, I am on a plane to Vegas for the weekend - a perfect outlet for all this hype!). I can honestly say that I've not felt this good for a loooooong time. And what's really amazing is that I am sharing all these crazy ass feelings with Jacko, who over the past two weeks has had something click in the man brain and is on mission wedding. It's an amazing experience that we're sharing together; all this anticipation and excitement and I can't wait for all you lovely lot who are knee deep in planning and organization to feel this too.

• Sure there's some stress involved, but it all gets masked with excitement. If I had to say the list of things I was "stressed" about right now, they would be:-
• Getting all our wedding stuff home in one piece from New York to the UK to France.
• Not forgetting anything for the wedding and/or honeymoon. I actually feel really unorganized. I haven't got enough lists on the go and it panics me slightly!! I have been more prepared for holidays to Ibiza with lists of outfits, matching accessories, make up tools required etc
• Hoping that all of the stuff we have bought, hired and borrowed actually looks good and creates the right atmosphere, we haven't physically seen half the stuff in real life!
• Hoping the weather is a) dry b) sunny c) warm enough to have a pool party on the Sunday d) sky sporting some pretty Simpsons-esque clouds to look lush in photos. But I will take option A thank you very much... (Please don't rain, please don't rain!!!)
• Hoping my outfit comes together! It's been curated over such a long time and from different pockets of the world, I've not even tried the whole ensemble on together yet!
• Writing our promises and not blubbing throughout the whole day!!

On one side I've got all this kind of stuff churning round and around... like a hippo that has been weighing down one side of a see-saw for aaaaages but over the last few weeks, another hippo has come along and sat on the other side of the see-saw. The new hippo is full of fun and love and cheer and has slowly balanced everything out so the stressy stuff feels much less significant. Has anyone else felt like this? Am I in a false sense of security with my happy hippo coming in to my life...?!!

We've had to send a few emails out to all our guests over the last few weeks to confirm things like dietary requirement or help with final logistics. With every reply we started to feel more and more excited (I am sorry I keep using the word excited!!!) We have also started to receive out of the blue texts, emails and Facebook messages that go along the lines of "OMG - not long now!" - each one a reminder that in nine days' time we're spending a weekend with all our loved ones and are going to promise to love, trust, support and encourage each other for the rest of our lives. How freaking awesome is that - for me, and I hate to sound cliché, but the excitement of looking forward to that moment is eclipsing any worry about the other stuff.
We fly back to the UK today and fly out to France next Thursday... maybe there is plenty of time for the Happy Hippo to leave the building, but I hope he hangs around, I like him!!

So that's it, my final account of what we've been up to on this crazy 18 month planning malarkey... Good luck with the rest of your planning bridelings and can I wish a huge CONGRATS and GOOD LUCK to my fellow Real Bride, Sophie who gets married the day after us (10 days, girl...!!! Whoop!)

Nicola xxxx

PS - you know I mentioned that we had to the legal marriage bit separately... we did it last Friday. Elvis gave us our official marriage certificate in Vegas!!! Bring on the real wedding!!! Ahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!