Looking back

Hello folks!

It's been a while, haven't posted in almost half a year - apologies for that :)  I've been off being married and whatnot.  And before you ask, no, it's still just the two of us for the moment! 

It's funny, people ask questions about your child bearing intentions as soon as you get back from honeymoon, but I heard a lesson before I got married from a colleague who put her foot in it quite badly, so I tend to avoid the jokes/digs.  She asked if there was going to be a pitter-patter, of another colleague who had got married around the same time as her.  Little did she know that all sorts of complications and difficulties were being experienced, and it all came flooding out.  Needless to say, colleague #1 was rather embarrassed and now carefully doesn't ask anyone, ever, if they have baby making plans.  On a happier note the difficulties for colleague #2 have been overcome and there is lots of pitter-patter since, but still. A lesson worth hearing. 

There are so many new websites out now, helping brides-to-be through their planning process.  I have found a few while helping others which I hadn't seen when preparing for my own wedding last year - well done to all who have taken the initiative.  I think B2B's need all the help they can get! 

Lots of trends in the DIY aspects of weddings this year, even more than in 2010.  Bring your own favourite music to give the DJ, make your own invites, your own cake, your own cake decorations, ask friends to do video/photography for the day - all great ideas.  It does obviously put pressure on your pals to get it right since it's your big day but once you are aware of that and don't expect perfection (or anything resembling a professional finish!) then you are totally sorted.  Looking back, sure who needs perfect *things* when all you really need is to commit to your new spouse - that's what it's all about! 

DIY weddings are just as beautiful, and in my opinion, even more so.  They hold that personal touch that you just can't get anywhere else.  YOU made the favours - over a glass of wine with your bridesmaids perhaps. YOU picked the flowers in your bouquet - from the garden you tended with your betrothed.  YOU helped your mum or favourite aunt bake your most favourite cake and got icing on your nose finishing it off.  YOU had a hand in what type of music would be played at your party.  I love it.  So much personal taste going into weddings.  It seems that the trend is far less the one-up-man-ship it was becoming during the naughties and much more about the creation of a solemn bond between two people, and the celebration of that union with the couple's nearest and dearest. 

I'm so happy to see this transition.  I have felt for so long that too much fuss was made of the wedding and not enough of the marriage.  Materialism does not a happy union make.  Well done 2011 brides :) you rock!

Festive Weddings

Best of luck to all those blushing brides out there. I hope your Christmas wedding is everything you dream of!

I heard some lovely stories over the last few weeks about brides being rescued for their wedding ceremony by lads in JCB's and 4x4's and all sorts of things - if Bono and the lads have to resort to - loike, OMG Public Transport?! The dorsh - then who cares how the bride gets to the ceremony once the groom gets there too! That's all you need - well, legally you also need a witness or two and a celebrant but the rest is just icing right?!

Last January when the last big snow happened in Dublin and the canal was so beautifully frozen, we saw a wedding. One which was not planned for such a cold day!  What I loved most was not just how lovely they looked in magical surroundings - they stopped to take a snap in front of a magnificently snowy St Stephen's Green - but how even though her beautiful bridesmaids were shivvering and trying to chase her with a blanket to keep warm, the bride looked as though she hadn't even noticed the snow, she was just so happy.  Her happy glow was literally keeping her cosy and warm!  So sweet. That's what your wedding day is all about.

I know it's probably not the wedding you've planned if you're getting married this week or next in Ireland, but the photos will be simply magical and your memories even better.  Best of luck to the winter brides out there!  And warm wishes for your future together as husband & wife :o)

Advice

For the peeps who have got engaged recently, some tips!

1. Get yourself a good Wedding Planner Book.  A nice succinct one - some are over the top, some read like a magazine. This one here has really straightforward worksheets and reminders lists for what you should have done 12, 9, 6, 3, 2 and 1 month before the event itself. Check it over, tick stuff off, bob's your mother's brother.

2. Consider beautiful sillk flowers. Surprisingly inexpensive - same price as the real thing - and so much prettier for so much longer. I have dried my bouquet and it just doesn't look as good as these pretty samples I received some months ago...

3. Be organised and remember to thank the people who put so much into your special day - write lists of what people do for you in the run up, so that you can thank them in the personal cards after the event. It makes it so much nicer for people to receive, they really appreciate it!

4. When you get back from honeymoon, don't forget to send away for your marriage cert!  You will need to prove you are married if you are availing of tax benefits, applying for a new driving licence if you are changing your name - everything.  Plus, it's just nice to have ;)  Legally bound to another forever, woo. 

5. Enjoy your honeymoon, don't forget to take pictures!!  We took so few it's hilarious, the pair of us usually take bajillions of photos everywhere we go, but we were so relaxed just taking it all in that I only have some phone pictures to share!

And then we came home...

And it has been so lovely since we got home. The past three months have been blissful. Not just because we're in "The Honeymoon Zone" - after all we were Living in Sin(!) beforehand.  But because we have time to spend with friends, or just working in our little house, making it nice again after all the wedding madness.  Back to reality?  Back to normality more like.

And.

I.

Love it.

More thank you card ideas

Post wedding laziness really is a wonderful thing. Getting married earlier this summer was a good idea, considering we've had a good few weeks of lovely sunshine to get us back into the swing of things. At work it feels like an extremely long time ago that we were away on Lune de Miel but it's still less than 3 months. Mad!

So I have expanded the list of Really Cool Websites where you can get thank you cards and other such delightful things to personalise with your fabaroonie photos.

Shakespeare Photo Books 'n' things have nice templates and are reasonably good value!  I love the look of the little books, a friend who just had a baby might be getting one of these books for Christmas in fact...

You've all seen the ads for the pigs from the moon card company, they actually have some fun designs to check out for wedding thank you cards...

More moo's from these guys (seriously, what have cows got to do with greetings? I feel a bit dim but I don't get it...) - more lovely designs and another easy-to-use website.

I think these ones from Photocard Creations are the absolute business - if budget was no object I would have been there with these guys in a flash!  They are a good bit more expensive than the rest but the cards themselves are just so classy.

I'm sure everybody knows about these guys but Vista Print are very good.  My only concern is the quality but for the price...what's that line?  You get what you pay for... These are practially free...

Lastly the one I'd go for is...drum roll please... Photo Box.  They fit my bill in terms of sweet little designs and value for money. Win. Don't forget to make sure envelopes come with your cards or are included...that'd be a fine mess.  50 cards all carefully written and nothing to write the address on...

Thank you!

Thank you cards

Thank You

The most important thing on our post-wedding to-do list is...  Thanking people!  It's been overwhelming the amount of kindness and generosity we have witnessed in the middle of this recession and we don't want to wait too long to thank everyone.  Since we had a private ceremony we figured it might be nice to put a photo of us actually getting married on the card itself. 

There are so many options - a friend recommended Thank You Cards Dot Eye Ee which looks like it will do what it says on the tin...

One of the nicest places to get your invitations if you have the cash is Love Letters - we couldn't afford it (we did a DIY job together, fun & games as you can imagine!) - but they have the usual gorgeous list of designs and options to choose from if you have the Thank You Card budget!

From the day job (helping people figure out ways of running (or just starting!) a small business more efficiently) I'm aware of VistaPrint - it allows you to upload your own design if you wish, or use their templates and add your own photo.  Also a winner for invites if you want a really personal touch on a budget.  Their wedding designs can be found here - have fun with it!  The quality may not last forever but it's perfect in the short term I think. 

Thank You

Thank You

Thank You

he hee heeeeee

Logging Off...

So we're getting close now and my time is a little... under pressure... 

Sorry if I haven't been engaging much on the comments side these past few weeks. It's been manic. 

Guests have started arriving - literally landing in from overseas.  Planes Trains & Automobiles here we go. 

Thanks for listening/reading... Good luck to any B2B's out there; I hope you experience goes well!

See you on the other side...