A very wedding week October 17, 2008

The past week has been very good in wedding terms.

Thursday last week I got a message on my mobile phone from the Bridal shop where my wedding dress is coming from.  Here’s how it went: “Hi there, it’s Shop for Brides. Just calling about your wedding dress. Can you call us back? Alright Darling? Ok, thanks.”

Seemingly ok, non? NON! The “Alright Darling” section was said in a kindly tone, the sort your Mum might use when telling you your cat has died (or something equally bad).  This instigated immediate paranoia on my part, to the extent that I took 2 deep breaths and left the office to call back, just in case I had to cry cos my dress was no longer available or summat.

In reality, it was good news – my dress was in! Yay! On arriving at the shop on Saturday I mentioned to the lady that I was nervous at her voice mail and fearing the worst…she admitted she never says “Your dress is in” on voice mail as she likes to tell people in person as it were.  Phewzers.  But surely, a lot less stress all round for B2Bs if she just told us on the voice mail that our dress was in.

Anyway! I digress! So, wedding dress, all lush and lovely.  Tried on with my BIG platform wedges that I’m wearing (in an attempt to not look like a stunted pixie next to The Boy in photos).  Earlier that Saturday I also took the Boy to Millers Tailors in Northampton for a suit reccy.  The old boys running the shop were ace (even had tape measures round their neck and knew his size without asking).  Importantly they also realised I was in charge, saying “Now Madam, what do you think, because you’re the important one here”. Sold!! Loved ‘em, loved the suits, got it sorted and booked.

Another job for Saturday was a hair cut at my Mum’s Cousin’s salon in Heart of the Shires shopping place, The Glass Slipper. I *love* going here, not only cos I get to see a fave relly, and get my hair cut at a good rate, but also they have started doing bespoke tiaras and fascinators.  Saturday’s visit was very exciting as I tried on a completely gorgeous tiara which I think is the one I will go for. *LOVED* it lorra lorra.  Can’t wait to go back and try again with a hair-do as well to see how it might look.

With those jobs done on Saturday, I was feeling ultra productive and sorted, so Ma and me treated ourselves to a lovely lunch at new Daventry deli, Saddlers.  I highly recommend it; we had a really nice lunch, plus some cakes (cupcake is tres bon) – the only downside was they’d run out of Prosecco (I was after some bubbly after such a good morning).  I’m thinking though that many of my bridal related activities seem to end with cake, a habit I need to stop if I am going to be looking tippety top for The Big Day.

The week days have been no less productive either. Earlier in the week I popped to IKEA and decided there and then against shelling out for tea light holders for these reasons; 1. they cost money. 2. We don’t need 300 tea light holders in our future life together.  So I had a flash of genius (Mother may disagree) and have asked our mates to collect up their empty jam jars and get them to me.  Anyone supplying 15 or more gets a jar of my home-made chutney to enjoy.  The plan is to put some nice ribbon round the top, put a candle in and hey-presto – a FREE tea light holder, and more money for wine, huzzah!!

Finally last night I met with my buddy who also does floristry to talk flowers. She had pics of other stuff she’s done and it all looked really lovely.  We had a good talk about what I liked and didn’t like and she had the great idea of using ranunculous in the button holes.  This was very exciting, believe me!!!  Unfortunately I hadn’t prepped quite enough as I don’t really have a firm budget idea for flowers. I’m thinking 600? Is that fair? Anyhoo, let’s see what she comes back with…

Wedding dress, by committee June 23, 2008

You’ll know from this post, and this post, that I’ve been trying on Wedding Dresses for a while, with varying degrees of hilarity and disgust.

Anyhoo, Saturday was decision day, as I took along a gang to look at my shortlist, with the aim of ordering one (no point hanging about, eh?).  In the gang was younger sis (+ BM), Best Mate (also a BM), Mother and adopted Grandma Joan – all honest, supportive and raring to go.

The five of us got on with the job well. In the first shop, where I tried a close contender on, Best Friend was very useful in taking pics on her phone to compare later and Ma was good in helping me rule it out (she’d seen the hot fave dress before).

Then we popped to Heart of the Shires, where a relative has a gorgeous hairdressers, also selling accessories.  They have got some really nice, high end, bespoke stuff available and will basically get stuff made how I want it. I like that!  The BMs tried on some fab fascinators, including a pearl/crystal wire one which we were keen on, then it was my turn.  As I sat to try on a tiara, all the women gathered round cooing, pampering and preening. I decided, I could get used to this.  It was great to hear advice from the experts about how it might look, and one of the tiaras I tried was absolutely beautiful. I was keen – but the dress has to come first!

After lunch it was on to our final destination, Shop for Brides in Daventry, and basically I’d already decided I wanted the dress I tried there.  When Ma and I went before, we were so so keen on it – I was hoping it would be just as good again. The shop lady was absolutely lovely – really down to earth and helpful. She was on hand throughout and a welcome change from some of the snottier wedding dress shop people I’ve come across.

The girls all made the right sounds when I emerged with the get up on, and lots of preening, adjusting the train and playing with the fabric went on.  I walked around, sat down, swished round and my mind was made up. This was the frock for me.  I just didn’t want to take it off!  The lovely lady showed my Ma how to do up the back and adjust stuff and the BMs were fab in getting me a veil on and providing feedback.  Everyone was keen, I was keen, and decided this was IT.  After about 30 mins swanning round after that I thought I had best take it off at last before they think I am a psycho, so off it came and it was group hugs all round.

I felt very lucky to have my girls there with me on Saturday – it’s a massive decision and I can’t believe I don’t get to see the frock again until next YEAR!  I’m SO excited now I have that bit done.  In a wedding daze, I spent the rest of the day trying not to spill any beans to H2B, whilst being ultra excited – in my fervour I was efficient enough to order invite samples and start checking some websites for shoe options…bring it on!!

Chazza visit: No wedding gown, but some nice saucepans June 16, 2008

In the interests of bridal research and a possible bargain, yesterday Mother and I headed to the Oxfam bridal store in Coventry.  After a few wrong turns we eventually got there and were ushered upstairs to the bridal room by a friendly lady, who was wise enough to leave us to it.

Without ado, we got straight into going through the large rack of bridal gowns. Yes, there were some 80s horrors, but I was pleasantly surprised that most of the dresses were really very nice.  Most were simple designs with some embellishment – and not unlike the ones 3 times the price that I’d been trying on in first-hand bridal shops.  Four were selected as potentials and three quickly discarded as they weren’t what I was looking for (one in particular, made me look as if I had no neck – nice!)…the remaining one was a possible contender, but on reflection (quite literally), I was certain it didn’t match up to the one I tried on a while ago, which I’m quite obsessed with.

Mind rested that I hadn’t missed a bargain, we had a look at shoes, veils and some pretty rancid bridesmaids dresses. If I wanted my bmaids to look a LOT worse than me, then there were some choice gowns for them here…

Arms empty from the bridal room, Ma and I busied ourselves with the regular chazza shop and I was pleased to find a set of Meyer saucepans, in  good nick, for £2 each, as well as a lush handpainted teapot for £1.50! Bargain!

Anyway, just a final note on any potential brides thinking of a charity shop visit – I would say go for it, there’s nothing to lose and you may just strike it lucky and find your dream dress.  Here’s the link to Oxfam Bridal.

Plenty of meringues in sight… December 11, 2007

OK, so following the last missive, BF (best friend) and I went bridal dress shopping yesterday with young bubster of BF in tow (who was exceptionally well behaved and delighted at seeing herself in the massive mirrors).

My fears about the shop assistant being arsey and pompous were unfounded, and she willingly helped lever me into pouffy creations, squeeze me into corsets which were everso slightly too small for me, and shoehorn me into slinky sheath dresses.  It being my first ‘trying on’ day, we were keen to try everything and anything. 

Some of the dresses were simply humungous and not dissimilar to The King and I styles sported by Governess Anna – I could have hid a gaggle of small children under there. (Incidentally, the boy and I watched The King and I Sunday and he now has the idea that we should thunder round the floor doing a fast waltz as per the pic for our first dance.  He has no finesse – really, NO finesse – so I am likely to be toe-trodden, bedraggled and potentially injured at the end of it were we to go this route….)

Back to the dresses – some made me look pretty much hideous, craftily creating an illusion that my torso was dwarf sized and I had no neck – not the best look for your most special day ever, quite frankly.  Then there were the ‘dramatic’ ones which were black and white with embellishments hanging off them, making me look like I’d walked through a hedge backwards and emerged with foliage randomly attached to what was once a nice frock.

So aside from those comedy moments there were also quite a few which really made me look quite pretty and two in particular which I really loved.  Quite different in style but very flattering, completely gorgeous and one was nearly tear inducing, especially once I had the veil on as well.  I looked like a laydeeeeee!!

The issue now is that I have something else to be obsessed by for over 18 months – will I find other dresses to match up?  How many other dresses and shops should I try? When to order? What shoes? Gaaaaahhhh!!