THINGS STILL TO SORT - 1WEEK 2DAYS TO GO

Groom:
Cufflinks

Bride:
Bolero
Spray Tan
Jewellry
Shoes (the kitten heels hurt so may be getting flats)
'something old, borrowed and blue'
waist cincher, maybe

Son:
Trousers (or suit)
Formal shoes

Reception:
Get price for champagne for all adult guests for toasting
Buffet - roughly 15adults and 10children to feed, shopping night before for food!
Favours? Not sure about these, nothing's traditional so might not get them and just send cards
Cake, getting a plain white sponge one from a store next week

Hotel:
Book a room for the day and night (the bride and women going to the hotel on the day, the grrom is staying home with the men).  As a family of 4 we will all stay in a family room the wedding of the night, we think!

Transport:
Going to ring round next week, a couple of days before the wedding, see if we can get a deal

Photographer:
Have a few interested in this, but nothing is confirmed yet, need to get this sorted by the end of the week

August 8th - 2weeks 4days TO GO!!!

It's Monday, August the 8th 2011, and we get married in ....

2 weeks 4 days !!!

CANNOT believe how quickly time is flying now, we are practically ready, but it is starting to get a bit stressy you know, I am concerned about the details but I am sure we're getting them all ironed out before the day haha!

The things left to do list, so we know where we are on Monday May16th...3months 10days to go woop woop!!

*Bride Dress Alterations (can't do this until about 6weeks before, no idea of cost as yet)

*Bride Tiara (being made by a friend, not sure of cost yet)

*Groom Suit/shirt/waistcoat & Cravat (he has seen something he likes in M&S (£100), it's whether or not they can sort out I's in a child's matching set!)

*I's Suit/shirt/waistcoat/Shoes & Cravat

*Dad Shirt/waistcoat & Tie

*Best Man Shirt/Waistcoat & Tie [[We've decided that best man and my Dad are now just getting black trousers, shirt, waistcoat and tie (ditching the jackets and cravats idea lol)]]

*O's Shoes

*Flowers - bouquet (button holes?) Buying from local flower shop on day, just whatever I fancy, nothing expensive, £10 max, not sure if having button holes, will see on day.

*Wedding Ceremony Invitations (making myself, only need to make 8 I think!!) need to source the paper to paint/write on.

*Reception DJ (£100)

*Reception - Buffet (by H on the day at cost, no figure in mind as yet)

*Reception - Wedding Cake (Tesco £13.50) *Cake Topper (being made by a friend, no idea of cost as yet)

*Reception - Favours & One-use Cameras (making cake's in jars!! hehe)

Song for our First Dance

OK so I am going to make a list of the candidates for this as I am sure as we move through the months, different songs will become favourites and it might help a decision on the day noting them all!!  So far we have two, they are;

Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are
Adele - One and Only
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78mlPQEmbOA

Marriage Preperation Course

So in the morning we have a 'Marriage Preperation Course' to go to, which is part of what happens when you marry in our church, so we now know hehe  It's 5hrs long, you get coffee and lunch for the very matromonial price of £20 which is compulsory eeek!  Anyway, there will be other couples there and we kind of have no idea what the day entails, but I am looking forward to it, we get 5hrs children free adult time which will be nice as that rarely happens!!  I'll be back to give details soon x

The paperwork

OK so it's £67 from the registry office to be 'allowed' to marry.  We don't have passports yet (biG pain in the bum) and so we need FULL birth certificates and driving licenses to prove who we are and our nationality.  I didn't have a full birth certificate, so I had to go buy one of those from the registry office of my town of birth, that cost £9, which isn't much at all I know, but VERY annoying considering I'll have a passport in just over a month!!  (ONLY A PASSPORT or FULL BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS PROOF OF NATIONALITY APPARENTLY) But my little moan about the whole thing, is that when I went and got my birth certificate, I didn't have to give proof of ID, I just filled out a basic form of who's birth certificate I wanted (mine-obviously) and then they printed one off and charged me £9 for the privilege, sone there and then in about 5mins.

It just seems ironic that they need to validate something but obtaining validation is so easy and I know I have to show my driving license too but if someone had a fake license, they could easily obtain a matching birth certificate without any problem whatsoever.  Ah well, moan over LOL

The Reception

So we are getting married because we wish to be married and the day is about us, a couple, celebrating our love for each other, but, we do want a little knee's up as it were afterwards and so we have decided to hire the tap room at a local pub!  This means all the people invited, 90% of whom live locally and do not drive, can get there and get home without too much trouble or exepnse as a few of them have young children anyway.

The room itself is a £50 deposit which is now paid, and we get that back if there are no damages so the venue if free LOL  They have said we can bring our own food in and so my best friend H is doing the buffet (we will pay her for the food stuffs but her time is free lol)  Not priced this up yet as not sure on how many are attending but will do once we know.

In the other room at our venue there is a live band the same night and so that will be extra entertainment for if some people want to move around or have a change, though we are thinking of hiring a DJ, the pub can get us one for £100 which is the cheapest I've heard and so that's the cost of that if we get a DJ.  We may even get some champers so all the adults have 1 free drink to toast the happy couple heehee 

The room isn't HUGE so I'm a little conscious of my wedding dress skirt size, I am hoping it will be fine, I may take up the whole of the tiny dance floor with it LOL

The rings are ordered!!!

Ordered the rings today!!
We are getting plain platinum bands, mine is 4mm and C's is 6mm, we tried the size out in an H.Samuel store but certainly weren't paying their prices!! LOL
They should be here tuesday or wednesday it is so exciting, the rings for me are THE most important expense as we will wear them for life and they will be blessed on the day by our priest, I am so amazingly happy we have our beautiful WEDDING RINGS on the way and they are just so wonderfully special and timeless x

The Honeymoon?

We have 2 young children, who will be 3 and 4 when we are married and so our honeymoon will be disguised as a family holiday heehee  We don't have passports (as we lost them when we moved house 2yrs ago, and have never found them grrrr!!) so we have to buy passports for all 4 of us, about £250.00 and then we're going to wait until August and book a late deal, hopefully so somewhere nice and hot like Spain or Greece, we've never been abroad and so it would be extra special if we did this after getting married.

Music

I know that I will be walking down the aisle to one of the following;

Johann Pachelbel Canon in D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugkMiFwiAMs

Pie Jesu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLf_oIgSLW4

We both love them both, I just hope I can hold it together and not cry whilst hearing that as I walk down the aisle to become C's wife!!!

The Groom

C has decided he does like grey and so he is most likely wearing a grey suit with tails, he thinks a top hat would be too much, I agree hehe  He likes the colour green and has decided he would like sage for his cravat colour and a white or silver waistcoat.  Our son and my Dad will also be wearing the same suit and cravat etc

THE DRESS !!

This is the style I love, but I have no idea how it will suit me, as I am a large woman.  I do love the tulle, the fairytale princess look with the big skirt though so think I will definitely have this style on the day.

I hate my upper arms too and so will definitely be wearing a bolero on the day or some sort of shrug jacket, I am unsure what colour the dress will be, I like ivory and white equally and also like a few I've seen with some pink in them!

Ideas for favours

*Hand writing little notes to guests to thank them for sharing our wedding and including why they are an important part of our lives.  Ideas like; they always make us smile, laugh, they make great chocolate cake, they support the best/worst football team etc. It doesn't have to be serious, fun comments and silly stories.

*Hot Chocolate in a jar, buy ready made hot chocolate in bulk and bags of mini marshmallows, plus the jars for the favors, ribbon and labels. Fill each jar 2/3rds full with the hot chocolate powder, fill to the top with the mini marshmallows, and then secure the lid. Tie a ribbon in your wedding colors around the top of the jar and then attach your label thanking our guests for joining us.  Include the directions on how to make up the hot chocolate and tie a mini whisk to the side to make the hot chocolate complete.

*Bubbles and biscuits for the kids.

Our readings and Gospel

Tobit 7:9-10, 11-15

A reading from the book of Tobit

Afterward, Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock and gave them a cordial reception. When they had bathed and reclined to eat, Tobiah said to Raphael, “Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to let me marry my kinswoman Sarah.” Raquel overheard the words, so he said to the boy: “Eat and drink and be merry tonight, for no man is more entitled to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother. Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you, because you are my closest relative. But I will explain the situation to you very frankly. She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses. Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven! Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after. And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both. May he grant you mercy and peace.” Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him. He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobiah with the words: “Take her according to the law. According to the decree written in the Book of Moses she is your wife. Take her and bring her back safely to your father. And may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.” He then called her mother and told her to bring a scroll, so that he might draw up a marriage contract stating that he gave Sarah to Tobiah as his wife according to the decree of the Mosaic law. Her mother brought the scroll, and he drew up the contract, to which they affixed their seals. Afterward they began to eat and drink.

The word of the lord.

Corinthians 12:31-13:8

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
The word of the Lord.

Matthew 5:1-12

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

Who's going? The tiny congregation...

The ceremony will be very small indeed, our guests are;

Us and our 2 children, obviously hehe
C's Mum and my Dad.
My best friend and her +1 plus their 3 children.
My other best friend and her +1.
C's best friend, partner and their 2 children.
C's other best friend +1 and his daughter.
We may invite our lovely elderly neighbour too, she has always been there and we love her dearly.

So as you can see, not a big wedding, just the people who we care about and care about us.

31st March 2011

WE'RE GETTING MARRIED ON FRIDAY AUGUST 26th AT 4pm !!!!!

I can't believe it, we have a date, and it's all OK and arranged and we are getting married !!!!!

I need to contact my childhood church and send a SAE asking them for my baptism and conformation certificates as I do not have these and our priest has asked for them.  C is not catholic or of any religion and so this does not apply to him, but he has agreed to our children being taught and raised in the catholic religion, and has told our priest so.

I meant to say, the church is Catholic, as am I and our 2 children.  We chose 4pm because it then ties very nicely into an evening reception and it also means it will be cooler and the light will still be there and it will also be quite nice lighting as we leave the church around 5pm, if not a little before.  We are not having communion at the wedding ceremony, and we will not be singing hymns but our priest has said he will find some nice hymns to play over the sound system for us.

So, what do we need to organize then?

Church Date set Rings Bought
Marriage License
Bride Dress, Bolero & Hoop Bought Crown Tiara-being made Shoes, jewellry
Groom Suit Shoes-his own Shirt/waistcoat & Cravat
Best Man Shirt, Trousers & Tie
Bride's Dad Shirt, Trousers & Tie
I's Suit/Shirt/waistcoat & Cravat and Shoes
O's Dress and Shoes
Flowers - bouquet and pinholes
Invitations
Reception Venue Booked Buffet Booked-To pay
Wedding Cake, Cake Topper-being made, Camera's, Favours
Photography by Oliver for free courtesy of Gumtree Ad

We have the church for a donation, so we will donate at least £50 to this, need to check the license prices.
C is selling some jewellry given to him after his Father passed away, it was his choice and it means we will be buying some very expensive rings.
We will be hiring the groom, I and father's suits, and my dress wil be preloved and liekly from ebay, like O's dress will be.
I would like fresh flowers so need to look into costs for this too, and will make our invitations myself.
For the reception I would like somehwere with an outside space, so a public house would be fine, nothing flash and no sit down meal.

24th March 2011

We are meeting with our priest tonight, 6pm!!!  I am so excited, I am also so worried, I have read varying articles that speak about church costs and frankly I know if it's much more than £200 there's no way we can do this, we will not be able to afford everything with that cost too, so we're hoping and praying for a miracle.

Our priest is so nice, he is also so funny, we had a lovely meeting and basically filled in our details and chose a date, although the date we chose needs to be changed already because we didn't think and chose a date when the children go back to school and it might effect our friends being there.  Anyway, the next day I posted a letter to change this date and it will be verified next week at our second meeting!

The meeting basically explained the basics and we waited patiently for the dreaded cost.  It never came.  And so just as we were saying our goodbyes, I asked him, how much would the service be?  He told us not to worry about that, he told us to give what we could afford, he said to hand in an envelope with a donation of our choosing.

A miracle indeed.

January 2011

So we have decide we are going to get married. 
How did we decide this?  Well...

I always said I would like for us to be married before my son started school, and C had always said he would like to marry me too, and I said OK then, we will do this before our son starts school.  This was years ago, and our son starts reception class in september this year. 

I mentioned this to our priest whilst having some forms signed for my son's school application.  He asked why we hadn't married already and I told him we just didn't have the money.  He said to call in and see him with C at some point soon to discuss it.  This was in January, and when I told C what I had discussed with our priest he was seemingly happy and excited about it, and that's when I knew we would get married this year.