Oooops

So..... I may have fallen off the face of the Blogging Earth, but I have good reasons, i promise.
The last few weeks leading up to the wedding were absolutely hectic. And i promise a full update very very soon. But in short, our function co-ordinator for our reception royally screwed us over. The last few weeks were spent fixing her mistakes and omissions. I will expand later.

I promise that the next few posts will contain updates on....
- The Hens Night
- The weeks leading up to the wedding
- The Night before the wedding
- The wedding day itself (It was a superb day)
- And what we've been up to since. Life has been hectic crazy

So here is my apology to my faithful followers and I will try to get back into a regular blogging regime as soon as I can :)

Love yas!

It's time to Party Harty!

It's my Hen's night this Saturday 4th July. Quite apt i think. The Americans will be celebrating Independance Day, And i will be celebrating my loss of independance (well sort of)! Or maybe it's a new kind of independance? Luke and I will be starting our own family, and we will be independant from our parents. I like that :)

It's going to be an action packed day. Hair and Make-up trials in the morning, then we'll trip on out to South Bank for some fun. I don't know what kind of fun yet, the girls have stuff planned AND THEY WON'T TELL ME WHAT IT IS!!!! hahaha oh well. I can see myself being hugely embarrassed though. hmmmm.............Then after my embarrassement has been complete, we'll be having dinner at Ahmets, an awesome Turkish restaurant (I think it has Belly Dancing on saturday nights ;P ) Then back to Luke's house where we'll be staying and watching girly movies and eating some junk food :)

Luke is having his Bucks night the same night. He'll be going to paintball skirmish and then out on the town with some of his mates. He'll have fun :) He went to paintball a few weeks ago and was covered in bruises and even a couple of sores where people had shot him point blank and broken the skin! Ouch! Oh well, that'll learn him :P haha

Can't wait!

I need to get my backside into gear!

With just 6 weeks and less than a handful of days to the wedding, i seriously need to get my little tushy into gear. I have looked and looked and looked at ceremonies and run sheets and all that jazz, but i just can't get one made up for my own ceremony. No matter how hard i look at it and try to piece things together, i CANNOT get any semblance of order. I need help. Serious help. The expensive kind.

There's so many things to consider.....

Pre-ceremony music
Processional music
Will my dad give me away, or will dad AND mum give me away OR will BOTH sets of parents gives us to eachother?
Will i have my veil over my face?
Will dad lift it off? Or will Luke?
What hymns will we sing?
Will our pastor give a little sermon? If so, how long?
How will the vows work?
Register signing music
Recessional music

Is is too late to elope?

Take a gander over here -----> Test Blog

Now i know that some of you don't like to comment on how other people's blogs look.....but....i need someone to tell me if this is going to be too complicated....... So tell me what you think......

A New look....

Tell me what you think.
Do you like this new one? Or did you prefer the old one?

It's a piece of cake.....

Cake. What can i say about cake. It's glorious. It's also gloriously bad for you. Especially when there are layers of chocolate and cream invloved. Or maybe even layers of fondant icing.

It's a piece of cake <---- Check it out

Do you know how hard it is to find a nice simple, uncomplicated wedding cake? It's extraordinarily hard. It's even harder to find one that a certain fussy Hubby-2-be would like. I scoured the internet for hours and hours. I compiled a folder of images to show him. When i had enough to show him so he could help make a decision, the conversation went something like this....

Me: Hey, can you look at these cakes with me and we'll see if we can make a decision today?

Luke: I guess so

*Open up the images and start to scroll through them*

Me: do you like any of these?

Luke: They're ok

*continue to scroll through them*

Luke: no....no....no.... no...no....maybe.....no..... kinda.....no....no.... that's ok.......maybe.... *indecipherable noise*........no

Me: AHHHHHHH! You insuferable man!

Luke: *dopey look* What?

Of the 30 or so pictures i had found, he "liked" 2 of them. Then i found this one......



Isn't it pretty :) And our beautiful cake topper to go with it.....







And the best bit......LUKE LIKE'S THEM!!!


:)

A dress! A dress! My kingdom for a dress!!!

That was the dress I wanted. It looked magnificent. However it was going to cost $2200. I thought about, and i thought about it some more, but i couldn't justify spending that much on a dress. Then a "friend" who runs an online bridal shop said that she could have it made for me for $1000. Well, i jumped at the chance. I thought all my christmases had come at once. So i sent my measurements away and my deposit. In January. She said i would have it in February. February rolls round, and i asked her where my dress was. She said "oh, just 2 more weeks, i promise".

So I waited.

And I waited

And I waited some more.

March.

"Oh I'm really sorry but my dressmaker has run away with your deposit and won't be making your dress." She tells me.

I nearly fainted. I rang up the dress shop wher i had tried it on. Due to the "economic crisis" (what a cop out) the dress was now going to cost me $2750 and i wouldn't get it till 2 weeks before the wedding!!!! I did faint. At work. hmmmmm.

I had a cry and resigned myself to the fact that i was going to have to find a new dress. Then my "friend" rang me and said she could get another dressmaker to make it. I thought i'd give it another chance.

So a new set of measurements and another deposit are sent. And i settle down to wait a little longer. And i waited.

And i waited. (lucky I'm a patient person)

May. I get an email.

"your dress will be here in a week, it's being couriered to me right now." Fair enough.

"I can't bring your dress to you. I'll send it to you" Ok

"Sorry, my husband was meant to take it to the post office last week, i just found it in the back of the car, I sent it express today" (now i'm starting to get really ticked off) Ok

A week later (so much for express), i turned up to luke's house after work one day and he said i had a parcel. He came out with a standard pre-paid express post parcel bag. A little smaller than an A3 page in size.

I didn't know what it could be, i hadn't ordered anyhting that size. I ripped it open.

*thud* That's the sound of me fainting in luke's front yard.

It was my dress. Folded up and shoved in an express bag.

*insert a string of expletives here*

I pulled it out and straight away i knew it was wrong. ALL WRONG!!! The colour was wrong. The material was wrong. Where there was meant to be beading, there was lace with some sequins sewn on. Where there was meant to be crystals scattered in the skirt, there was cheap beads. The size was wrong. The flower hitch was about 3 inches lower then wht it should have been. The layer of lace was missing, in it's place was some lace sewn to the edge of the outer layer. THERE WAS NO TRAIN!!!

Well i let her know in no uncertain terms that i would not be wearing the dress of paying for it. She told me to keep it and sell it if i wanted to. And it left me 2 months to get a dress. Most places require 3 months minimum.

I cried. It was bound to happen though. Everything else has been way to easy, something had to go wrong eventually. I just wish it wasn't my dress.

So i went on an emergency dress shopping expedition. I was going to wait till the saturday, but decided to go on the wednesday. And I'm lucky i did. I went to the shop that had the dress that was my second choice originally. I paid a deposit and headed home. Then i get a phonecall.

"We've just been informed that our shop will be closing today due to renovations, all our stock is being shipped to Sydney. When you have paid for your dress it will be couriered directly to you, or you can come and pick it up and pay for it today."

Oh hell no. I was not letting my dress go to Sydney. I was not going to have drama's with this dress like i had with the first one. I headed back to the city and paid for the dress and took it home that day.

And you know what. I like it just as much (maybe even more) than the first dress. I think i was meant to have this one from the start. It's beautiful. But i won't put pictures up, it's a surprise :)

So a happy ending to a long and drawn out saga. I've learnt my lesson.

Time for an Update

Heads up, this is a pretty boring post, but......time to update that list of mine........

This is what it looked like last time I posted it

1 Bonbonniere
2 Bridal Accessories - Handbag
3 Bridal Accessories - Tiara/Headdress/Accessories
4 Bridal Accessories - Veil
5 Bridesmaids Accessories - Handbags
6 Bridesmaids Accessories - Headpieces
7 Bridesmaids Accessories - Jewellery
8 Bridesmaids Accessories - Shoes
9 Bridesmaids Accessories - Stockings
10 Bridesmaids Accessories - Underwear
11 Change of name and address kit
12 Church/Ceremony – Rehearsal
13 Church/Ceremony – Vows, readings
14 Flowers - Church/Ceremony
15 Flowers - Reception
16 Gifts for attendants
17 Groomsmen’s outfits
18 Hair and Beauty - Manicurist
19 Health and Fitness - massage
20 Hens night
21 Lawyer – Update wills
22 Marriage license
23 MC
24 Music -- Church/Ceremony
25 Music -- Reception
26 Reception Venue - Decorations
27 Reception Venue - Table Centres
28 Something blue
29 Something borrowed
30 Something new
31 Something old
32 Speeches
33 Stationery - Bonbonniere cards
34 Stationery - Hymn/Ceremony books
35 Stationery - Menu/Wine list
36 Stationery - Place cards
37 Stationery - Table seating plan
38 Stationery - Thank you cards
39 Transport – Wedding cars


and this is what it looks like now....

Bonbonniere
Bridal Accessories - Tiara/Headdress/Accessories
Change of name and address kit
Church/Ceremony – Vows, readings
Flowers - Church/Ceremony
Flowers - Reception
Gifts for attendants
Groomsmen’s outfits
Hair and Beauty - Manicurist
Hens night
Marriage license
Music -- Church/Ceremony
Music -- Reception
Reception Venue - Decorations
Something blue
Something borrowed
Speeches
Stationery - Bonbonniere cards
Stationery - Hymn/Ceremony books
Stationery - Menu/Wine list
Stationery - Place cards
Stationery - Table seating plan
Stationery - Thank you cards
Transport – Wedding cars

:D YAY!!!! Not much left to do now :)

oh, and I have a very interesting dress related post coming up very soon, i promise :)

The Honeymooners

I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when i'll be back again.......

Well it's not really a jet plane....and i do know when i'll be back, so that song doesn't really fit, but it is stuck in my head and it is the only song i could think of that remotely relates to holidays. :)

Our honeymoon is booked!!! 5 Nights on the gorgeous Hamilton Island, staying at the Palm Bungalo's Resort. Continental breakfast every morning, free access to all the non-powered water equipment, a gorgeous beach front bungalow. What more could I want?!

Let me just share with you some of the things we can look forward to....

I'm getting a tan just thinking about all that sun!

Let me introduce my Future Hubby (Should have done this a long time ago)

He is awesome.


And this is him coming to the rescue during the flooding we had last week......

Luke and his Trusty 4WD

He's in it very briefly, but he is the "good Samaritan" who came to the rescue of the man stuck in the water.


:D

How do I love thee?

(Disclaimer: This is a soppy sad entry, if you don't like emotion, don't read it)

Let me share with you what I'm feeling today through the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning


How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

I am missing Luke today. He is away in NSW on camping/4WD'ing trip for the weekend and I am house sitting for him. Last night the house was quiet. It was dark and it was lonely. And all i could think about was the flooding in NSW right now. Where he is supposed to be. With no reception. I can't get in contact with him. And I miss him. It's an almost physical ache.

I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Lists, lists and some more lists.

Hello my trusty followers :)

I thought i would share with you just one or two of the wonderful lists that i have been working from to plan our wedding. It has been a mammoth effort, but thankfully i can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. The first list I have for you is really quite monstrous. But it has been a fantastic help. It lists absolutely everything you need for a wedding. I'll put the whole list up here, just for effect, but we're not having a couple of the things that are on here, i'll put a little * next to those :)

1 Announcements *
2 Bonbonniere
3 Bridal Accessories - Garter
4 Bridal Accessories - Handbag
5 Bridal Accessories - Jewellery
6 Bridal Accessories - Shoes
7 Bridal Accessories - Stockings
8 Bridal Accessories - Tiara/Headdress
9 Bridal Accessories - Underwear
10 Bridal Accessories - Veil
11 Bridal Gown
12 Bridal Party/Attendants
13 Bridal Shower
14 Bridesmaids Accessories - Handbags
15 Bridesmaids Accessories - Headpieces
16 Bridesmaids Accessories - Jewellery
17 Bridesmaids Accessories - Shoes
18 Bridesmaids Accessories - Stockings
19 Bridesmaids Accessories - Underwear
20 Bridesmaids Gowns
21 Bucks Night
22 Budget for Wedding expenses
23 Cake
24 Caterer *
25 Change of name and address kit
26 Church/Ceremony – Celebrant *
27 Church/Ceremony – Minister
28 Church/Ceremony – Rehearsal
29 Church/Ceremony – Vows, readings
30 Church/Ceremony – Wedding classes *
31 Church/Ceremony – Location/Venue
32 Consultant/Planner *
33 Flowers - Bride
34 Flowers - Bridesmaids
35 Flowers - Church/Ceremony
36 Flowers - Flowergirls *
37 Flowers - Groom
38 Flowers - Groomsmen
39 Flowers - Home *
40 Flowers - Page boys/Ushers *
41 Flowers - Parents/Grandparents
42 Flowers - Reception
43 Gift Registry
44 Gifts for attendants
45 Grooms Outfit
46 Groomsmen’s outfits
47 Guest book
48 Guest list
49 Hair and Beauty - Beautician
50 Hair and Beauty - Dentist
51 Hair and Beauty - Doctor
52 Hair and Beauty - Hairdresser
53 Hair and Beauty - Make-up
54 Hair and Beauty - Manicurist
55 Health and Fitness - gym/aerobics *
56 Health and Fitness - massage
57 Hens night
58 Lawyer – Prenuptials *
59 Lawyer – Update wills
60 Marriage license
61 MC
62 Music -- Church/Ceremony
63 Music -- Reception
64 Photographer
65 Reception Venue - Bridal Table
66 Reception Venue - Choose
67 Reception Venue - Decorations
68 Reception Venue - Food and wine
69 Reception Venue - Table Centres
70 Rings
71 Something blue
72 Something borrowed
73 Something new
74 Something old
75 Speeches
76 Stationery
77 Stationery - Bonbonniere cards
78 Stationery - Hymn/Ceremony books
79 Stationery - Invitations
80 Stationery - Menu/Wine list
81 Stationery - Place cards
82 Stationery - RSVPs *
83 Stationery - Table seating plan
84 Stationery - Thank you cards
85 Taxi to hotel
86 Theme the Wedding
87 Transport – Groom to ceremony
88 Transport – To hotel
89 Transport – Wedding cars
90 Travel – Honeymoon
91 Travel – Passports *
92 Travel – Vaccinations
93 Videographer
94 Wedding date
95 Wedding night accommodation

So that's the whole list. And this is what i have left :)

1 Bonbonniere
2 Bridal Accessories - Handbag
3 Bridal Accessories - Tiara/Headdress/Accessories
4 Bridal Accessories - Veil
5 Bridesmaids Accessories - Handbags
6 Bridesmaids Accessories - Headpieces
7 Bridesmaids Accessories - Jewellery
8 Bridesmaids Accessories - Shoes
9 Bridesmaids Accessories - Stockings
10 Bridesmaids Accessories - Underwear
11 Change of name and address kit
12 Church/Ceremony – Rehearsal
13 Church/Ceremony – Vows, readings
14 Flowers - Church/Ceremony
15 Flowers - Reception
16 Gifts for attendants
17 Groomsmen’s outfits
18 Hair and Beauty - Manicurist
19 Health and Fitness - massage
20 Hens night
21 Lawyer – Update wills
22 Marriage license
23 MC
24 Music -- Church/Ceremony
25 Music -- Reception
26 Reception Venue - Decorations
27 Reception Venue - Table Centres
28 Something blue
29 Something borrowed
30 Something new
31 Something old
32 Speeches
33 Stationery - Bonbonniere cards
34 Stationery - Hymn/Ceremony books
35 Stationery - Menu/Wine list
36 Stationery - Place cards
37 Stationery - Table seating plan
38 Stationery - Thank you cards
39 Transport – Wedding cars

A few of those things we have worked out what we are doing, but haven't actually organised them properly yet, so the list is probably about half of that really. And I'm hoping to get the Bridesmaids stuff sorted this weekend :)

I love writing lists. I actually have a list of all my lists, but i won't show you that, you might think i'm a tiny bit crazy. except you probably already think that, which is totally ok, because i am crazy.

My First Follower

I thought it was post worthy. You may not.



But i just noticed that i have my first follower!! Party!!!

Thanks Taz :)

You are invited

Well, it's been a while since i last blogged. I've been busy busy busy....but you know what. I don't feel like I've gotten much further with the planning :(

BUT!!!! (there's always a but)

We started our invitations on the weekend. They are going to look awesome...if i do say so myself.

This is what they should look like when they're finished. We based it on the one on the left.(keep in mind that the picture is of a menu, not an invite hehehe)



I think they're pretty :)

Do you (Groom) take (Bride)..........

I'm getting really excited. All the big, expensive, annoying, expensive, hard to organise, expensive, hard to decide on, expensive things are out of the way (Did i mention expensive?.... I think so). That includes, my dress, Luke's kilt, the girls bridesmaids dresses, the cake, the rings, the ceremony location, the reception venue, the celebrant and the cars. Now i get to organise the important things, like the ceremony itself. This is the part i have been looking forward to the most [except for the dress perhaps ;) ].

There's so many exciting things to plan. The processional and recessional music, the readings, the vows, signing the register music, hyms/songs, do i include a sand or candle ceremony? What order should the bridesmaids walk down the aisle? Veil over my face, or not? If it is over my face, should my dad flip it over, or should luke?

Like is said, all the good stuff.

And, industrious as i am, i decided that i would look at vows at work today. What else am i meant to do at work? Work? Pffft! tee hee hee.

Luke and i have both decided that we want to have traditional vows. Do you know how many different types of traditional vows there are? Have a look here, it gives you an idea.

I like the sound of this one.... It's the Baptist Wedding Vows

"Will you, _______, have _____ to be your wife/husband? Will you love her/him, comfort and keep her/him, and forsaking all other remain true to him/her as long as you both shall live?"

("I will")

(Repeat) "I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/husband, and before God and these witnesses I promise to be a faithful and true wife/husband."

(Rings) "With this ring I thee wed, and all my worldly goods I thee endow. In sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, 'til death do us part."

But i'm not too sure. I really want to include the proper Questions of Intention....which look something like this.

Will you please, as an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, now please join your hands.

(Groom's Name), do you take (Bride's Name) to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage. Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health And forsaking all others, be faithful only to her. So long as you both shall live?

(Groom's Name): “I do”

(Bride's Name), do you take (Groom's Name) to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health And forsaking all others, be faithful only to him So long as you both shall live?

(Bride's Name): “ I do”


That's when i found the Zion Wedding Vows....

"I, _____, take thee, _____, to be my wedded husband/wife.To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse,for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,to love and to cherish, till death do us part.According to God's holy ordinance, and thereto Ipledge thee my faith."

Groom:I promise you ____________, that I will be your loving and loyal husbandfrom now on.I will share with you all of life's joyand sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.

Bride:I promise you ____________, that I will be your loving and loyal wifefrom now on.I will share with you all of life's joy andsorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.

So i thought i might do some tweaking, mix them together and see what i can come up with. But i might have to do that at home....i really probably should do some work......

Shoes! Glorious Shoes!!!

I was reminded by Swift Jan that i hadn't yet done a post about my shoes. She also reminded me that i had mentioned that i was interested in getting tartan shoes. Well i tried. But none of the tartan shoes i found looked any good. Well they looked ok, but not really i wanted for my wedding day. Here's a couple....

See, they're nice, i especially love the first pair. But none of them are green. I CAN NOT find green tartan shoes. Poo.

So i thought, hey, i'll get some shoes covered in the same tartan as Lukes kilt.


No Go.

I can't get any material the same as Lukes. The kilt place only sells the tartan material in Kilt form. Oh well. So i changed my train of thought.

I'll just get a nice pair of shoes. I love shoes, it can't be too hard to find the right pair can it?

Wrong.

I fell in love with wayyyyyy to many pairs..... Here's a couple....

And I love them. The first 2 the most. They are gorgeous. And then i stumbled across this style......

So i bought these for my wedding.........

They go perfectly with the ivory and black theme :)

And these, well i bought them because they are gorgeous and they were cheap as.

I might just go look at some more shoes now :)

P.S. If you're wondering where i got them cheap....check out http://www.after9am.com.au/ They have an awesome sale going on at the moment. I got both of my pairs from here, one set for %19.90 the other for $29.90 and it's something like $10 for postage. So incredibly cheap, considering they were up at $70 or $80 :) I love bargains :)

Inspiration Boards

I like to think that i have a creative streak. "Like to think" being the opperative words. I have all these grand plans to do all these grand crafty things....but they never come to fruition. I like to blame it on leading a busy life. But i know that's not true.



I'm just lazy.



I've been wanting to do an inspiration board for my wedding. Pick out my absolute favourite pictures in each category and arrange it all on a pretty board etc etc. It hasn't happened. Why?



Because I'm lazy.



I have a scrap book full of stuff for my wedding. I have a page for most things.... dresses, bridesmaids, groom stuff, flowers etc etc. But it's not finished. And I doubt I'll finish it. Why?




Because I'm lazy.




Well, during some of my best laziness internet surfing, I came across a wonderful site. You can make your own inspiration boards right here. They have thousands of pictures, and you can upload your own as well. And why do i love this website?




Because I'm lazy.




:)





How about I share some with you........ This was my first attempt, and i'm rather please with it, even if it has nothing to do with weddings....







And this one which is defintiely more wedding related....




This one too....






And this last one also has nothign to do with weddings, i was just indulging myself in my love of vintage antiquity :)

Rain on your Wedding Day

You may picture a perfect day of blue skies and sunshine, but what if it rains on your wedding day?

If you are planning to host your wedding outdoors, you need to have a solid Plan B. You certainly don't want to be in a situation where you are scrambling to come up with options for a second location an hour before your ceremony!

• Your alternate location should be: Within easy distance from your outdoor location so you can move the decorations and furniture from your original location without fuss.

• Easy for your guests to access - remember parking, cover to and from the car park etc.
  
• Easy for you to let your guests know about. Ideally, you should be able to use good signage to redirect your guests, but if you have time, you could have one of your groomsmen or a favourite uncle who is sitting around aimlessly before the event ring your guests to let them know about the change. (And have that favourite uncle mind the family phone for you during your preparations, as guests are sure to ring to see if the location has changed).
  
• Most importantly, it should be a place where you feel comfortable conducting your wedding. You don't want to look back and be disappointed. Also, do remember that you're getting married to the man (or woman) you love, so it's less about the decor and more about committing yourself to this person in front of the people you love.

You should always discuss Plan B with your family, wedding party, venue, wedding planner and other vendors. It's important that your florist and decorator, for example, know what Plan B is in case there are changes to be made to the arrangements and decorations if you do move sites.

Most importantly, try not to be disappointed with the weather. In many cultures, rain on a wedding day is considered good luck and symbolic of a fresh start. In the Hindu tradition, for instance, rain on a wedding day signals a strong marriage, as a wet knot is harder to untie. Or as the old Italian saying goes: "Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunate" - a wet bride is a lucky bride.

And believe it or not, some couples are hoping for rainy day weddings. Why? A warm, summer rain can provide a beautiful backdrop to a unique wedding ceremony. And with wedding favours such as pretty weatherproof parasols, guests can enjoy the fun and festivities without getting soaked!

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti

Music. It's fantastic isn't it. There is so much music out there that i absolutely love. So picking wedding music shouldn't be a problem, right?

Wrong.

How on earth do i narrow the list down to just a couple of songs? I don't know how i'm going to do it. This might help though............

Selecting Your Wedding Ceremony Music

What music should you choose as you walk down the aisle? Remember, you don't have to stick with "Here comes the bride!" A quartet is a popular choice for your wedding ceremony but there are many others which can add to the ambience of your wedding day. These include:

• A string trio
• A woodwind instrument
• A soloist
• Traditional organ
• A harpist
• Piano
• A band
• Personal music player (such as an iPod)

You’re not limited to one option either - you may choose a quartet for your ceremony, a pianist for your cocktail hour and a band for your reception.

You can find wedding musicians on most wedding directories or in magazines. However you may have some talented friends, a talented local musician, or may even consider asking a university or college if their musicians are available to play at weddings.

Here’s a rundown of the ‘types’ of music chosen for your wedding ceremony.

Prelude

Typically you should choose 4-5 songs for when guests are entering the ceremony location. These provide background music and can set the tone for your event. A light-hearted celebratory tune will get guests into the mood. These songs are also known as the prelude and usually start about 20 minutes before the stated ceremony start time.

• Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring - Bach
• Can’t Help Falling In Love - Elvis
• Air On The G String - Bach
• Heaven (Candlelight mix) - DJ Sammy

Processional

Next up is choosing a song for your walk down the aisle, otherwise known as the processional. Some weddings may have a different song for the bridesmaids to the bride, signalling the importance of the bride’s entry and giving her a dramatic moment.

• Only Time - Enya
• Wedding March - Wagner
• Canon In D - Pachelbel
• Kissing You - Des’ree
• Wedding Processional From The Sound Of Music - Rodgers & Hammerstein
• Trumpet Voluntary - Jeremiah Clarke/Purcell

Interlude

During the ceremony, you might choose to have special songs play. Perhaps during the signing of the registry or during a special ceremony, such as the sand ceremony. You may even choose to have a close family member of friend sing a song that’s special to you. Known as the interlude, this part of the ceremony can be a great place to put more of your special songs that are personal to you.

• Ava Maria
• The Rose - Bette Midler
• Songbird - Eva Cassidy
• Sheep May Safetly Graze - Bach
• Clare De Lune - Claude Debussy
• Your Song - Elton John

Recessional

Walking back down the aisle is one of the happiest parts of a wedding day - the music should be upbeat, vibrant and celebratory! This is known as the recessional.

• Trumpet Voluntary - Clarke
• All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
• In My Life - The Beatles
• How Sweet It Is - Michael Buble
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
• A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Prolude

As the guests leave the church or ceremony venue and gather outside, more music plays. This is known as the prolude. The songs picked for this should be joyous and with a happy beat.

• Love & Marriage - Frank Sinatra
• So Happy Together - The Turtles
• Better Together - Jack Johnson
• For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
• My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone

Extra tips

Couples should keep in mind the tempo and length of the song as well as the length of your aisle. Have a backup plan if you’re using a CD or portable music player in case these fail. And listen to the lyrics of your chosen songs. Some just don’t work for a wedding! If you can’t do without a piece of music but the lyrics are inappropriate, consider using an instrumental version instead.

I dare you to deny it..........

Although Luke might have something to say about it ;)

Bridesmaids Pre-nup??

How far would you go to ensure that your wedding day was nothing less than perfect?

I was surfing the internet a while ago and i stumbled across something very interesting.... to be specific a Bridesmaid Pre-Nup!

They were saying how some brides actually setup a contract for their bridesmaids (mainly in the UK but I can see this taking off in alot more places) and can be drawn up and used as a legal document!

So here it is..........

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BRIDESMAID CONTRACT

I, .......... bridesmaid for ............., hereby swear that I will adhere to all of the following and all other unspoken duties as bridesmaid on and leading up to the wedding day, .......................

-- I will not gain more than 3 kilos between now and the wedding

-- I will not change my hair dramatically in colour, length or style without prior consultation with the bride

-- I will take extra care of my hair, skin and nails in the run up to the wedding

-- I will attend all pre-wedding events including bridal shower, hen night, dress fittings and makeup appointments

-- I will agree to wear a dress of the brides choosing, regardless of my own opinions about style or colour

-- I will not wear any extra accessories, items of clothing or jewellery at the wedding unless pre-approved by the bride

-- I will not intentionally fall pregnant before the wedding

-- I will do my best to support the bride in an eventuality

-- I will not consume more than 10 units of alcohol during the reception

-- I will not bring an inappropriate date to the wedding or reception

-- I will not make advances towards any inappropriate male guests attending the reception

-- I will not remove any item of my Bridesmaid outfit during the reception

-- I will keep my hair and makeup fresh at all times

-- I will be happy and positive at all times during the wedding and reception

-- I will not attempt to out-do the bride in any way



.......................................... (Bridesmaid)
(sign, print and date)



.......................................... (Bride)
(sign, print and date)


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Wasn't that interesting. I couldn't stop laughing when i read it. And i just had to show my bridesmaids. They also though it was hilarious. Luckily I'm not some crazed bridezilla, i won't be asking my girls to sign this, but i can imagine that some people would.


Crazy

What was she thinking?

Some brides have a mentality that it's their wedding day and they are going to be the most attractive woman there on the day. I'm realistic, i know there are prettier women out there, but i would never go to the extent of putting my bridesmaids in horrendous dresses just to make myself feel and look better.

Here's some examples from brides who felt differently..... (I have tried to avoid the obvious era related shockers....)

I thought i'd start with one that's not too bad, but it's still pretty off.

The next one is one of those recent fashions that don't look good on anyone, but high end fashionistas seem to think it's the best thing anyone ever came up with

This one is the wrong colour, the wrong style....just gross.......

Bride: "What kind of dress would you like to wear"

Bridesmaid: "Something nice and simple, maybe something i could wear again"

Bride: "Nah, i think i'll get you to wear an accordian. Yeah, that'll look great!"

Bridesmaid: *smacks the bride in the head after the wedding*

Bride: I wonder what kind of look i want my bridesmaids to have......I know......TRAMPY!!!

I thought i'd sneak this last one in, it's another horrendous bridal gown......well gown is a bit of a stretch.....you'll see......

See what i mean about it being a stretch??

My Bad

I haven't posted in a while. Been hectic busy. A new post is coming soon, i promise. Brace yourselves for horrendous bridesmaids dresses :P

Walk this way...

Just thought i would post a little funny for you all to chuckle at. This is after our dress shopping escapade, just bumming around at my BM's house.



(the bouquet is courtesy of their sister's wedding)

3 little bridesmaids, all in a row.....

Yesterday was bridesmaids dresses day. It was a very eventful day, the car trip was very interesting (I'll tell you more later). I scoured the net and managed to narrow it down to 3 stores that i wanted to visit. Out of those three, two of them were successful. We found 3 dresses that we like and now i'm trying to figure out which one i like best.

They're all really cute and i really don't know which one to pick.


1. This one is cute, it's simple and it's a very flattering style. It's also easily worn again, so the girls won't have a dress hanging in their wardrobes that they'll never wear again.

2. This is also cute and simple and easily worn again

3. This is my last option. I love it, and it looks 100% better on the girls. This picture just doesn't do it justice. I'm just not too sure on the re-wearability of it....



So now you see my dilema.......



As for the car trip. We had a Navman. I thought, sweet this'll be a breeze. Was it?

No.

Was it confusing?

Yes.

Did it tell me to go places that didn't exist?

Yes, several times.

We were driving along and the silly woman said to turn left onto the pacific motorway. One problem, that's a carpark on the left, not the motorway. The next "exit" was some dead end street. Hmmmm, not going so well. It was freaking out and telling us to do U-turns and all that jazz. We decided that we would drive along the main road until it came up with a new route. Which it did....eventually.

The next problem.....we're driving along and we come to a kind of intersection. There was a sign on the right that said "Montague Road - to Gold coast - Logan Road". I however didn't know where we were meant to go. One of my BM's was directing me. She's sitting there quietly contemplating montague road. Meanwhile i'm in the middle of 2 lanes. Freaking out. Possibly yelling "What do i do, what do i do". Meanwhile, she's sitting there still thinking in her head that we should go right, but not verbalising it. My other BM was in the back laughing her head off.

I went right eventually.

Here comes the groom.....in a kilt

My dear hubby to be has decided he will wear a kilt on our wedding day. Yep, that's right, a kilt. I thought he was joking at first, but turns out he was serious. And I have to admit that the idea is growing on me. I think he'll look rahter spiffy actually.

Now, before you ask, yes he does have scottish heritage. His grandfather was scottish.

And before you ask the even more obvious question.....no, i don't know what scottish guys wear under their kilts. But given the wedding will be in August (here in Australia it's usually pretty windy in August) I hope that he'll wear something. I don't care what it is, as long as he doesn't indecently expose himself if caught in an updraft.

This is the closes we can find to his family tartan on the net



And this is what the whole outfit will look like



This piccie shows you the shoes and high socks that come with it. The outfit even comes with a knife thingy that tucks into the top of the sock, how cool is that :D

We're not sure if he will be wearing the shoulder sash, as the pin that holds it is traditionally your family crest, and luke doesn't have one of those. But i still think he'll look spiffy :)

I'll be having a tartan ribbon tied around my bouquet and i'm trying to find some tartan shoes but i'm not having much luck, but that's ok, because you probably won't see the shoes in the end anyway.

stop and smell the roses....

Time for some flowers :) There are some absolutely gorgeous arrangements on the net. But the one I fell in love with.......


The only difference is that I will be having a tartan ribbon around the stems. And that's because the lovely hubby to be has decided to wear a kilt (But that's a whole other post).

I went to the florist the other day, ordered them, and decided on fake flowers. Here's hoping that they turn out ok. (think positive....positive thoughts. They WILL be beautiful).

The florist can't get me any samples for another week or so because the poor girl was swamped under by Valentines day. While i was in there she had about 10 other people come in to place orders for flowers (roses mainly of course), poor thing. So I'll get to see some samples in a few weeks and then we'll go from there :)

So freaking excited though. Everything is startig to fall into place. Which is good, given theres just over 5 months to go *insert HUGE grin here*

Now for the bottom 5......

I can't show you the top of my list without showing you the ones that bottomed out....hard


First up we have Katie Price AKA Jordan......



Next we have....well you'll see.....



Now this one. Take a guess at how many Carrats of diamonds are in it. I'll give you a clue. It's more than 149 and less than151.....and the veil, well money can't buy taste obviously



And this one. I just don't get it.


And finally. This one. I can't imagine how uncomfortable it must be. In case you're wondering, yes, it is a crouquembouche



Well you get the point :)

Top 5

I thought i'd start where any bride would start....with the dress. And what better way then to narrow it down to my top 5 favourite dresses.

I Have, of course, found my dress. And it is on this list. But I don't want to give away to much :)

1. This dress is gorgeous. And it actually looks 100% better on a person then it does on this model.


2. This dress....well it speaks for itself really. It is stunning


3. This dress goes perfectly with our theme. It is stunningly gorgeous.

I just love the touch of black lace. Elegance and old world charm

4. Some exquisite detail....

5. And this....well it's not exactly a dress, but i absolutely love it.......
So i guess you'll just have to wait and see which one i've chosen :)