New Blog!

Hi everyone! Just a very brief email to advise that I now have a new blog..thanks to all of those that have followed/read/commented on this blog and followed me on my journey to wedded bliss!

My direction has now changed, but still focusing on weddings. If you get a chance, please stop by!

http://smdweddingsaus.wordpress.com/

Sarahxx

..married life begins!

My husband and I have now been married 27 days! It has been the most blissful 27 days one could imagine (well mainly because I haven't gone back to work yet!) I am in the process of trying to obtain my marriage certificate, which for the most part has been a huge pain in the ass, but I am just taking things as they come! The journey to wedded bliss has not been without issues, but it has definitely been the most exciting/rewarding/amazing time in my life so far, and I am looking forward to spending many many many more of those days together with my Husband. I am dabbling in the idea of potentially starting my own wedding planning business, but this is off in the distant future.I would love to be able to help other brides-to-be! I will need to start thinking of other ways to occupy my time (other than with my husband), now that planning my wedding is over. So i guess this brings to an end my blog. I hope to continue blogging into the future- I am yet to decide on any particular project yet, but I will keep everyone posted! I hope that even if I have just inspired/helped one person, the task I set out to complete has been achieved. Thanks to all of those that have read my blog, you guys are the ones that kept me motivated to write!! Sx

..a few Honeymoon happy snaps!

Honeymooners!

So after our wedding night at the gorgeous River View Hotel in Hamilton, we woke up to the view of our Cruise Ship in the harbour. Oh boy had I been looking forward to this day for 18 months!!! I was so frieken excited and I could not wait to get on board and sip my first cocktail! Getting on board went really smoothly and the highlight of the sail away party was standing on the top deck, sipping a cocktail, going under the story bridge. Our room was perfect, and included a big window so we could enjoy the view! Our time on board was mostly spent eating and drinking. The food was incredible and the cocktails were an amazing price. We spent far too much money on massages but it was so worth it! We spent a couple of hours in Airlie Beach, a day in Cairns where we visited Kuranda, and a day on Green Island. We had the most relaxing 7 days on board the boat, and couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a shame that it had to come to an end, although my ass and thighs were definitely happy! For those looking for a relaxing holiday, a cruise has it all, cocktails, food, live shows, casino, pools, gym, a full day spa, comedy club, the list just goes on. It was the best money we spent and was a great way to meet new people!

Let them eat cake!

So, the reception was indeed the time for everyone to have a little fun! Our MC, a close family friend, did the most amazing job. The guests were kept laughing all night! The food was absolutely amazing, and surpassed all of our expectations. Unfortunately they stuffed up the order of the tables and my parents were last to eat! By the time mum got to the roast pork they had run out of crackling! She politely made a comment that there was no pork crackling left for the mother of the bride, and the chef hand delivered a full bowl of crackling to my mum, which she absolutely loved!

Once everyone had stuffed their faces, the formalities begun. The speeches were well written, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. For the first time in my life, my Daddy shed a tear or two! The Best Man's speech was fantastic and my Husband and I are now know by our mashed up celebrity name of Saristopher!! As I had planned as a bit of light hearted fun, we cut the wedding cup cakes to "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard, everyone had a good laugh! Our first dance was an amazing moment, one that I will never forget! The song will no doubt be imprinted in my mind for a long time to come!

Now, to the Bouquet Toss! In all of my excitement to toss the Bouquet, my first attempt was unsuccessful! My bouquet managed to make contact with the light hanging above my head...whoops, my second attempt was much better, with my sister catching the bouquet!

The rest of the night was spent with many hours on the dance floor with all of the girls, singing to many a inappropriate songs, including "shots"......with my poor parents having to listen to their daughters say the F word on multiple occasions, but I wouldn't have had it any other way!!! The night was over way to soon, and we had to say goodbye to all of our family and friends....as we were whisked away to our hotel by a limo!

It was the most amazing day of my life, but over so so quickly. Ladies...when your big day arrives, cherish every moment of it. Take 10 minutes time out with your husband, to have a quiet word, and take it all in! Most importantly, enjoy every minute!!!!

These are two of my favourite shots, which were taken at the private residence at Rochedale!

The Big Day Arrives....

In all honesty, the time leading up to our wedding went so bloody fast. I had been told by so many people that your wedding day is over in the blink of an eye-and this is true on so many levels. The day started with the maids and I, up at 6am, in time for hair and make up to start at 7am. We were there until 10.30am, and I was so nervous I couldn't even eat. Once we got home, we pretty much had to hang around the house until my parents arrived at 11.30am. Once they arrived we dug into some finger food and the champagne my gorgeous cousins had prepared for us. Before I knew it we were dressed and the photographer was snapping away! It was such a blast! Our limo arrived and we all piled in for the scenic drive through the valley and the city, sipping champagne, listening to Dane Cook - which was quite educational for Mum!!! The hour and a half we were in the limo went soooooo quickly, and before we knew it, we had stopped in a side street to apply the last minute touch ups to our make up, before pulling into the wedding venue. In Untraditional fashion, I was 20 minutes early! The only early Bride our driver had the privilege of escorting, to be early to their wedding!

Now, at this point I was pretty calm. I didn't take myself for the tearful bride, but while we were waiting in the limo for the photographer, my best friend walked past the car, who I hadn't seen in 2 years and I bloody burst into tears! From then on ladies and gentleman it was all down hill! The moment I heard the song I was walking down the aisle too start, I bawled my eyes out, my dad kept asking me several times if I was alright! My maids at the last minute changed their mind, and walked down the aisle at the same time, which I thought was nice. It was then my turn to walk down. It was the most crazy/exhilarating, experience walking down the aisle, particularly the moment when the guests catch the first glimpse of the bride, and all of a sudden you have all the eyes on you! I practically ran down the aisle, dragging my Dad with me! I was just so nervous and was dying to get to the end!

My husband to be had a massive smile on his face and all I wanted to do was give him a hug, but I had to wait! In the blink of an eye, we were saying our vows and the celebrant was saying , you may now kiss your bride! I was so excited to catch up with everyone after the ceremony, but we of course were dragged off for photos so quickly! Our photographer chose a private residence in Rochedale for our photos, by chance on the way to the wedding, he stopped in and asked the owners if they could take photos there, and they said yes! It was definitely not what I had in mind, but the photos are breath taking!

Sorry I have been absent for the last few weeks, things have been pretty crazy and I have been very slack in the blog department. I thought that I would catch everyone up on the incident that happened 2 days before the wedding. I had been keeping in contact with them for the most part of the last 6 months, updating info, multiple confirmations, and even called them two weeks prior to the wedding to confirm that everything was good to go, in which their response was yes, all good to go, the photographer will call you a week out from the wedding to discuss everything!

So at the end of the week prior to the wedding I still hadn't heard anything, but with all of the public holiday's I gave them a bit of a break. I still hadn't heard anything on the Wednesday before the wedding and thought, I really need to give them a call. The one thing I really didn't want to hear them say on the phone was, sorry who are you and when is your wedding????? Can I please get your details and call you back.....WHAT THE?? At this point I started to freak out. There wasn't too many options 2 days out from the wedding. So for the next 20 minutes...or what felt like hours, I waiting by my mobile. When it finally rang, I picked it up so fast! Apparently human error was the cause for the mistake. Someone had apparently forgot to forward our booking sheet on the photographer.....but luckily the photographer was still available and was happy to do our wedding for us. I guess I wasn't very impressed at this stage considering the number of follow up calls I made, but I guess we are all human and mistakes can me made.

The moral of the story is to make sure you confirm with all of your suppliers/vendors well in advance, and even give them a courtesy call during the week leading up to your wedding. One can never be too careful. Needless to say, we were wrapped with the wedding photos, and in the end everything worked out!

So this weekend, I am really really hoping for a quiet one. I am feeling quite unmotivated to say the least. The end of work for 5 weeks is approaching (4 days...YAY) which I can't really wait for. I still have plenty of things to keep me busy...in no particular order, and not limited to - construct 50 cupcake boxes (currently 35 remaining), Table Listings, with place cards in order, tie bows of ribbon around 35 tubes of bubbles, fill 63 organza bags with heart shaped chocolates, finalise the music for the reception, organise the timetable for the night.....I really could go on.....but I won't!

The high light of my day was winning a book called: "The Wedding Book-The Big Book For Your Big Day"! I am so excited to receive this book, I can't wait to read it! I have heard some great reviews about the book and have been told this is a must for every bride. I almost forgot to mention that my lovely boss surprised me with a gorgeous bunch of flowers this morning! She will be on leave for my last day next week, so got me a little something special before she left!

I am really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning. I hope to knock over the cupcake boxes and the majority of the songs for the reception. Next week should be fun, I have many lunches booked with work girlies, and even a morning tea to celebrate my last day before I go off and get married! I will try and take some piccys.....14 more sleeps :D

Hen's Night Madness!

I know I am a bit late...but things have been cray cray! So on Saturday I had my Hen's Night...all I can say is....WHAT A NIGHT!!! Firstly I need to say an amazingly big thank you too my two wonderful maids for making the whole night happen.

The evening started with multiple wardrobe changes, and I eventually settled on something acceptable to wear. Due to the fact it took way too long to get ready and road works at SouthBank we were slightly late....but it's my night right? I can be a widdle bit late! Everyone was eagerly waiting for dinner so as soon as we arrived we got stuck right in! Thank you so much to an anonymous friend, you know who you are ;) for the addition of a few bottles of vino...I completely forgot it would be BYO!!!! Just before dinner was served our Ghost Host jumped into a few freaky stories and a run down of what he had in store for our evening. Dinner was served - which was slightly disappointing, serving size wise, but none the less it was FOOD! As we sipped on vino through novelty penis straws, we eagerly awaited the start of our tour. My genius sister had organised for a professional photographer from Get A Night Life to take some snaps for us, which was the best $200 we..I mean she....ever spent!! We have amazing photos from the tour and he even met up with us at the after party at the Fringe Bar later on in the evening!

The Ghost tour commenced with a Nun freaking the absolute bajeesus out of us, and we listened intently to the stories of a few people who had been buried in the cemetery including numerous criminals who spent a bit of time a Boggo Road Jail. It wasn't as "hard core" freaky as I was hoping, but it was most definitely interesting to listen to all of the different stories...it did get colder at certain spots in the cemetery......could be the weather...could be some paranormal activity action....i'll let you be the judge!

Once the Ghost Tour finished the really messy stuff commenced. We had a private area booked at the Fringe Bar in the Valley, plus a generous bar tab courtesy of my bridesmaid! Copious amounts of alcohol was consumed.....With our flashing sashes and my trashy veil on we hit the dance floor...which may or may not have been a good idea. I do remember a certain encounter where it was a Bride/Bridesmaid sandwich...with the chant "F&^% the Bride" being yelled. Many a men took the opportunity to grab my ass and present me with many kisses on the cheek, including one gentleman in a blue suit who tried very hard to take it a little further.........he did remind me of Adam Sandler though. There are far too many stories to share here.....

Anyways....the night finished off with numerous pieces of New York Slice (I even remember our order - 2 14's 1 10....the pizza flavours are numbered for those of you who have never frequented a New York Slice completely shit faced....I guess it makes it easier to read.......Whilst eating our pizza, a busker serenade me with their take on the Wedding March......I guess he thought he would get a nice tip......he did....in my excitement...I accidentally tipped him a 10er......dang.....we were all in bed by 3.00am..........

Change Thy Name....

So something that I have been meaning to look into lately, that seems to be falling to the bottom of the too hard basket is the process one must go through to legally change your last name from your maiden name, to your husbands new name. It is something that I guess I have kept putting off because it just seems like it is all to hard and I can't be bothered. I put the question to a whole bunch of work colleagues, so that they could provide me with some tips, hints and any problems they encountered whilst going through the process themselves, and I am glad I did! It appears that the process was no where near as "scary" as I first thought.

But the something that I wanted to share with you was this....on receiving my email, a colleague asked me the very simple question of " Why do you want to change your name?" to which I stupidly replied "because I would like to take my future husbands last name"........WRONG ANSWER....to which my colleague replied "but I am asking why you want to change it? Is there anything that you or he will gain from it?". At first the question really threw me off balance...and it took me a few minutes to realise exactly what they were asking. For the next few minutes instead of working, I sat there wondering what my exact answer for this question was, and it made me really think about the reasons for why I was making the change.

I guess in the end the decision is yours as to which path you go down. There are so many options including taking your husbands last name, hyphenating, double barreling your names or even combining your names to come up with something completely unique. I have decided to change my name because I think it is a privilege to accept my soon to be husband’s last name. It symbolises the start of a new life together for the both of us and for the future we plan together. It is a nice tradition but at the same time it doesn't mean you have to lose your own identity. I think part of the deal of getting married is that your fiancé’ is offering to give you his name in marriage - why would you not want to accept what he offers?

Hen's Night

On a very exciting note, this Saturday is my Hen's Night :) The night is starting out with a group of us girls having dinner at the Fish Kitchen at Dutton Park, which is included as part of the package we had created through 'My Ultimate Hens'. After dinner we are heading to South Brisbane Cemetery for a Ghost Tour which I am super excited about! My lovely sister, along with permission from the City Council, has organised for a professional photographer to take some pictures for us, which is great, because we can relax and enjoy the tour without having to worry about posing or fussing with cameras! Plus we get copies of all of the amazing photos digitally edited ect. Once the Haunted Graveyard Tour is finished, we have a private area booked at the Fringe Bar in the Valley, so all of us girls can let loose and have some drinks. I have been told that penis straws will be in abundance! The main reason we went with a private area is so that we can do our own thing without having to worry about other "douch-bags" invading our dance space or being in general annoying and ruining our night! I am really looking forward to it......my mission for the next couple of days is to try and find something to wear...it needs to be graveyard and club friendly....this might be a bit of a tough one!! I also hope the rain holds off on the weekend as well!!! No doubt plenty of photos will surface on Facebook! Enjoy!

1 month!

Woohoo....as I write this blog, in one months time, I will be waking up on my wedding day :D I will no doubt be close to walking out the door on the way to the hairdressers to have my hair done. My house will be full of people, and I will be counting down the hours until my partner and I are finally married! I will then be, of course looking forward to spending 8 days on the Pacific Sun for our honeymoon! Bring it on! I have a sneaky suspicion that this month will be on fast forward, and will go faster than the other 3 months, that have already disappeared. This weekend I am finally squeezing in a camping trip with my partner and a bunch of friends, and I cannot wait to drink copious amounts of alcohol and relax....I need to prepare my liver for the following Saturday, which is my Hen's Night! I am sure there will be a few stories and pictures that will be shared. I look forward to sharing them with you! Before then, I will try and keep you posted on my progress with the seating plans and final preparations :D Enjoy your weekend!

Let there be music!

Last night we had our first catch up with our DJ since meeting her at "The Glen" Wedding Expo. She is absolutely fantastic, and helped my partner and I pick a few songs that we hadn't made any decisions on yet. Reflecting back on our song choices once we had handed them over to the DJ was quite hilarious, we have such a diverse mix of songs, its just crazy. I have blurted this out to most people but our first dance song is Picture of You by North , we both really like this song, and it will be really nice to dance to....plus the lyrics are just gorgeous!!! I found it really tough to pick a song to walk down the aisle to....I am not sure why but for some reason this is the one I struggled with the most....go figure...anyways...I have chosen Only Time by Enya, the moment I heard the song I knew this was what I wanted :D

With so much thought going into the songs, and making sure the lyrics were appropriate I really wanted to pick a seriously funny song for cutting our wedding cake...in the end even after a few people were like...no way that is completely inappropriate for a wedding....but hilarious at the same time, I knew this was the song choice for us...Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard....don't think I would have it any other way!!!

Most of the other songs are taken care of with a few Seal songs thrown in there, as well as Bob Dylan, Lifehouse, Alex Lloyd, Michael Buble' and Sting just to name a few (I told you it was diverse!!)

Anyways with that out of the way it is one less thing to worry about. It will all be taken care for us on the day :D

Hair comes the Bride....

So on Friday evening the girls and I went and had our wedding hair trial done. For the most part both the girls and I knew the look we were after. I had asked the maids to come prepared with some pictures, and amazingly they came with the exact same photos printed out, which made the choice even easier! They have gone with a side up-do, with a braid incorporate into the side, which looks really nice. The rest of their hair is curled and pinned up to the side.

For my hair, I knew that it had to be pulled to the side. I also wanted something quite elegant, that didn't stand out too much, because I really want the focus to be on my veil, and my eyes! So my hairdresser came out with a nice rolled side bun, which I adore....it is just perfect! I took a few pictures with the veil, but cannot share...I don't want to ruin the surprise!

Make Me Up!

I am home sick today, and thought I would finally pull my finger out and update you guys on what has been happening lately. First things first, we received our first draft of our wedding ceremony on Friday night, and I am so happy with it. It is exactly what we were after and more. It is not "fluffy" or vomit worthy, it is romantic and perfect! I have a few minor changes that need to be made, but other than that, we are all good to go!

On Saturday morning the maids and I had our make up trials! It was so much fun, it was a really nice chance to just chill out, and catch up with the girls. I think we all enjoyed getting our make up done, because most of the time we just whip it on in a haste! All of us have gone with a very natural look and this is why we decided on airbrushing. I have never really known much about airbrushing but I am so glad we went down this path. It really feels like you are wearing nothing at all and is a really light coverage, that gives you this flawless look! I had a nanny nap at about 3.00pm and woke up with everything still in place, false eyelashes and all!! I finally took the make up off at around 11.00pm and it still looked just as good as it did when it was applied at about 11.00am! All 3 of us are really happy with the results and can't wait to have it done again in about 6 weeks time!!

All week I have had a barrage of RSVP's for the wedding which is really exciting, things are all starting to come together. The next 6 weeks are going to be absolutely hectic. This weekend starts with dress fittings for all of us girls, and I just can't wait to try my dress on again (and secretly hoping that the darn thing still fits!!). I also need to finalise music choices for the DJ, which for the most part is under control!

Count down is definitely on, I think we are around the 6 week mark. It is really amazing just how fast this year is flying by!

Gosh it has been so long since my last post. Things have been absolutely mental lately. We are now at 55 days until the wedding which is just insane. The weeks just seem to be flying by and I am struggling to keep up! Today was fun. My mum, sister and I went for a girls shopping trip. It was super fun, we got to spend some time together, and most importantly we got to spend some money!!! We had a few things on the shopping list for today - shoes and jewellery!

We originally had silver in mind for the shoes and bling, but during the day we completely changed our mind. We started with Jewellery. The second store we walked into, which was "Lovisa" had this stunning bracelet (pictured), which none of us could walk by. I think my sister knew the moment that she saw it that this had to be part of her outfit! Unfortunately the store only had one, but we managed to source another one from the other CBD store which was very lucky! Next on the list was shoes! Myer was having an awesome sale on shoes and everyone managed to find something they liked, and to make things even better, all shoes were 50% off the marked price!! It was decided that the girls would go with a light nude satin colour for the shoes, and mum went with a nice dark silver to match her teal dress! So with shoes and the bracelet down, we needed to find some earrings. Getting completely side tracked as usual we ended up in Forever New looking at all of the awesome animal inspired attire that seems to be big right now. My sister managed to make her way to the accessories section. She came across the most amazing earrings (pictured) that match perfectly with the bracelet! All up both the earrings and the bracelet only cost $24.95, what a scored! The jewellery also has a bit of a vintage feel, which will look nicely against my 1930's style veil!

So much has been happening lately, things seem to be absolutely hectic. I think just about every weekend up until the wedding has something on. Next weekend my partner and I are having a nice romantic weekend away, which I suppose is a late valentines day present for each other. I managed to win two nights at the Medina Executive in Brisbane last year, and we are only now just getting the chance to use it! I am really looking forward to it, its nice just to spend a weekend together without any interruptions. Time seems to be flying by, I guess we are almost mid way through February, which means there is just on two and a half months to the wedding. Plenty of things still need to be organised. The weekend after next is a meeting with our Celebrant, who just happens to live at the Sunshine Coast, so I hope to get to the beach after we discuss our Vows! Will keep you all posted! X

Wedding Workshop

On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending my very first Wedding Workshop at MODA Events, Portside. The workshop consisted of four guest speakers, which included a photographer, a make-up artist, a florist and a cinematographer. The thing that I loved about the workshop was that none of them jumped up there and spoke for 15 minutes as to why you should use their services, with a huge sales pitch at the end. The workshop was really more around their tips when choosing a supplier or vendor in their field of expertise, which I thought was fantastic!! It was great to hear experts give advice on what to look for, what to avoid, and questions to ask when you are in that particular stage of your wedding planning -which when you think about it-is quite invaluable. The other bonus (of course) was the glass of champagne and the goodie bag we were given. For $20.00 it was a great afternoon spent dreaming of all things WEDDING! If you want any more details on who put the event on, drop me an email smdweddings@gmail.com

Hello Dolls! On a very brief note, on Friday we paid a visit to our travel agent as our final cruise payment was due. I am very happy to say that our cruise is officially all paid for..woohoo!!! It is all starting to become very real and exciting...can't wait for sun, cocktails and plenty of food X

Smile!

Something that I have always been keen to do is whiten my teeth. Being an avid coffee and red wine drinker, my teeth always seem to have a yellow tinge! I haven't done much research on this one, and it seems that there is a plethora of teeth whitening products on the market. I am not really interested in getting them professionally done-as I am not after a cheesy 'fake' grin! With all of the above in mind, I have started with White Glo . At only $4.99 for the tube of toothpaste and a brush, it is a bargain, and if it doesn't work it is no great loss. I have been using the toothpaste now for almost two weeks and I have noticed a slight reduction in the "yellowness" of my teeth, but nothing earth shattering. During a few conversations I was told that Listerine Whitening Mouthwash does a great job. On the weekend I went out and brought a bottle of the mouthwash. As i have only been using both combined for the past couple of days, I haven't noticed anything to jump up and down about, but I hope if I continue to use both up until the wedding, my teeth won't have that trashy yellow tinge anymore! X

...I think I want to quit my job to become a wedding planner......on a more serious note, what the hell am I supposed to blog about once the wedding of the century is over?????

Make Up Madness!

So this past weekend, I may or may not have had a bit of a panic. Never fear-all has been sorted now but I thought I would share with you. Due to circumstances out of her control, I was left without a make up artist -which is totally cool, these things happen :) Anyways, this late in the game I was a bit worried about finding another make up artist that happens to be available for our wedding date. My Saturday/Sunday was spent with one of my bridesmaids googling and contacting a few ladies to see if they were available....to my horror, a lot of them already had at least 2 bookings for the 30th!!! *insert hyperventilating here*!!!

I honestly wasn't too worried about pricing ect at this stage, or what type of application I was after, I just wanted a qualified make up artist! Anyways thanks to a recommendation from my soon to be Aunty In - Law (Thanks!!!!!) I was put onto a make up artist who by the looks of her portfolio, has done some AMAZING work. I contacted her as soon as I could on Sunday and to my disbelief, she was free (must have been fate!!). So I quickly booked in the date of our wedding, and am very excited because we have a trial coming up in March. I still have no idea about what type of application to choose - traditional sponge/brush, or airbrushing, as both are offered! Any suggestions any of you have on either would be appreciated. I should also mention that the pricing is also extremely reasonable, including trials at half price, which seems to be quite a rare occurrence.

Anyways, I guess I just wanted to share my "happy ending"! I can't wait for the trial and will let you dolls know how it all goes :)

Hen's Night Festivities

I thought I would share with you a wonderful website that I came across while researching ideas for my Hen's night. My Ultimate Hens is the perfect place to plan your Hens Day/Night/Weekend. They can organise on behalf of your lead hen, any type of package you wish from Dinners, to Haunted Cemetery Tours (Yes, this is what we decided on for my hens!) and pampering weekends. All the hassle of booking and payments is all taken care of and they provide you with your own website to send out to all your lucky invitees, with a PDF invitation! Could it be any easier?? I am really looking forward to my Hen's Night Extravaganza! Enjoy!! X

Wedding Transport

I don't know about other brides to be, but organising wedding transport was something that I left my other half to arrange. To be honest I know nothing about cars, and it was really one less thing I had to deal with...or so I thought!

Transport can be as simple as decorating cars that your friends and family are willing to offer, or as unique as a horse and cart. For me, I really didn't care as long as I could get in and out of it with ease, and it wasn't causing any one too much hassle. We had a number of offers of people who were willing to drive us in either their cars or cars that we were to hire - but the more I thought about this idea the more I didn't like it. Yes, hiring two cars is a hell of a lot cheaper than a stretch limo, but I wasn't into the fact that 2 of our guests were stuck doing the dirty work. I am also a "worrier". I don't like that fact that we are departing on our honeymoon the day after the wedding, and these guys are stuck returning hire cars, trying not to get into an accident or denting the paintwork. So after multiple discussions and I must say an argument of two with the other half, we decided that the hire car option was just not going to work.

So a few tips when looking into wedding transport:

• The type of transport must be easy for you to get in and out of in your dress/shoes.
• If you are using a professional, ensure they are registered with the Department of Transport (they will have some sort of certificate).
• Book well ahead.
• Ensure your driver has directions to the venue/s.
• Do they throw in extras like car ribbon and champagne????

With these tips in mind, my partner and I decided to get a whole bunch of quotes for stretch limousines. We decided that we weren't going to do the traditional "wedding procession" i.e my Dad and I travelling separately from my bridesmaids and mum. Instead we are all going to travel together in the one car. This keeps the costs down, and means we all get to hang out with each other on the way to the wedding!

In the end we booked a 7 seat stretch limo-I also got them to throw in car ribbon and any other flowers or decorations we wanted, plus complementary champagne!

Invitations have been sent!

Just a very brief blog for all of those interested. Invitations have now been put in the mail!!! If you're expecting an invite, keep an eye on the post!! ;) On another brief note the boys suits have also been chosen, they both look amazing. The suits are black, and the vests are defiantly not the colour I had in mind, but look fantastic...you'll have to wait until the wedding to see the colour! Something I have learned through this whole wedding planning process - Most of the time the stuff you end up with, is not what you had in mind at all! X

Love...

I just wanted to share with you all my bargain of the week! Last week I found out that our wedding venue unfortunately had only 1 option for decorations on the bridal table - candelabras (which I really dislike - no offence!)!!!! This got me thinking...what else could I use to decorate each end of the bridal table???

A few thoughts were thrown around like glass vases filled with various things, pillar candles, more flowers etc. To be honest I didn't really have anything in particular in mind, so I kinda stopped thinking about it...slack I know.

Now back to the point. My partner and I had to go to Kmart for a completely different reason and I managed to "stroll" down one of the manchester isles, and hidden at the bottom of the shelf were these awesome, I guess you would call them sculptures.......anyways, check them out for yourself. They were only $15 each! So I grabbed 2....PERFECT!

We now enter....double digits!

For those who are interested, today is a very important day. The countdown is now into double digits. 99 days until the big day!!! It looks like it will be all downhill from here. I am taking the boys suit shopping on Saturday which will definitely be interesting ;) This week I have focused on trying to sort out what we are doing about wedding transportation (which has now been sorted) and I will fill you in on all the details in a future blog. Friday night my Bridesmaids and Mum are coming round to prepare the invitations for posting early next week. Lots of stuff keeping me busy at the moment! X

You Paid What??!?

Being an avid Bridal Magazine reader, I decided to grab a Cosmo Bride Magazine for a bit of a change of scene...lets just say this magazine is definitely not for me, the budget conscious bride.

Where to begin...wait...how about the Sydney couple who spent $150,000 on their wedding! Yes...you read it right....that's $150,000 on a wedding, and I am not kidding. Let's put it into perspective here - the Brides "sheer silk -organza bodice, with beaded, french-lace overlay and scrunched, dupion-silk, full skirt gown" cost approximately $20,000. Clearly it cost so much that she couldn't remember the actual cost of the gown!! The cost of the above mentioned gown is double the cost of our whole entire wedding-seriously what is that all about?!??

After being completely outraged at the idea of spending this much on a wedding, I decided to do a quick count of the "Real Weddings" published in the magazine. Of the 16 "Real Weddings" featured in the magazine, 3 of the couples spent less than $20,000. As far as I am concerned, the weddings published in this magazine are not "Real", they may be real people, but I think they have forgotten what the real meaning of marriage is all about. It's not a race down the aisle to see how much said people above can spend on materialistic items, that will no doubt be worn/seen once. It's about you and your soul mate, finally coming together as one, in the company of your closest family and friends. You certainly don't need to spend $150,000 to achieve that! Of course, this is merely my own opinion.

I guess on a final note : Marriage doesn't have to cost a cent (and if you can do it for that - good on you!), but being married will definitely make you feel rich!

Flowers and Fiddily Things!!!

So yesterday was a pretty busy day. I started the day with a trip to visit the florist who will be doing the wedding flowers. It seems after the appointment I still really have no idea which way to go. I have two designs that I really like, it's just a matter of choosing one. Both of them contain cream and baby pink roses, which is what I wanted from the start. The designs are slight different as are the flowers that go with the roses. I will keep you posted on which design I choose! Following the appointment with the florist we headed to "The Glen". We had a meeting with the Wedding Coordinator to go through things like our colour choices for chair covers and sashes ect, menus, and table decorations. It seems like everything is finally falling into place..not long to go now!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, the rain in QLD at the moment is insane. After hearing the news last night- it looks like the rain is here to stay! The long range forecast has said this weather ain't clearing up till Winter! I guess at this point alarm bells started ringing in my head!! But then I got to thinking......yes....it does rain on your wedding days sometimes.

I guess the most important thing to keep in mind- no matter what Mother Nature throws at you is why you are there. You are marrying the man of your dreams (hopefully!), you are surrounded by your family and friends and of course don't forget the amazing dress you have on.

I spent a few minutes doing a bit of research on being prepared for a rainy wedding!

• Umbrellas- not only do they stop you from getting wet, they will also make for some stunning photographs! If it looks like rain a few days out, try colour coordinating them to the theme of your wedding.


• Appropriate Footwear - If your wedding is outdoors, or you intend on venturing out during the rain- heels and wet grass/mud do not work. Invest in a spare pare of covered in flats (it doesn't matter what they look like, no one will see them under your dress!) This will ensure your heels don't get ruined. It doesn't hurt for you and your bridesmaids to pack a spare pair just in case your wedding shoes get ruined - remember you will have to wear them for the rest of the day/night. Alternatively you could try;


• Gumboots - What a great way to get some cute photos- also practical!


• Never underestimate the power of a Shower Cap - Yes, it may look ridiculous, but a shower cap will stop your hair from getting wrecked. Try to ensure it isn't too tight.


• Water Spots - Try not to stress if you get water drops on your dress - they shouldn't show up in your photographs.


• Outdoor Ceremonies - If any part of your wedding including the photos are to be outside, ensure you are just as happy with the wet weather alternatives supplied by your venue. It could also be a good idea to invest in some umbrellas for your guests if your budget permits.

Last but not least, please ensure you bring your sense of humour. This is a must have rain, hail or shine! Nothing should 'dampen' your spirits. Remember-your wedding day will be what you make it regardless of the weather! X

Fake Bake....Part 2

For those of you who are interested, I think I have finally come to a decision in regards to the fake tan. After a LOT of backwards and forwards and many a discussions with the people close to me, I have decided against getting the fake tan. Why might you ask? In the end....it is not who I am. I don't want to look at my wedding photos in 30 years time and say what the hell was I thinking??? My partner loves me for who I am, and on the day, that is who I am going to be!!!!

Little Beauty!

This isn't exactly wedding related, by the MOR Cosmetics range has some awesome looking products that I can't wait to try. These would make the perfect gifts for Maids of Honour and Bridesmaids! Your can purchase directly from the website, or find a stockist in your area. Enjoy! X

Queensland Wedding and Bride

Just a quick post to share something very cool with you. Anyone who has even glanced sideways at a Bridal Magazine will know that they are not very wallet friendly! In my travels recently I came across a fantastic magazine that is extreamly well priced. The Queensland Wedding and Bride Magazine is 800 + pages packed full of great editorials, helpful articles, tips and pictures. The best part is that for all of this inspiration, you only pay $6.95. What a bargain! They also publish issues for Sydney and Melbourne. Happy reading! X

Brunette's have more fun??

So the time has come for me to finally do something with my hair. Before I got engaged, I had cut all of my hair off, I was so tired of maintaining it and wanted something simple and easy. For the past 14 months I have been trying to grow my hair like crazy, and being budget conscious, I cannot even remember the last time I got my hair professionally cut. In fact I was so desperate I got my lovely Mummy to chop the dead ends off!! I don't know about the rest of you, but I have had some bad experiences with hairdressers in the past. When you tell them to take a small amount off the bottom, commonly known as a trim, you come out with half your hair missing?!? In my haste to avoid this happening, I have avoided the hairdresser altogether!

Normally in winter, I seem to have the tradition of going a darker colour too, and having a lack of funds to treat myself at the hairdresser, I turned to good ol' packet hair colours (which have most definitely done the job for the past 6 months!)

It is now imperative for me to get my ass to the hairdresser, but I have come up against yet another dilemma- do I stick with the dark hair, or do I go lighter?? Foils mean a lot of maintenance, but do I just want one boring colour? So many questions need answering and it sucks when you seem to be happy with both the options. I am now turning to my blog followers and Facebook friends to help me make the choice!! Happy to accept any advice at this point....

Fake Bake....

OK, so here's this thing. I need a little help. For a long time now, I have been very anti fake tan. I have always been very critical of those over orange girls who use far too much fake tan. Being extremely pale to the point that I reflect sunlight, I have steered clear of fake tans, but with the wedding coming up, I have been trying a few spray on tans. I must admit, I do like the tans a lot, but have received some positive, and some...errrr...not so positive feedback. It is making the choice quite difficult to make as I am torn both ways.

Being pale and wearing an ivory coloured dress I feel that I will be far too washed out with my normally pale skin. But with that said, I don't want to look like an oompa loompa in my wedding photos. The latest tan I have tried has been "light" and it definately looks much better than the "medium" one I got back in November.

So...I am seeking comments from anyone that is interest. Do I go with the fake tan or not?? I really need some advice here because I don't think I can make it on my own. The photo above is with fake tan, the photo to the left is without the tan. Let me hear it....!!!