Productive Week wedding Planning

Advice, Organising, Planning, Wedding

Its very rare that I have a brilliant week in one go. But this week has been super productive already.

We have we have ticked off

Booked food vendor
Chosen menu
Booked our cake tasting
Closer to booking the entertainment
I purchased some wonderful Drunk Elephant skincare to try
Found a local hair salon to help me get rid of my weird blond streaks
Arranged a space for myself ( blog to follow

Here is a truth universally acknowledged in the world of wedding vendors…

Sometimes they don’t get back to you.

Because they are super busy and have a million weddings before you.

You will physically have to chase them. We have done it with both the entertainment and the food. Now just to reassure you reader, I don’t mean stalk and harass. I just mean email them, call them follow it up with another email… all over the space of a few months. We really want our guests to have an amazing time, so food and music is really important to us.

And they still don’t get back…. honestly the food was worth the wait and I think our guests from all over will be super happy with the food.

The entertainment are reluctant to book with us until 6 months before but they pencilled us in. This scares us only because if they turn around and cant work our wedding we will have to search for someone else, and the first one I wanted were already booked! This band is Gavs first choice and we both agree they suit us perfectly and they already do an amazing version of our song! ( hence the reason why I let him pick his over mine).

Our food vendors where just busy, thy are getting more and more popular but honestly I could eat there food everyday and be happy.

It can just be frustrating when your to do list is a million miles long and you just want to tick them all off.

A good week

The week started off on Sunday with a gorgeous meal at the Soho Bun House, where in the restaurant they don’t serve buns but the food was so good we didn’t care! My uni friends like to meet up monthlyish to catch up. We all love eating and drinking (slight understatement we get super excited about trying new places)

The boys went off to a gig and we decide to stay out for one more and visit Basement Sate which Gav had been raving about for months. It didn’t disappoint. Even though i am a huge gin drinker I just love a gin and tonic I don’t need a gin cocktail. I like to taste the gin. My taste buds always head toward whiskey cocktails, Old-fashions etc. The After Slate was beyond yummy.

Being Grateful

Last week I wrote a post about being grateful and pre-thanking people. I think it is so easy to forget the person you are marrying.

Gav loves to tease me constantly. Most of our conversation are spoken with a grin on his face because he is about to take the piss out of me. Its all in good humour but sometimes it gets a bit much.

Then I remember how thoughtful and kind he is. How wonderful he can be. We had a bit of personal good news this week and so to celebrate he picked up some Chinese pork buns from Soho Bun House ( which we missed out on last time). had a feast at home.

We don’t celebrate Valentines Day, ever.

It just doesn’t interest me or him so we don’t we just like to spend it together.

Round Up

I can’t tell you happy I am that I can tick these things of the list. It just feels so productive. What we realised after such a good week is that we have all the major elements complete. We now need to focus on the detailed bits.

Wedding planning can be stressful not like other things in life but still stressful. Lack of communication from everyone! Difference of opinion on details. I think when people say its not stressful they have already forgotten how much effort they put into a wedding.

There is also a massive difference when your venue is all inclusive and not like ours where we just have the space and have to bring in everything we want.

But it will be wonderful and we cant wait.

Thank you for joining me on our wedding journey.

Being grateful: A Pre thank you

Flowers, Organising, Wedding, Wedding Budget

I am trying to prethank all my wedding party for what they are about to do, or have already done for me. Weddings can cause rifts and there is nothing like a wedding to bring out the worst in people.

I have a wonderful team of Danettes family and friends who have offered to help and I am taking them up on it. And quite frankly I don’t want to piss them off and appear ungrateful!

So this week, as a prethank you I took my mum, mother in law and sister in law out to a posh restaurant for a slap up feast. They have already done so much for me Gavin and the wedding and there are 7 months to go!! I know we will be asking a lot more of them especially their time and opinions.

Flowers

My mum was only here for a few days but she was a whirlwind of help and answers. She trained as a florist so disapproved of a few of my choice ( apparently no to pink and yelllow). But I love them together so she obliged.

She ummed and arrrd over the flower arrangements which half way through, I was like perfect, next! But she took her time and it did look really beautiful when she finished. She was happy, even with my yellow ( freesias are her favourite) so I knew she would give in!

Budget savings

I refuse to pay for vases but she was impressed with my array of jam jars thank you Dowe Egberts and your perfect coffee jars! Plus my mother in law kindly donated a lot of golden syrup jars perfect!

My table runners slightly scared Hayley and mum at first till we set it out but honestly I think the whole thing will look beautiful!

Granny Donelly wisdom ” suits the wearer not the starer”

I am going to do the rounds and make sure everyone understands how much I appreciate there help and input!

My best friend has always been my rock since I was 14 we have been thick as thieves! I am thinking of ways to thank them before I become a wedding zombie focused on all the details. She is off to Madrid for hen do planning, how crazy is that.

I need to plan something special for just us!

Grateful

Being thankful and grateful is easy but it is also easy to think our friends and family know how much we appreciate their help. Some times they need to hear it! I am trying to do this so if I do get a bit crazy, they will understand I am out of character.

I refuse to be a bridezilla! But that doesn’t mean she won’t show herself every now and then!

So that’s it,

My little Friday blog.

Hope you enjoyed it!

I need Shelp! Wedding Shoe search continues

Personal Experience, Planning, Wedding Budget

Yes I spelt it right, I need Shelp. Shoe help!

I want a beautiful pair of shoes to walk up the isle in, twice. At the moment the law doesn’t acknowledge humanist ceremony as legal which means I have to get married twice.

This does not make me happy, except I have bought both dresses and I love them equally.

Two Shoes

So now I may need two pairs of shoes!

Two you say, yes two. I need heals for the legal bit. Something gorgeous and star of the show. I want something flat or wedge for the actual wedding day. I want something I can wear all day! Something pretty. Sparkly.. not too sure.

I don’t mind a designer shoe but I am not going to turn my nose up at a high street shoe either. I am a budget bride after all.

I said from the beginning that I would rather have a beautiful pair of shoes than a super expensive wedding dress. An accessory I can wear again and again and take away on honeymoon.

So I went to shoe heaven

Have you been?

It’s a bit of a maze but it has all the pretty shoes.

The staff are really helpful and attentive. These are expensive shoes but oh so pretty.

I didn’t find any I loved except the Aquazzura Pom Pom shoes that they had in black and the wrong height! They are so beautiful, sexy and a wee bit too high. My mum loved them.

So I searched online and it looks like they are no longer available in my size.

Just look at them! I have to move on or scour Vestier for my perfect shoes. One thing I love about them that I didn’t know was the brands logo is a Pineapple which suits me to a t!

They are sold out- i have myself on a fair few waiting lists and watching Vestiaire like a hawk. We will see.

So now I need Shelp!

And I am getting it from one of my Danettes. She happens to be a shoemaker/ designer who worked for the RSC and ROH in the shoe department. Sourcing and making shoes.

I told you I picked my BMs well.

She has given me lots of options already but has told me not to rush!

So even though I would like them tucked away in their box, ready for me to break them in before the big day!

I will have to wait and except some more Shelp!

Sophia Webster shoes

Hunt continues

Here is what I am looking for

Not too high ( less than 3 inches)
Comfortable
Peep toes or closed toes
No black/ red
Up for glitter and colour

How is your shoe hunt going?

Hello Reader

Advice, Organising, Planning, Wedding

Thank you for reading my little blog, where I rant and praise in equal measure. I love my blog, it is my little burgeoning baby. I wish I could spend some more time on it.

So I was thinking ofdoing a little Wednesday catch up to let you know how the planning is going andthen Fridays will be my longer blogs.

Yes that’s right I am going to try and write two a week. Even though I am struggling to find time to write one. I feel like I really need to focus on this as it is something I really care about.

So, Wednesday’s format will be a little like this.

Humpday Blogging

I had my mum over this week to help me with the wedding bits. I basically had 4 perfect days with her.

We shopped, talked non-stop, watched a boring movie, shopped some more, picked out flowers I liked and had a play with my table settings. I got my paints out and started the wedding invites, yay. We also ate out a fair bit which we loved!

Things I still need to chase

Food vendors ( the food is so good but communication isn’t that great)
Book foodtasting with plan B
Hair and makeup- getting prices and planning trial
Order table cloths and napkins (Charlotte I need your help)
Changed my mind on Jimmy Choos….
Chased konditor and Cook ( first time being a bridezilla I may have to call them)
Perfect invites

This is just what I need to sort out this week. My list is super long but we had a sit down and a chat about what we actually need opposed to all the silly thing we thought we needed.

Gavin piece of advice is “Always marry a Payet, they are cheap and easily pleased!”

I think that that was a complement, shame it took him so long (he he). He doesn’t have an appreciation for flowers and when I told my mum that I love white carnations and British flowers, i am not after anything fancy. Luckily its one area that I have complete freedom on. My mum is trying to convince me that tea roses would look nice so they may be making a debut at the wedding but won’t be the star of the show.

I need to get some storage for the wedding. We aren’t using half of the dining room and most of it can be packed away as long as it is all properly recorded in my wedding Bullet Journal, I will be happy.

Organising makes me happy.

I found out recently that my best friend is so amazing she is flying out to Madrid to do some hen do prep. Madrid is so incredibly beautiful that it is no hardship to visit it but she is going above and beyond. I just hope she is utilising the other highly talented Danettes in the group.

So thats its, a mini blog to help us on our Humpday!

Hope you like it.

Self Help books should not make you feel guilty

Advice, Organising, Personal Experience, Planning

Life can get hectic and we can do a few things to sort our selves out. Have a mini break down, scream and shout, focus on the issue, break it down into manageable chunks or if none of these work then just seek help.

Self help books can aid us in this, if we need them. I have always scoffed at them myself until I read the magic of tidying. But to be honest with you I didn’t know it was a self help book.

I just thought it would help me with tidying!

We shouldn’t feel guilty about being stressed and seeking help

I have a Becky and a Gavin in my life. Two Cancerians who are so to the point and brutal that I have never ventured into the world of self help books. There guidance has been all i needed. When I was struggling about keeping on top of my mess I found this book. But it helped me declutter other parts of my life as well.

Time flies when we are struggling

Things can get on top of us quickly, it is called snowballing for a reason and it can get out of hand quickly.

I had a boss who used to say “if you had to, how would you deal with this” his voice is often in my head when i am frustrated in a situation. If I have to fix a situation then how do I even if i feel it is impossible.

If I am not wedding planning on the busthen I am day dreaming about Josh Brolin.

Life gets in the way!

You should never feel guilty

More people are talking about thereanxieties and daily pressures. I think that the best way to deal with things isfirstly to know when you are not being super productive and also knowing whento stop!

I didn’t realise I was reaching for the self-help books until someone said you read a lot of them. I have read a total of 4.

The life changing Magic of Tidying (which is a pure joy and I recommend to everyone)
Getting your sh*t together (which just repeats itself constantly and swears a lot but its 3 main points where good Phone wallet and Keys)
An Edited Life by Anna Newton
An ebook about blogging…..

Two of these are more about organizing butthey are still self-help books.

Same message in Each Book

If you have ever read a self help book you will find that they are extremely repetitive, i think that half of it is to get the message across and the other half is just filling pages. But the message is generally always the same. The main one being…. What do you want out of life, what do you hope to achieve.

It’s a bit tricky when you are not sure what you want. Or even what I don’t want. There are certain things that I do want but are they goals or have i just watched too many Instagram posts and my favourite Youtubers?

I would like more pennies in my account at the end of the month. A healthy looking Savings account. A new kitchen oh yes, a bathroom upstairs. A Chloe handbag, travel a lot more. explore more of great Britain because it gets torn apart in this Brexit fiasco.

Ironically saving for the wedding means that I have realised how much money I can save. At the moment I am saving a bit too much to have a decent life balance however, I can still save easily 10% of my wage every month. So I will.

I can make this change

I can save for a Chloe bag……

I would like a better kitchen. I love myhouse, it is pretty perfect. Do I wish it was bigger? yes. But we have a 3bedroom house ( no I don’t want children) but if I did change my mind therewould be room to cage them (joke). I meant cage one (still joking). I wouldlike a kitchen that opens onto the garden rather than a bathroom that looksover the garden. Our savings have proved that we can actually afford this andafter the wedding and honeymoon this is what I will be looking into. I am not havingbig dreams of a designer kitchen I just require things like a surface next tothe sink. A dishwasher. None of these things fit in my perfectly sized if not awee bit small kitchen. All this could change!

All self-help books ask you to do is figure out what you want. But honestly I like my life and my job. I would love to work less and travel more.

Self Help conclusion

Self help books are there as a guide to aid you in your quest (you are on one or you wouldn’t have picked it up). You shouldn’t feel guilty if A, you don’t achieve what you wanted or B, it doesn’t work for you c, you think that the author maybe nuts or just a money grabber (ebook about blogging that I don’t want to list)

I heard recently that people read or listen to self help guides but they don’t follow it to the letter then get disappointed by the lack of results. So this chap said follow what they say and try it for however long and then tweak it. Don’t get half was through tidying and think I can listen to music… or watch Netflix ( sorry Marie Kondo) because she is right it is distracting.

There is nothing wrong with personal development. Trying to find what works with and for you. There is also nothing wrong with following your own advice.

Its like a bad relationship…You are only ready to move on with your life when you are ready to move on with your life. Knowing better and being able to physically remove yourself from a loved one are too different things.

Been there done that, wore the heartbreak tshirt.

So never let anyone mock you for reaching for a self help book. Knowing you a problem or are just stuck in a rut is a positive step. But also don’t feel guilty if they don’t work, don’t make sense or a a piece of Crap.

I love my self help books.

I love organising and planning- I also love reading and watching people do the same.

What books Self-Help books have you read and loved…or hated.

Saving is hard

Wedding Budget

January is always hard on the budget but with saving for the wedding this month has been even harder.

Everything adds up.

Weddings are just money traps.

I am doing well with my savings as long as I keep going.

Hermit life for me

I have basically been a hermit for this month. I don’t want to wish the days away but payday can not come soon enough. I have been hitting the freezer for dinners. We have been buying a few bits of veg but it is amazing how much food your cupboards can hold.

It’s been a useful exercise.

We had a mini Christmas with my brother and sister in law. It was lovely. We ate and drank. I cooked a big roast dinner with two chickens, stuffing roast veg and cauliflower cheese.

I made extra so I could make a roast chicken dinner pie which was really good. We were eating for a fair few dinners so I didn’t have to cook for a few nights. Home cooking is so much better than take out ( not you Dominos). And a bit more friendly on the hips too!

Wedding talk

Most of our conversations are about the wedding.

“Have you called blah blah” “did you hear back from the caterer”

Every one you tick something off the list you end up taking a chunk from budget.

We are doing this together and although I am probably doing the majority of the research and chasing suppliers. It’s a team effort. I would hate to do this all by myself.

I don’t mean making the decisions. Sometimes I wish I could have it all my way. But this is about our marriage not just a wedding. It has to reflect us both. We generally agree on most things but Gav is a little old fashioned.

Who knew!

Keep moving, keep saving

So I will keep scrimping and saving and planning. The lists appear to be increasing.

Still to do;

Book caterer
Book hair and makeup trial
Book band (we have one fingers crossed)
Buy wedding shoes
Design invites
Send invites
Dye napkins
Collect vases
Cake tasting( konditor and cook)
Buy bridesmaids dresses
Grooms suits

Is that it? Probably not.

February shouldn’t be too hard on the pennies. With the goal so close I am finding it easier to go without.

Happy saving.

Clean Slate: Bullet Journalling likes and dislikes

health, Organising, Planning, Wedding, Wedding Budget, weight loss

January always feels like a clean slate. Maybe its that everything looks dead but there is lots of promise growing beneath the surface. We just need to patient and soon we will have spring, blossom and all its glory.

It has come around so quickly.

After The chaos of Christmas we naturally have a clean out, put all the decs away, fill the house with more candles and look sadly at the corner where the tree used to live.

January is full of plans and promises.

New years resolutions are generally held for the month, even if they disappear into the either after that. I like to sit down and start my new planner. Although I didn’t need any new pens I couldn’t resist my new Staedtler fine liners.

Is anything better than crossing off a list.

If you have completed a bullet journal and are onto the next then this is the most exciting part

So I thought I would share with you my pages I use and love and the ones I started but never looked back at.

Love:

Year at a glance, it’s a yearly calendar so you can see the dates, circle any birthdays or holiday you have booked. It easy

Bill tracker. Yes I could do this all on my phone looking at my accounts but when the bills get mixed up with payments I like to tick them off. It makes me happy and feels like I am doing something. Also it makes me aware of my budget for the month.

Order tracker. I use this at work. I have my orders I have to put through every month. This makes sure that I don’t order things twice. I have to go through different systems so this little tick method reminds me of all my suppliers as well as all

Blog tracker

Again this one is for work. It helps me know what I am writing, when what images we need. Although we love other peoples work and always credit it in our blogs we know how important it is to create our own images but it takes time. Lots of planning and then follow ups on our social media.

Monthly spread

Again this is me seeing my month at a glance. This is especially good for planning my weekends, birthdays and other event. I always write when I have a workshop planned, parties just everything. When my friends meet up for a meal every so often, I can tell them when I am free. I am more likely to put in in my Bullet journal then in my phone.

Savings

We all know ( I bore you enough) that I am saving for my wedding. This fills me with Joy, I am already halfway through my target and still have 8 months of savings to go- so I am going to do it.

14 day meal plan

Okay so Gav loved this one. After every evening meal I would ask him what he wanted and he would always say I don’t mind. I love to cook and Gav loves to order takeout. We are trying to be healthier so I tried something knew. I wrote 14 meals which are generally our favorites. I wrote out what I needed in each meal and then combined it to make a super grocery list. There were enough ingredients to make 14 meals but we weren’t a slave to it. Take out was also an option on it! So after dinner I would ask Gav to choose and if he couldn’t decide I asked him for a number and we chose it based on that.

No wasted food, no extra food to buy for.

Not used

I tried a reading tracker. I am a big reader I generally read a book a week (the benefits of commuting) So I wrote a list of books I wanted to read and ended up ignoring them all and just buying books on my phone whenever the next one ran out. I also tend to read more than one book at one. At the moment I have a thriller on my phone for commuting, an organizing one in my bag in case I get bored of the phone one. A book about the army, which I bought because I had to wait two hours for my phone battery to be replace and then a murder mystery which I forgot I started reading.

Netflix tracker

Hmmm really don’t need this. Lots of people love it I guess its just the pure joy of ticking something off. Again I have a bout 4 series on the go at once. Me and Gavin live different things so Lemony Snicket, Diablo and The Protector we will watch together but You, The Sinner and The Staircase he is not interested in. But Netflix stores all the info for me so I don’t worry about loosing my place.

Water Tracker

I am trying to be heathy and drink more water. Now putting on its own page doesn’t make me look at it but I do put a mini tracker at the bottom of each day I find a lot more useful.

Weight tracker

Oh shoot me. No I am only kidding. I have a weight loss app on my phone and as I have to log my food I didn’t end up redoing it. Also seeing a list I am not great at completing makes me reach for a donut and fold over the page. I didn’t like filling out this page at all but I don’t mind the clinical aspects of the app.

Mood tracker

Ha ha ha ha not going to even try. I am a Scorpio, enough said.

Conclusion

I think a clean slate is great. I think a simple bullet journal is better. This year is going to be jam packed enough without fancy pages and more trackers but I am generally happy with it.

Dysfunctional Planner

The joys of planning a wedding, travel and all that life throws at me