Dresses

Amy has compiled a fantastic folder of advice for those with poncy-dress-phobia: it arrived on Thursday but I didn't have time to read it carefully until last night - I hadn't realised that is was all so complicated! After all, how many variations on a theme can you get?!

Tim's advice, although more brief, was also useful:

I think you should get married in a long t-shirt that says `wedding dress` on the front.

None of this poncy stuff that you can't spill your beer down :)

There is, I admit, a certain attraction in this approach. I've got half term coming up - I think I know what I'll be doing in it!

Frustration

We're hoping to get married at school, albeit during the holiday. The chapel is plenty big enough for all of our friends and family (and then some!) and the main school hall would be ideal for a meal and then some Belgian National Six Piece Tambourine Quartet drunken barn dance action. The only problem is that both buildings are booked on the day that we've been eying up, which is currently school's Speech Day. However, consultations have been taking place within school to change Speech Day, including moving it to another date, which then leaves our chosen venues free on the date we want them: hurrah!

Although it all seems to be falling neatly into place, the final Speech Day decision is not being made by the Head until next month and the waiting is proving a little nerve-janglingly frustrating. We want to start booking things (a woman to cook the bangers and mash; the Belgian National Six Piece Tambourine Quartet band; the school chaplain) but it's no good unless we know WHEN we're getting hitched. Once that date's confirmed, we've got everything else sorted - menu, decor, flowers, invites, guest list, drinks, order of events - but at the moment it just seems a real faff because it's not moving forward and we're starting to talk of registry-office-quickies as a way of getting things kick-started. Pah.

In other news: I have tried on some dresses.

Getting crafty

Given the low level of my crafty abilities, the thought of making our wedding invitations is a bit intimidating. Luckily, I remembered back to a Guide training many years ago, adapted the idea, and came up with these three options. Rob and I aren't sure which to choose as the final design. We consulted with the girls in the House, but they had mixed views too, so we're opening the decision up to you - after all, Wendy wants the excitement of wedding planning, and I'm NOT good at decisions, so why not use the skills of our readership?! Let us know via the comments which style you prefer:

A) Hessian


B) Gauze


C) Tapestry-stuff

Progress

We've pretty much planned our wedding, although we're still not certain what date it'll be. There are three possible contenders and, although the final decision is dependent on factors beyond our control, it will definitely be in the first half of next year. Once the date's confirmed, we just need to persuade the right people to do what we'd like them to, and the job's done. Pah! What's so complicated about wedding planning?! Mind you, the more I play on the net and read magazines (stolen from my wedding-obsessed pupil) the more complicated it becomes, although I suspect it will take a LOT more before I start obsessing about table favours. I'm more concerned about choosing some nice beer for the reception afterwards.

Venues

This wedding malarky is more complicated than I thought. I can understand why people get very stressed about the whole business, especially given the advice on some of the wedding-planning websites out there. I'd never even thought about the need for a receiving line before, let alone a videography package; according to some random bint, both are essential. Pish. I think we'll be sorting this wedding according to our three maxims: no faff; no poncing; have fun.

We've been to visit a few venues, which isn't as posh as it sounds, given that everything is within a few minutes' walk of the house. I'm hoping to meet the bookings lady tomorrow, so we should have a date within days! Blimey. Watch this space for more information.

The start

Yesterday evening, I got in from school to the news that Rob had bought me a present. He pushed me in the direction of the kitchen and produced a polystyrene box from the fridge. After a brief moment or two (in which I did tea in the House) I then opened the box to discover two large fillets of fish. I know that we buy silly presents for each other, but the fish seemed quite practical - at least it was a present that I could eat. The conversation went something like this:

Me: A fish. How lovely.
Rob: I know. It's a Ling.
Me: Oooh. A Ling. That's very exciting.
Rob: It's a special Ling.
Me: Really?
Rob: I thought it might be an engagement Ling.
Me: An engagement Ling?! [at this point I start to cry and forget to say yes]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is honestly how it happened. He's nothing if not romantic.