Joan Frances Truelove (nee Hand)

Well so far 2011 sucks ass... Cannot wait for 2012.

This year we have lost 3 lovely people, most notably my amazing Grandma: Joan Frances Truelove

Left to Right: Uncle Peter, Grandma & my Mum [Taken 02/11/52]

Now, more than ever, I am determined to arrange the most wonderful wedding that she would be proud of!!!! She may not be able to be there in body but I sure hope that she & my Granddad can make it in spirit.

So here's to the lady that brought the wonderful word 'modicum' into my vocabulary...

Joan Frances Truelove  14th June 1920 - 1st October 2011

I am (Rose the) One Happy Girl!!!

Woo Hoo!

Just found out that Dolce & Gabbana DO produce a matching shower gel & body lotion in their Rose The One collection.
Wedding Day Fragrance? I think so!!!!

Patience is a Virtue

And so the saying goes...

Well, this bride could learn a little about patience. I by nature am not an impatient person, just a worrier. And by this I mean that if something takes a long time, I get nervous the longer I have to overthink it.

There's alot to be said about technology. It is, generally, a wonderful, life-enriching thing. But it can be a burden too. Take for example the humble electronic mail...

In my job I send alot of these day to day & generally if I do not receive a response straight away, it really doesn't bother me. I understand that people have lots of other queries to deal with, as do I. I send & receive emails at the speed of light & barely give a passing thought to wether the recipient has read or will reply swiftly to my question, or not.

When it comes to the wedding emails, I worry like no-ones business that the email may not have been received. The recipient may have just clicked 'junk', may have passed it by for more important emails, may have forgotten that I sent it days ago... And so on & so forth.

Whilst this may seem a little silly & a frivilous post at best it's what is going through my head at this present moment. Whilst it may not be the thing of well-written songs about heartache or life troubles, it matters to me at this moment in time.

There's a lot to be said about the face to face meeting.

The Bridal Worries

As I sit here, I am propped up on cushions, hopped up on lots of Ibuprofen & Codeine, and slowed dying of agony...

OK so using the word dying makes me a little bit of a drama queen, but I'll tell you it wasn't pretty at about 3am this morning when I could barely walk to the bathroom.

Needless to say, my darling fiance, is a wonderful man for putting up with me. Let's just hope he can keep up the patience for the next however many years!

Anyway, awakening this morning in more pain than most women experience during chilbirth (I imagine), it got me worrying: What if this happens on the big day? What if I have to be escorted to the ceremony by two paramedics before being rushed to the local A&E department? What if I fall over my clumbsy feet on the final decent to the ceremony room only to fall & break a limb? Or two?

I am sure it must be perfectly normal to have worries like this, the closer the date gets. Mustn't it?

As my MOH will vouch, I am one of the world's worst worriers. I am the eternal pessimist. And so is she... And yet we manage to help each other through very difficult situations. She joked the other day that if were paid to worry, we would retire very happy woman (and yet still probably find something to worry about!).

But I shall keep a smile on my face & remind myself that nothing bad is going to happen. The law of averages states it. So I think we'll be fine... Won't we?

Creeping Closer

Well it's just over 5 months until we get married & about to head into the busiest period of my life!

When people said it would hit me like a brick wall, they weren't kidding. My diary has never been so thumbed!

Accepting that nothing is that individual...

So when I started out on this bridal journey, I was forever yearning for the wedding to be "something different", something that "people had never experienced before". And the more & more I look at wedding blogs & magazines, I realise that I am a mere cog in the wedding industry as much as I try not to be.

The thing is... What is different anymore?

So many couples for the past decade or so have tried so hard to be different that they have merely created the next wedding trend! And no doubt in years to come, our children will look back at the 50s style dresses, vintage styling, teacups & mismatched flowers & ask "Mum, what were you thinking?!". And I think I can accept that... Just.

Long gone are the days when having your wedding abroad was something unusual. I know two brides that have done that this year alone. Not that I criticise. Each to their own...

I think the wedding industry may be about to accept the shift in mood amongst brides. Women have stepped out of the taffeta monstrosities, thrown down their tear drop bouquets, dragged the crystal tiara out of their hair & said "This isn't for me!". And we as the wedding congregation are starting to accept that you don't need the sugared almonds or the three tiered white-iced fruit cake to make a wedding any longer. Brides are now finally getting to choose what they do & don't want from the tradition-steeped pile of 'wedding musts'.

I know for one, we have picked & chosen what we want. I like tradition sometimes. But sometimes it just doesn't fit. And in some cases, it certainly doesn't fit with us! Why if I am getting married in the same venue as my reception do I want some vintage Rolls Royce to take me for a ride around the block because "it'll look good on the photos" ?!?! What a terrible waste of fuel & money!!! Not at our wedding... No sir-ee!

I have bridezilla moments of utter panic that the invitations won't look quite right & tie in with the menus on the table for the big day. And then I stand back, laugh at myself & get over it, in the same matter of craze-fueled moments it took me to get into my worried state in the first place. As my University Technical teacher always used to say to me "You'll make it work Zoe, you always do."

Well... Here's hoping...

May I present the man I am about to marry...?

A spot of creativity for a Sunday afternoon

So as well as a spot of retail therapy this weekend (and a trip to the pub, hehe), I managed to fit in a creative afternoon with my Mum & niece. Whilst at Meadowhall on Saturday I purchased myself a fab book from Paperchase that we could use as a Guest Book come Keepsake.

So after a few hours of cutting & sticking (it was like being in primary school again - ACE!), here is the final front cover...

We decided against the regular style of Guest Book as it isn't very 'us'. You see, as a teen I was obsessed with the art of decoupage & all things collage related. My school folders were covered in images of the latest bands, make up, and boys! And the small room in our house is now covered with frames full of photo montages from various crazy holidays, nights out & school buddies. So it felt only right that I used what little creative talent I have to do something constructive after the debacle of the invitation meltdown.

Inside we have put a little message to encourage people to write us some lovely messages & add a piccie or two (seen as the Polaroid will be located nearby!) if they fancy.

Now I'm off to find some cheap Polaroid films...

A fabbity fab weekend with the ladies

What a lovely weekend I had. How was yours?

It involved a lot of shopping at a particlar Sheffield-based shopping mall, a new pair of shoes, a new top, a new bag & a scolding when I got home (hehe).

It also involved a rather yummy trip to Wagamama too - Yipee, my favourite!

It's been ages since I've had a good bit of retail therapy & it was nice for it to be just the ladies.

H had come up from 'darn saarf' to spend some time with her man & lucky old me. So while A was at work & S was at cricket, we headed off for a dose of girl bonding. My lovely niece J joined us for the trip as H was quite excited to meet her. And after looking at the table plan the other night, H & J may end up sat on the same table so what better excuse for them to get to know one another?

As J is only 16, she can be a bit nervous meeting new people (as I was at that age) but she was just fine & really enjoyed her day.

Is it wrong that I get this excited at people meeting one another?

My saviour?

It's true. I am the most indecisive bride ever!

I honestly don't do it in a "I simply have to have everything perfect. That dot of red on the invite has to be removed & a bluebird put in its place" kind of way. It's more that I have so many ideas buzzing around my head at one time that I find it difficult to make a final decision.

Take these blooming invites for example: I cannot seem to decide what I am doing with them. At first I had visions of being the perfect domestic goddess with all her crafty tools out on the dining room table, ready to hand-make nearly 100 invitations.

I thought I would be able to make amazing things that looked somewhat like this:

Stunning

Was I mad?!?!

It took me long enough to make all of 15 Save-The-Date cards & they were tiny!

I suppose I have no problem with the amount of time, it’s the fact that I’m not 100% sure I can do the stellar job I need to do. After all, this is the big one. This is the day that people will hopefully remember for years to come. And probably judge for years to come & it all starts with one invitation!

One piece of paper that will make all the difference. Erm... How much pressure?!?

Anyway... After having a pathetic bridal almost-meltdown over nothing, S correctly reminded me that we know a lovely man who just happens to be a fabulous friend (although we do not see him nearly as much as we would like) who happens to be a graphic designer. "Why didn't I ask him before?" I exclaimed.

So after a hasty text conversation yesterday, I have emailed Mr Partridge of The Pear Tree to see how he can help. Let's hope I've found my saviour, eh?

Now if only I can figure out what I would like him to do...