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...

Measure for Measure

Saturday marked the first proper meeting with my ladies. J, L & S all got to finally meet one another properly & have a bit of girl bonding time. I was very excited!

Off we dashed in S's fabbity convertible (!) to our appointment with Dresses @ No 9. Oh yes... Me & my ladies were rolling in style!

We all got measured up for the dresses. Chatted for a full hour with Linda at Dresses @ No 9 about designs, ideas, flowers & fabric. My ladies are having a fifties circle design like mine but in a Cath Kidston-esque fabric (once Linda finds it). The two younger ladies are having a traditional halter neck whilst S is going for more of a bateau neckline like mine. She needs to stand out after all... She is the M.O.H!

We discussed the idea of three varying colours with mixed up petticoats to add some extra wow. And I truly cannot wait for the next step. However that bit doesn't come until November...

Oh well... Good things come to those who wait & as soon as Linda emails me with some fabric ideas, I shall be sure to share :-)

The other lull...

Whilst I may be out of one lull. I am, however, very deep in the weight-loss lull. I cannot seem to get past the 2 stone barrier. HELP! Where's Rosemary Connolly when you need her? Or better yet, a personal trainer.

Let's hope the holiday to Cornwall will sweep out the cobwebs & I shall come back fighting fit!

The Lull is Over!

What a lazy blogger I am. And for this I must sincerely apologise. I realise I haven't actually typed a word to you since May. And for this I apologise also.

I am rubbish... It's official!

But enough of the self-deprecation, 'GET ON WITH IT!' I hear you say. So here I go...

It's official: I am out of the lull. 'What lull?' I hear you ask. The wedding lull. That hazy period in the wedding planning where you really feel like you should have something to do. But you don't. And not for the lack of trying either. Days spent flicking through my diary to ensure I hadn't forgotten anything so far. Days of typing out rather articulate & witty emails to my wedding suppliers only to swiftly realise that they are very busy people & probably couldn't care less about my absent-minded rambling thoughts. Needless to say... I've been bored.

I can hear you saying I should have been busy updating this blooming blog if I was so bored. But what did I have to write? I had nothing to say. Well... Nothing interesting to say. I could have typed out one of those ever-interesting emails, like I almost sent to my various suppliers but there's a reason they went straight to the deleted folder - They were nonsense.

But I'm back! I'm back... I promise!

What a palaver!

I will sound like an absolute Bridezilla saying this but... what a palaver!

Finally got round to making an appointment with Linda for my first measurements to be taken (all of a sudden that chocolate biscuit doesn't look so tempting anymore). She said that I may as well bring along my maids for the first one so we can all be measured together. So here's where the fun began.

Everything so far has seemed to run smoothly (finger's crossed) until it comes to synchronising the diaries of 4 grown women (well, 3 grown women & the other's mother). It was a case of "I can do this date, but I can't do that" etc. etc. Until we finally got a date of Saturday 30th July. So this means that I really need to organise everything like two months in advance if I wish to get them all in the same room on the same day. But I suppose it is good that I learn this at an early stage?

Linda did say that she has hardly any brides that manage to get all their maids to one fitting at a time which only made me all the more determined to do it, lol!

I haven't really carried a diary since University (final project = aaarrrrgggh) as I usually write things on the kitchen calender; that way S can see them as well. But yesterday made me realise that a bride really does need to carry one around as trying to remember all the appointments in ones head is not an easy task.

The paperwork is ready

Woo Hoo! We picked up the marriage certificate last night. So now I have the official permission to get married - No-one objected. Yay us :-D

So know I just have to remember to get it posted off to the actual Registrar...

Gifts

Sue at work started a conversation about gifts today. She is getting married in September & was wondering what to buy her maids for a "thank you". She thinks she will just buy them all the same jewellry.

But it got me thinking again (as I have already started)... What to buy my lovely ladies...?

Hmmm....

The 'making it legal' part

So a couple of weeks ago, S & I bobbed along to our local registry office to "give notice" for our wedding. To those of you that aren't married, it's like the Bans in church. Basically, your names go up on the wall & the people of your town have about 2 weeks to object to your wedding before you receive the wedding license. In order to do this, you must be interviewed, seperately, by the Registrar.

Now, as we are getting married in Calderdale but live in Kirklees we had to do it slightly differently. It meant booking the Registrar through Calderdale Council for the actual ceremony but then giving notice with Kirklees Council. No-one warns you about all this before you say "Yes"!

Anyway... On the actual day, I went first. Was asked to show my passport; asked if I was married already, if I was known as a different name etc. all the security checks you would expect. If I knew S's D.O.B and his parents' names? It took about 10 minutes in all before S could go in. And guess what... He remembered everything except the wedding date, haha. Apparently the Registrar just giggled when he couldn't quite remember.

Still, it's not as bad as S's friend Scott who forgot his wife-to-be's full name when he met the Registrar! Or my friend's husband-to-be (who shall remain nameless) who forgot his fiancee's address EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVED TOGETHER & HAD JUST GIVEN HIS OWN ADDRESS WITHOUT HESITATION!

Men eh...?

Bridal Boot-Camp

For most of my life I have tried to lose weight. I have sometimes been successful but not often. This time however, I am in the correct frame of mind, I think. And I must be because I have lost a total of 19lbs as of yesterday, since Jan 14th.

I have had ups & downs along the weight-loss road in 2011 but overall I am losing what I set out to: A steady 1-2lbs a week.

And with the help of an online food diary and walking to work & back every day, I am managing just fine.

But this week I turned it up a notch in the hope of boosting my lust for a more slender frame (and smaller bridal gown). So this week I tried not one but two classes: Zumba & Pilates.

Zumba was so energetic, I don't think I have perspired that much for some time. It's basically a mix of aerobics & salsa dancing. But it makes for great fun & a fab way to burn those weekend calories when we go on a Monday evening. It's not on for the next two weeks due to the Bank Hols but make no mistake, I shall return for the next class!

If Zumba is high energy then consider Pilates at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Meant to concentrate on improving posture & flexibility, Pilates is very chilled. I felt I had worked out my muscles but without sweating my backside off. And the extra exercise of walking to the class & back helps too.

I could definitely feel that my muscles had had a workout the day after & I shall be going back next week for the next installment.

With a small class of only 6 it means the teacher has more time to help us to ensure we are moving, laying, stretching etc. in the right way. And I definitely found out my weak spots (namely my hips) and what to work on. I'll be a contortionist before I know it, he he.

Catch-Up

Right... Where are we up to?

I know it isn't the longest blog in the world but for those of you that care, I thought I would just see where I'm up to.

Weddings are very grand things to plan/execute so I just needed a quick catch-up; a check off list, if you will.

In order to keep the rambling going, I need to know that you know where I am at the moment. So...

The things I have organised thus far:

- My lovely dress design, with Mrs Linda Leigh-Davey at Dresses at No 9. And I cannot tell you how excited I am for that. The thought of wedding dress shopping never really did anything for me, but I tried it for my Mother's sake (bless her, she nearly cried) & it was ok. But the thought of having a dress made that is mine, all mine, makes me very giddy indeed. Nothing is happening on that front yet, as it doesn't need to. But she emails me a lot & is generally a blooming lovely lady - So I cannot wait for my first appointment in June!

- Got the photography sorted with the only photographer I could ever have at my wedding (despite the wandering looks at Emma Case): Mr Rob Booker. I met Rob while at University & he was a bloody talented photographer then. And I have him to thank for me finding Linda. His website contained a picture of a woman in a gorgeous dress & I just had to know who made it... And that lady was Linda. Anyway... We met up with Rob & he seemed to like all our thoughts on photography for the big day. And we know he will do an amazing job!

- The flowers. How I cannot wait for the flowers. A fellow bride at work said this was the bit she was dreading??! I don't think she is a flower person, as all she kept saying is "Well they just die" to which I replied "Well have something other than flowers then?" to which she looked very shocked & put out. She is a very traditional bride & cannot seem to get her head around alot of my ideas for our wedding. But I don't mind.

Anyway, I digress... The flowers are kindly being done by my good friend Anne-Marie (who also happens to be a fabbity amateur photographer - Check her out!). She is very like-minded & I know she will do a fabulous job. She constantly throws names at me that I have to google & then reply with "I like the pink one". Intelligent, I know...

- The bridesmaids are lucky enough to be having a bespoke dresses too. And you think I'm excited at the thought of having a dress made that is mine all mine? You should talk to the maids! This is the material picture that Linda sent me (the roll pulled out)...





I am so thoroughly thrilled at the thought of seeing my 3 beautiful grown-up maids in a floral 50s number, I cannot tell you. And my ladies are all very excited too :-D

- S & I have had a meeting with Sue at Tilly's Cakes about the fab idea we had for a cake. No three-tier-monstrosity for us... No No No! Think afternoon tea mixed with country fate & you're almost there. Cannot wait to finalise the plans for that one. And it may involve another cupcake sample if we're lucky.

- Myself, H & my maid-of-honour had a lovely meeting with Katie at Eccentric & English last week who had just the crockery we were looking for. Take a look at her website for pics & I am sure you will agree that we are going to be able to create some great tea-party/Alice-in-Wonderland/cricket-tea style centrepieces. I am thinking stacked up mismatched cups + pearl necklaces + teapots with flowers = Loveliness.

- The honeymoon destination... Don't get me started on that decision again. But we're happy now... We have finally decided on a Disneymoon for the two of us & I couldn't agree more. We followed our hearts & not our heads on that one. Now it's just a case of saving up for it!

- The legal bit, I'll go into that one in a minute.

- Ha! Almost forgot to mention probably the biggest thing of them all... The venue! How could I forget that I've booked that?! Holdsworth House in Halifax on Saturday 25th Feb 2012... That's where I'll be with my wonderful Hubby. As we got a sort of "package" deal with them, they will be sorting the food. We have the menus & have almost decided on the menu choices that we will offer. And it all looks super scrum-diddly-umpious if you ask me! But with them sorting the food, it means we don't have to worry about finding any caterors!

Erm... I think that's kind of it for now. So you're up to speed right?

Apologies

Good Morning Readers (all two of you)...
Can I just start with an apology. I have been made aware by both of you that I am a lazy blogger. This is true...
And for this, I apologise.