As I told you in a previous blog I have ordered the bridesmaid dresses. My sister has booked the florist. I can now start thinking about a colour scheme and a theme. I will let you in on my ideas!! The bridesmaid dresses are purple – kind of a creamy purple and my dress is cream. So they are my colours. I think I will add a few more colours in though. The hotel is providing the chair covers and they are gold so think I will bring that in with the bridesmaids’ shoes and the flowergirls accessories – maybe in the dresses or cardigans. I am thinking of cream flowers for the bridesmaids and maybe a bit of purple through them and for me purple, blue and pink with a bit of cream. I was also thinking about having pearls and feathers in the bouquets and flower arrangements – and then using the pearls in other areas like my jewellery and bridesmaids jewellery and using the feathers on the invites and mass booklets.

I have been searching for the invites for the past while and I came across these invites on DIY wedding,  but I would get the card and paper separately and then use feathers like these
instead of the ribbon. I could then use the same feathers on the mass booklets. That is my idea anyway, I just hope it all comes together.

We have completed the registration with the state. I was able to get an appointment for a week that we were on holidays anyway so I didn’t have to take any extra days off – it just meant coming back a couple of days earlier. The appointment was fine so don’t worry about it – and remember that you can ring up any time to make appointment and the appointment has to be done no later than three months before the wedding. Just a reminder for all the brides (and grooms!) to be out there!

And if it helps, here is what you need to bring you on the day:
•         PPS Number – both parties
•         Name of solemniser
•         Nature of ceremony Civil/Religious
•         Original Passports – both parties plus photocopy of same
•         Original Birth Certificates – both parties plus photocopy of same
•         Date of Birth of both witnesses (must be over 18yrs of age)
•         Prescribed Fee (€150)

I booked the honeymoon!! I had to organise the time off work before I could look into it. We have the month of January off!! So I will be off from Christmas Eve until the first of February!! I booked it with Travel Counsellors. We are heading off on the 4th January. We are staying in Singapore for two nights and then going to Australia. We are staying in Cairns for five nights. We are hiring a car while we are there and then driving from Cairns to Brisbane stopping in a few places on the way – including Fraser Island and the Whitsundays. From Brisbane we are going to Sydney for three nights. Then we are going to Las Vegas for three nights and Los Angeles for two nights on the way home. We will be back in Ireland on the 30th of January. I really can’t wait to go!! It was a bit of a compromise on the honeymoon as I had never been to Australia and really wanted to go and h2b has never been to America. I am actually looking forward to going back to America – the tour of the Grand Canyon in Vegas is amazing and I want to go back to the Universal Studios in LA. I am really looking forward to going to Oz too – I have always wanted to go there.

We ordered the wedding rings!! We went back to Fields in Kilkenny where we got my engagement ring and I tried on a few rings to see what suited my engagement ring. I wanted something with a bit of bling but not something that would compliment my other ring. With some of the rings, the diamonds were hidden by my engagement ring. I found this one and I just love it. You can see the diamonds down either side, and as the assistant said it is nice that it ties in with my engagement ring as it has three diamonds and the wedding ring has three diamonds down either side of it. My h2b ended up going for a celtic design gold band – I can’t find it on the website – I think it is a new design. I was glad that we ordered them when we did as we were told that it can take eight to ten weeks to get them into the shop.

I have also got the ball rolling on the church paperwork. I have got my baptismal cert from the parish where I was baptised and my confirmation cert and my letter of freedom from my home town. H2b got his certificates too – well his Mum rang up and got them for him!! We have completed our pre marriage course and met the priest to do the pre nuptial enquiry form, so I’ll fill you in on those in my next blog.

I was talking to the bridal shop and my dress and my bridesmaid dresses have arrived. I have an appointment  coming up to try my dress on and see the bridesmaid dresses. I can’t wait to have my dress on. I will let you know how I get on…

Until the next time here on mrs2be…

mrs2be.ie - Ireland's Engaged Community

I told you about my bridesmaid dress shopping in my last update, and I am glad to say we have the dresses picked. The dresses are from Coast, it is a really lovely dress. I tried shopping around on the internet for a more economical version but couldn’t find anything as nice as this so I succumbed. Check it out – http://www.coast-stores.com/SYMPHONY-MAXI-DRESS/Maxi-Dresses/coast/fcp-product/2224682912. The girls are delighted – hopefully it is a dress that will be worn again to another big event (but obviously not as big or exciting as my big day ha ha!!)

We are ordering our rings this weekend too. My engagement ring is a marquee shape so I want my wedding ring to sit properly into the engagement ring. I have seen some lovely samples, it will be almost like a wishbone wedding ring. They are not as expensive as I imagined, probably hitting around €600 for a nice white gold ring with a an added bit of bling (a must!) The men’s rings are reasonable starting upward of €300 for a plain white gold ring. I know people who have gone up the North to purchase their rings and saved a small bit, but I am happy enough with these prices and it will be with a reputable supplier. I am not looking forward to leaving my engagement ring in in order to have the wedding ring made – I will be without it for 3-4 weeks, I imagine my hand will feel very naked! (sniff sniff!)

Mr. M and the lads have booked their stag weekend – lucky suckers are heading off to Malaga for 2 days sun, sand and sangria! (and that is all I have to say about that). I have just decided I am definitely going to need to buy a new dress to wear on my hen night – more dosh gone from the bank account – ouch!

In other news I am starting exercise Bootcamp this week in Blanchardstown – 3 days a week for 6 weeks. If a bit of “Drill Sergeant” won’t whip me into shape then nothing will! Check out www.fittpt.com. I will let you know how I get on (after the pain has subsided of course!)

The next exciting item on my agenda is I’ve booked flights to go to Sorrento for a few days a month before our wedding takes place. This will be a perfect time to confirm our menu and wine choices, decide on the layout of our tables in the venue, meet the photographer to discuss what photos we want on the day and also double check the DJ’s playlist. And hopefully catch a ray or two of sun while we are there too

I am actually looking forward to doing the table plan (remember Monica in Friends with all her blue and red pins!). For any of you IT savvy ladies – there is a nifty bit of software called Perfect Table Plan. I use this in work for working out table plans for big gala dinners so I am taking advantage and using it for the wedding table plan too. You can put in little rules to say “Auntie Mags should never sit beside Uncle Tommy” and visa versa! It works wonders and saves lots of time. It costs only €20.00 and if you are an organising nerd like me it also provides hours of fun!! Download from http://www.perfecttableplan.com/

Well that’s it from me for today – plan on and stay stress free missies

mrs2be.ie - Ireland's Engaged Community