Migraine gone!!! lol

Wow what a week it's been here in my house! The kids are all excited about the wedding and as things often do, the plans have changed quite a bit since I last blogged.

We were originally doing the Registry Office thing and then I remembered my lovely friend Tash's wedding which was on a clifftop overlooking the beach and ocean and I remember thinking how much I wish we had been closer to the sand and the water. The beach has always had huge magnetic pull for me and I feel so calm, happy and centred when I'm there so I put it to Doug that maybe we could get married on a beach someplace. I thought right away he'd say no as he's not really a beach person (but he does an excellent job of tolerating it for the rest of us each summer!) but he liked the idea so we started thinking of beaches and what was available for reception ideas in the surrounding areas of the beaches we liked. We also wanted to look for our favourite Irish band - Tullamore Tree - to play at the reception as we'd always promised ourselves we'd get them if we ever got married. It turns out they were unavailable on the Saturday night we'd originally planned but were playing at the Wellington Point Hotel on the Sunday afternoon so as we weren't committed to a Saturday wedding we've decided to make it Sunday afternoon instead so we could have our favourite band there. We've also decided on a 2pm wedding down on the beach at Wellington Point which is a nice area with a conservation island about half a kilometre off shore and at low tide (yep it is a really really low tide!!! lol) you can walk from the mainland out to the island and back. So we've decided to go with the whole beach thing which is going to be fab. Then we're off to the hotel for a cocktail type reception with drinks, music and platters of yummy things to snack on. The band plays from 3.30pm until about 7.00pm so we've got a few hours to while away and hopefully get a chance to have a dance and enjoy the company of our guests. Afterwards we are going to give people the option to stay on for a more formal reception dinner on the rear deck in the restaurant if they'd like to. Because we're not asking for gifts (after ten years together I think we've got just about everything newlyweds would need!!! lol) we're going to ask guests to pay for their own dinner if they wish to stay. I was a bit iffy about that at first as it seems a bit rude but we are on a really tight budget and we'll be supplying everything for the cocktail reception ourselves so we thought people would understand if we explain how we're going to work things. That way people have the option to spend time with us and then head off if they don't wish to stay on for dinner. We're certainly not forcing people. It will be nice for whoever is able and willing to stay on to join us as we're having the cake and all that jazz after dinner. The reception venue have been just amazing so far. They've allowed us to reserve their huge outside dining deck which overlooks the water, offered to set up all the tables as a formal wedding reception with the whole white linen thing and even set up our table decorations for us at no cost. I can't believe how helpful they've been. We've got an appointment after I finish typing on Saturday afternoon to go down and actually clap eyes on the venue and choose the cocktail reception menu and just confirm everything we want to do. Then on Sunday we have an appointment with a really lovely celebrant I found on Tuesday (after much prodding from Cass who reasoned that if we don't have a celebrant - given that the paperwork needs to be lodged in a week or so - then we're not going to be getting married no matter how lovely the floral arrangements I'm thinking about!!! She's a clever girl my Cass, knowing what needs to get done while my head is off in the clouds thinking about some other little thing that probably nobody else will notice but me!!! I'm great with the creative detail but really crap at getting the important stuff done and anyone who knows me will attest to that.

So as of today we have the reception booked, the celebrant booked, the venue for the ceremony and I think I've even decided on a colour scheme which is what I'm good at.

Oh yep and as of this afternoon I HAVE THE DRESS!!!! EEEEEEKK! I have spent the last week traipsing around all kinds of snooty bridal shops, trying to politely and without looking to pov-arse, ask where their sale/ex-hire/budget rack is so I can find something I'm happy with. I don't want a Vera Wang here people, I just want something I'm happy with how I look in. And I know that for most of us that's a tall order too, especially for me as I'm carrying about 10kg more than I'm comfortable with right now. I still have more on top of that but that 10kg I've put on in the last few years is the one that rules out the stuff in my wardrobe I really like, stops me from fitting into off the rack stuff at most chain stores and means the difference between a size 14 item of "normal" clothing and a size 18/20 chumba whumba outfit at a "big girls" shop. Yes I know it shouldn't matter, yes I should love myself regardless of size and all that spin but hey - when you can't find anything that doesn't grab at every chubby bit you've got then you have a problem!!!! And let's not forget how flattering shiny white fabric can be to the larger woman!!! Not bloody flattering at all!!! It's an exercise in depression while trying to keep my self-respect and dignity in tact as yet another long nosed bridal store assistant shows me the "larger sizes" range - which by the way all look the same - and tut tuts at me as I say no to yet another strapless flowing thing which is supposed to flatter and camoflage the lower body. I DON'T WANT FREAKIN CAMOFLAGE - IT'S A WEDDING NOT A MILITARY ASSAULT!!! I want something pretty, something sexy, something that doesn't make me look like the side of a white delivery van as I turn around. There's a reason they only have one big mirror in front of you cos you'd never buy anything if they had those 360 degree ones like Trinny and Susannah have. You'd just collapse on the floor of their elegant bridal shop and start howling for Tim Tams - that's what you'd do!!! Okay, well it's what I'd do........ So in frustration today I visited what I figured would be the last shop I'd look at for a while. I have a very understanding gym who realise that I have to shift some of the weight before I will be comfortable in my own skin (and eventual dress) for the big day and they've set me up with great nutritional advice and an exercise regime to follow for the next six weeks so I can - as they say in the army - be the best I can be. Hey maybe it IS a military thing........! I walked in and lo and behold their sale section was about ten times as big as their new section! I suddenly saw boundless possibilities from full on bridal to cocktail dresses and formal gowns. I have however been strangely drawn to the beaded sheath dresses I've seen which I never would have normally looked at and I still can't explain why I like it but I have found (DOUGLAS IF YOU'RE CHECKING MY BLOG THEN DON'T READ THIS PART!!!!!) a gorgeous, georgette, floor length beaded spaghetti strap buttery ivory coloured sheath dress which is bridal yet very beachy looking and I absolutely love and the best part was it was well within what I was going to spend on a dress (and I can tell you it wasn't much!! lol) but the slightly scary part is that I purposefully bought one that is a tight fit on me. Now I plan on using the dress as motivation because I love it that much that I really actually do want to wear it in six weeks and have it actually fit comfortably. So I have some work to do which is okay with me. Some of the weight has to come off anyway so it will be nice if I can get partway there while getting on with the wedding preparation as hopefully the time will fly and it won't be as hard going, knowing that I've got something wonderful to look forward to at the end of it.

So there you go, no scrapping or anything but some good wedding plans going on!!! lol

There's a crop at Cyberscraps tomorrow night if anyone is up for it - just ring us at the shop to let us know if you want to come on 07 3274 55 22 and also we're having a great special for October on line as well - whatever you spend online in the store (excluding postage etc) we will give you 50% back as store credit to use next time so that's really stretching the scrapping budget further especially as we've got so much gorgeous new stock in, terrible to the point where we're running out of room for it all!!! How awful is that??? NOT!!!! lolo Hop over to Cyberscraps and check it out if you're up for some great priced scrapping supplies plus 50% store credit as well. It doesn't get much better than that!

Okay well I've got to head off to bed soon, if beauty sleep is in order then I'm going to need at least my 8 hours a night (plus a few weeks solid huh!!!). Have a good weekend and don't forget to check out the fab entries for the Everyday Garbage blog for this fortnight. Clever chickies having fun with us over there!!!

Chat soon, love Lu