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Searching for my Bridesmaids Dresses
Hi again!So what have I been up to since my last blog? I left you when I had found my dream wedding dress with the lovely Karen in Fairytale Moments. Once that was chosen I was able to start thinking about trying to find the bridesmaid dresses for the girls.
My sister is my chief bridesmaid and herself and my Mum were with me the day I ordered my dress. My sister lives the other side of the country so while she was there we had some fun with her trying on different styles and colours of dresses and standing up beside me to see what suited her and what complimented my dress. The bridal shop stocks some fabulous Dessy dresses. Both of us preferred this one dress in particular. My sister got measured so that if she was not able to get to Carlow again I would be able to order anyway.
Then it was a matter of trying to get my other three bridesmaids together – which was easier said than done – they are just all too busy! I made an appointment again with Fairytale Moments and met the two girls that were available on that day. I got to try on the sample dress in the shop again and the girls tried on various dresses and stood up beside me. The same dress stood out again. They got measured, and then I met the last one a few weeks later and she tried it on and got measured and I was finally able to order the dresses!! It was great that the shop stock bridesmaid dresses and wedding dresses as I was able to see how it will all come together on the day.
I was able to book my make up also. I booked the wife of one of my h2bs friends so I have got my hair and make up organised now!
My sister is a florist but as she is chief bridesmaid it is too much for her to do my flowers for the big day. I have left her in charge of organising them for me though. She has got in contact with Mad Flowers in Dublin and she will be booking them soon. They have some amazing flowers on their website so can’t wait to see what they come up with.
Until the next time here on mrs2be…
EngagedJuly09 – Booking the Wedding Suppliers
Once the date was set, it was time to start booking my wedding suppliers for the day.
I assumed a relation was going to photographer for me so didn’t book it – then I started to panic and thought what if he can’t do it. After a few phone calls from my sister to him we eventually found out that he couldn’t do it so I thought I better ring around and see could I get one. Thankfully all three I rang were available so it was just a matter of arranging a meeting with them and deciding which one to go for. They were all roughly the same price wise and all had good experience so in the end we went with Thomas Sunderland Photography. He made us feel most comfortable as in the end once you are relaxed the photos will look better.
Next thing to book was the band and church music. One of my bridesmaid’s boyfriend is a musician so I asked him to do the church music and he agreed so another thing ticked off the list. Then he recommended a few bands to me and we went to see them and loved one of them so we booked it. We are having the Black Knights Band – can’t wait until the wedding so I can get out onto that dancefloor!!
I was trying to price a few places to do hair and make up at home. A girl in the hairdressers I go to recommended Leavern Oman, she used to work with them that has now set up from home and does mobile hairdressing so I rang her and she put me in her book. Actually that reminds me I must give her a buzz and make sure everything is still OK. I have to admit I did price a few places for make up but then just forgot about it – time flies – must get organised again!!
The search for THE dress took a little while. I went with my Mum to a lovely bridal shop, Fairytale Moments in Carlow and tried on some lovely dresses and found a fabulous dress that I thought was it but there was just something about it that was holding me back. Then I went with my sister to Your Perfect Day in Castlebar and again found a dress. Then I was all confused – as I loved certain things about both of them and I couldn’t decide between them. So I decided to go back and try on the first dress again. I brought two of my bridesmaids with me. I still wasn’t 100% sure and decided to try on a few more dresses in the shop. I spotted a dress on the hanger that just caught my eye and I said I wanted to try that on. I can’t describe the feeling I got when I saw myself in the dress for the first time – but all of a sudden I was in tears and the girls – including the shop assistant – were over hugging me. So that was it. I had decided. And you know what it combined what I loved about the first two dresses and there is nothing I would change about it. Then it was a matter of bringing my Mum and my sister and thankfully they loved it too so the dress was ordered. I would like to thank the missies for all the help on my dress dilemma!!
I better go here or I will have nothing to talk about in the next blog. Well except for one thing if you are engaged and thinking the wedding will never come well believe me it does – we are engaged twelve months and it feel likes yesterday and now less than six months to go!
Until the next time here on Mrs2be…
EngagedJuly09 – setting the wedding date
My first blog was all about how we got engaged. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out here.
So next step after that is to set the date. About a month or so after we announced the engagement I was itching to get the wedding booked so we went looking at hotels – h2b said we were looking too soon but I couldn’t help it!! We found a hotel that we both liked and we were just looking at what dates they had free – I was initally thinking about the October bank holiday weekend but my best friend is getting married in September and I am her bridesmaid (yes if you are reading this Septemerbride that is you!!) so thought it would be too close together so my h2b suggested New Year’s Eve and was thinking yes that sounds good – big party and give everyone something to do on NYE. Anyway the hotel, Lord Bagenal Hotel had the date free so looking good.
Next we tried to ring the priest of the church where we wanted to get married but he was away on holidays. We picked the church as it links to both families – my brother lives in that village and his two daughters got christened in it, and also my h2bs Mum is from there too and his parents got married there too. So we asked the hotel to keep the date for us provisionally which they did. Then once the priest came back we booked the church and went back and paid the deposit on the hotel. So that was the date set!!
We then had to decide on bridesmaids, best man and groomsmen. I am having four bridesmaids – my sister, three really good friends and h2b has his cousin as best man (no brothers) and then three friends as groomsmen. We also have a rough idea of the guest list but we need to sit down soon and go through it again.
Next time on mrs2be – booking my wedding suppliers….
Wedding Report from Slightly Bonkers
Well fellow missies, it’s been a while since you have heard from Slightly Bonkers. That’s “MRS” Slightly Bonkers to you now!!
The wedding is over, the honeymoon is over, I am back in work after 5 glorious weeks off and the dream is over. The team at mrs2be have asked me to give my last and final update – post wedding, so I am happy to linger in the happy place once more! After initially being delayed flying out to Sorrento because of the volcanic ash, we were lucky to get a flight from Dublin to Naples on Wednesday two days later than scheduled, with our wedding taking place on Saturday. Panic stations for 2 days praying we would make it but all worked out in the end.
What a really amazing day we had in Positano and Sorrento – the sun was out, the rain held off and we celebrated in style with our family, close relatives and friends. The wedding ceremony was beautiful, the church was decorated with white roses and looked wonderful, and the setting beside the sea made it perfect. We took lots of lovely photos outside of the church and on the beach. We had to walk through the narrow cobble stone streets on our way to the church with my Dad and the bridesmaids and on the way back as a married couple. All of the locals and tourists who were out and about were clapping and congratulating us in Italian (“Auguri, Auguri”), it was really unusual and funny!
The reception in Villa Le Palme worked out brilliantly. It is difficult to find a venue in Sorrento that will let you play music and party after 12 o’clock unless you have a private villa or restaurant and that was an important factor for us. We had loads of nibbles for starters with prosecco & mimosa (prosecco with fruit juice) when all the guests arrived.
Our tables were nicely laid out and we had famous race horses as our table names, with jockey jackets on our table plan for everyone’s names (lots of racing fans in the audience appreciated this). The chair covers had ribbons to match the bridesmaid dresses too. The meal itself was scrumptious (melon & parma ham and bruschetta, Neapolitan lasagne, sea bass or steak, and fruit flan for desert. Needless to say our guests had full bellies afterwards. We had dinner downstairs in the villa, and then moved upstairs after dinner where we had use of the terrace and the room inside for dancing.
The DJ played a great playlist too which had everybody up dancing.We danced and drank till around 2.00pm in the Villa before all getting on the bus back to the hotel where we had arranged for the bar to be open to finish off the night. Believe it or not it was practically 7am when the groom and I headed to bed, we were having such a good night chatting to everyone. Everyone was in great spirits; it really was an exciting and enjoyable day. Our celebrations started on Wednesday and lasted till we flew home on Monday morning! 
The honeymoon was brilliant too; we started off in Vegas (cleaned up on blackjack), hired a convertible then and drove to San Francisco for a couple of nights where I got to catch up with my aunt too. Then we headed down the West coast Highway 1 – a stunning costal drive along the Pacific Coast. We stopped off in Monterey, Pebble Beach, Santa Barbara, Hollywood, LA, Long Beach, San Diego and then finished up for a few nights in New York. It was the trip of a lifetime!!
For all you budding Sorrento brides out there, I will put up a post soon on everything I learned about getting married in Sorrento/Positano so watch this space. In the meantime sadly I am forced to go back and do some work. Good Luck!
Real Bride’s Wedding Blog – Hi from EngagedJuly09!
Hi all. I’m EngagedJuly09 on the mrs2be forums but you can call me EJ09 for short like the girls do!! I am a mrs2be addict and taking time out from it so I can write this for you!! As this blog is only just beginning and we are engaged nearly a year at this stage we have a lot to catch up on!!
I am getting married on New Years Eve this year – and I can’t wait to marry the love of my life. We are together for nearly three years at this stage – and living together for half of that. If you want to hear the story of how we met you will have to read my story on the thread – “how did you meet h2b and was it love at first sight“. I have to say it was quite a funny story
So I bet you all want to know the big question – how did he propose? Well as my name suggests we got engaged in July last year – but that was just the day we announced it offficially. We got together in November 2007 and on the June bank holiday weekend 2008 he says to me if we are together this time next year we will get engaged. I thought nothing of it as we weren’t together long at that stage. So I moved in with him in February last year and things were going well – apart from the two hour commute I now have to do each way every day (instead of the 10 minute walk to work – it must be love!). We were at home on Easter Sunday and I looked around and he was down on one knee in the kitchen and asked me to marry him – not a big romantic gesture but it was just the way I wanted it. We were building a house and money was a bit tight so he had to save up to buy the big rock!! So we held off announcing it until we got the ring.
Then one weekend in July he said do you want to go ring shopping – he didn’t have to ask me twice! So off we went to look for the ring and the jewellers (Fields Jewellers Kilkenny) was closed – due to an electrical fault the doors wouldn’t open – my life is never simple! So we were out that night and after a few drinks he let it slip to one of his friends that we were getting engaged. So we decided we better make it official before half the world knew before we told them officially. We went the next day to the same jewellers and it was open and I found a fabulous ring (similar to my avatar picture). Then followed a phone call to tell my family – I wanted to tell my Mum first and she was out – but I talked to everyone else but I couldn’t say anything and it was so hard. I finally got hold of my Mum later and was able to tell her and then all my family and friends. The phone was hopping all night!!
Well, I hope that has enticed you enough to keep reading my new blog!
My next instalment tells of how we started planning the wedding – setting the date, and choosing some of our suppliers. Coming soon…
