I do - my wedding blog

I'm just writing this as I print my evening invite inserts. I've just spent the last 3 hours making the invites themselves. Now it's double sided time - what a nightmare! I've already gone through this once with the full invites, I should have learned Update - I think I have finally cracked it. Little did I know that printers are not built to print centrally on pages and have a trailing edge which is larger. This means you have to print off centre. How stupid is that These WILL go out tomorrow (well, the work ones anyway)

On Saturday it was my hen do, organised brilliantly by my bridesmaids. My pals (including my mum and J's mum) all managed to keep quiet and the day's entertainment was a complete surprise to me. I was just told to be at the tube station at a particular time dressed smartly, and I'd be taken along to the first venue. The first venue was the Connaught hotel , where we had afternoon tea. So delicious, especially as I've not been eating treats through Lent. Starting off with champagne, then moving on to unending tea (my choice a white tea called silver needle) with sandwiches, scones (apricot ones - great idea) and homemade jam, and plenty of cakes. So filling! Afterwards the staff brought me a plate which said congratulations in chocolate sauce and a choccie on the side - yum. My sister had put together a box of presents for me, including a tiara and magic wand to wear for the day, as well as useful bits for the day like blister plasters, a sixpence and hangover tea. M

Seems this blog is coming down to weekly summaries of what I've been up to, now that it's getting closer. This is partly because I have to be more focussed and cannot get distracted by all the other weddings/ inspiration out there, and second, I don't have any more time. Anyway, this week has entailed another dress fitting - it's nearly there, having doubts about the sash now as the waistband as it is doesn't really give itself to having one, a meeting with the vicar to sort out ceremony details like wording, readings etc, a trip to Ikea to buy candle holders for the reception venue, tried on mum's Grandmother's pearls, which I am borrowing for the wedding. They are so pretty. decided against using mum's veil - it's too white for my dress started cutting out lots of circles of fabric for the jam lids got a second florists quote, slightly more expensive but includes hire of vases for centrepieces, and I suspect a little more artistic flair t

Another dress fitting, with shoes this time. I got these ones - the same as I had last year for being a bridesmaid. Boring, perhaps but they were comfy and comfort is key. I went shopping as well today with little sis AKA bridesmaid. We managed to get her some shoes, pashminas for both bridesmaids, a hairband for the other bridesmaid and ribbon for the bunting and favours. In addition, I have priced up candles/ vases/ holders in the bargain basement that is Asda home. I'll be able to do a comparison after a trip to Ikea next weekend. J's away on his stag as we speak, which makes me slightly nervous - it always seemed a long way in the future! Image from Pink

I don't know what the plan is for my hen do. I know who is on the guest list and I know where I need to meet everyone. I also know I need to dress up. I saw this dress ages ago in the wonderful new Anthropologie store in London, but it was just too expensive to buy for no reason. It then vanished from their website, around the time I started looking for something to wear for the do - typical! Having dreamed about it for the last week or so, and having checked with my sis that it looked suitable, I spent ages looking for it online, and managed to find out there were a couple left but in American sizes. I have no idea what size I would be. I went along to the store tonight to see if it was about. Hoping against hope that it would be on a sale rail. It wasn't, it was still on the main shop floor - boo! I tried it on (I know, dangerous!) and it was lovely, although was getting quite worked up in the fitting room, with one of those dress-stuck-with-arms-in-the-air moments u

We went to John Lewis last week to select items for our gift list. It is as fun as everyone tells you, like you are on a spree! But I flitted between emotions feeling at one minute like I was actually going to walk out with everything we selected to the next when I realised we were actually going to leave the shop empty handed...for now. We were quite organised and had made a list of what we were looking for before we went. This was just as well as I could tell that otherwise we would have scanned everything. A couple of days later we added more stuff online. I can tell it is going to be quite addictive watching as people buy items and we have to keep an eye on what is left for others. Thinking about what people might buy/ spend is an intriguing part, especially as some of our friends are not married yet and are likely to think of this as an indicator of what they might expect in return (not that our friends are that mercenary!). Although I sometimes feel it is a bit weird that

Finally got some movement on flowers, after being fobbed off by 2 florists - one didn't call me when they said they would after not keeping an appointment (unreliable!) and the other kept telling me to come back 'after Valentines', 'after Mother's day'... but then they tell me they won't deliver as far as the venue. Pah! But I have managed to visit two great florists this week who have been enthusiastic and helpful. I'm just waiting for a final quote from one before I have to make a decision on which to use. So, we've decided on a mixture of mini sunflowers, lilies, and gerberas, with some white tiny daisy things (not sure what they're called). I also like black eyed susan if the gerberas aren't the right colours. Centre pieces will look a bit like this, but with the candle in a hurricane vase

We have decided to do mini jars of marmalade as favours. They will also double as our table place names, sitting on the place setting. Here's some inspiration: I've already got some fabric for the tops, which I will also use for bunting, but I'll have to get some more. Four boxes of jam jars are ready and waiting at my parents' house, and we're planning to make the marmalade over Easter weekend - should be fun! Images from the knot, once wed, and Design sponge