Panic Stations...

Ok, I think Bridezilla has finally set in! With only 14 weeks to go this saturday I am starting to panic, and panic big time!

How are we going to get everything done?
How are we going to get it all to the venue?
How are we going to pay for everything?
What if it snows ridiculously so?
What if suppliers cancel at the last minute?
What if all of our decorations don't work when they're all together?
What if I break out in zits the night before?
What if everyone's too cold they end up being miserable?
What if noone enjoys themselves?
Have we got enough to keep everyone happy & entertained?
Have we got enough sweets for the candy store?
Are there enough props in the dress up box?

And it goes on, and on, and on, and on! Usually in the middle of the night - 2:30am seems to be my favourite panic time at the moment.

I know I'm probably not alone in feeling like this and every other bride to be has a glitch or two along the way but this is so out of character for me, yes I'm a bit of a worrier but I don't tend to go into a sheer panic as I seem to lately!

Deep down, I know that we've got enough to keep everyone happy & entertained with cute little details at different parts of the day. There's plenty of sweets to go round and there's enough props to choose from in our dress up box.
I know that our family & friends will help us get everything to the venue and I know that the decorations will work - one of my best friends and I tried them out at the hotel a couple of weeks ago.
And if it snows heavily H2B and I live close enough to get there on foot - and that's the most important bit! If our suppliers cancel at the last minute we have wedding insurance...that's what we took it out for!


So why am I still waking up in a sheer panic over it all?!
My mind boggles...
xx

Four months to go!...

O....M....actual G!

In just four months time I shall be a 'Mrs'!! I'm nervous, excited, scared, and I can't wait all at the same time!!
xx

A girl can never have too many shoes...

A girl can never have too many shoes, right?

And I'm totally living up to that on my wedding day with a choice of not one, not two, but three pairs of shoes to wear throughout the day! Yes, we are still getting married on a budget...these three pairs have cost less than some brides only pair!

Now, it's a winter wedding and we all know what the British weather is like, the ground is bound to be wet, soggy and probably a wee bit muddy so for my journey from the hotel to the church I shall mostly be wearing these...

These came from ebay for £18.
They're perfect for the cold and wet and also perfect for our theme of black, white & silver stars! Once I am at church I shall be slipping into something ever so slightly more 'bridal'...

These came from next for £30.
I hunted high and low for round toe shoes and found these in next, I plan on dying them afterwards so I can wear them again. I then finished them off with these on the bottom...

These also came from ebay for £2.
They're cute and will hopefully make for some nice photos. My final pair, and possibly my most favourite are these...

These came from schuh for £46.
I plan on wearing these for the evening so that I can be dancing in comfort for the entire night! And I LOVE them, they're even more sparkly in real life!

What do you think? xx

The FINAL draft of the 'TO DO' list...

I have a habit of writing lists and losing them lately so I figured if I put it on here I'd always know where it is and how much there is left to do.

I'm a bit (ok a lot) anal when it comes to lists, I make lists for EVERYTHING so I apologise now for the stupidly ridiculous detail I'm likely to go in to. However, in my defence I seem to have a brain like a sieve at the moment, so if you're one of our guests reading this, it's only because I want you to have as good a day as hopefully we will! ; )

Right then, the list...

The Order of Service

• meet with vicar to finalise hymns, readings & Order of Service (21st Sept)
• order 10 extra blanks 
• order paper for inserts
• make up extras
• print inserts
• assemble them 

The Church

• give readers copies of their readings
• type up & print 'posh' copies for the day
• finish pew end decorations
• sort confetti bags & orders of service into baskets for 'bride' or 'groom'
• pay for church 

Daytime Reception

• decide on cupcake designs
• finalise and put names on table plan
• fill favour boxes
• print labels for favour boxes
• write names on placecards
• sort all bits into a box for each table
• make up pom poms for wall
• print photos for wall
• assemble 'bunting' for wall
• make up pom poms for vases on top table, cake table & guest book table
• paint stems on stars for above vases
• draw up layout of room and give to wedding co-ordinator
• buy ribbons for wall display
• buy pegs for wall display 
• make up pom poms for tables
• paint welcome sign 
• buy frames for welcome table
• print photos for welcome table
• print inserts for menu's and assemble them 
• buy decorations for reception xmas tree 

Evening Reception

• paint signs for dress up box
• type up 'instructions' for dress up box to go in frame
• buy a few more hats for dress up box
• put sweets into jars for candy store
• label jars
• sort items into separate boxes 
• find a dress up box
• pay for DJ
• paint frame for dress up box
• popcorn
• pegs for dress up 'smile' bunting 

Photographer

• arrange meeting to discuss ideas etc
• pay for photographer

Other Bits

• complete gift list at John Lewis
• make up H2B's waistcoat
• paint 'thank you' sign
• buy gifts for best man, ushers, bridesmaids, flower girl, parents & readers
• pay for car

OMG! I think that's everything! I know exactly what I'm like though and I'll probably keep thinking of bits to add to it.
As we complete bits I will cross them off, and maybe throw in a couple of tutorials for the creative bits!

Oh well, 18 weeks today...

eeeek ; )

Never underestimate the power of Twitter...

Last week our wedding photographer sadly had to cancel due to serious health problems. Cue me going into panic mode, bridezilla rearing her ugly head and neither of us knowing where to start. Just when we thought everything was sorted and all that was left to do was count down until the big day arrives!

I hadn't even thought about asking twitter for help, I just used it to share the unfortunate situation. It was only when the lovely chocolate blush asked if I wanted her to retweet my original 'oh no our wedding photographer's canceled' tweet that I began to realise how much help twitter was!

Within as little as five minutes I had hundreds, and I mean hundreds, of 'friends' retweeting, photographers names being put forward and photographers asking if they could help. It got so manic that H2B had to physically take my phone off me at midnight and tell me to get some sleep...I just couldn't keep up with replying to everyone. I think I managed to thank everyone a couple of days later but apologies if I didn't...thank you!

Our photographer dilemma was sorted within two days, step forward Andy Baines of b72 imaging
He has well and truly come to our rescue and I can't thank him enough, his work is AMAZING and I'm so excited about what he's going to create for us on the day.

So, if you're ever looking for help or advice in any shape or form head on over to twitter, someone, somewhere, will know someone or know someone that knows someone who will be able to help.

I can now get back to counting down ; )

18 wks and 1 day...

I made the top 100!...

I've made the top 100 wedding tweeters this week! : )

Guess this officially means I bang on about weddings far too much lol, it's only because I'm excited!!

follow me @kirstickels 

5 MONTHS TO GO!

OK, I know I'm a few days late...three if we're going to be really precise, but I still want to shout about it lol! I cannot believe how fast time is going and don't know where it is going...but we're pretty much sorted and are both so looking forward to it now.

The RSVP's are rolling in at a steady pace now and all bar one have been yes's! It's so lovely that all of our closest friends want to share and be a part of our special day and it means such a lot to have them all there.

I'm off to make some more cakes for H2B and the rest of the boys in his formula student racing team...it's race weekend this weekend so fingers crossed it goes well for them they've all worked so hard and put in some ridiculous hours over the last month. I feel like I've only seen him in bed...and not like that either you rude lot ; )

Until next time...