I thought I would start a wedding planning diary to keep me on track and on top of everything.
So my fiancé Neil and I met in 2008 at work. I moved to the UK at the end of July from New Zealand. My plan was to work to fund travel around Europe and return then home. A week later I started work as a locum pharmacy technician at a hospital and met Neil there on my first day. I have since taken a permanent job at the hospital and have done the travelling that I came to do but obviously have no plans now to return home (at least not in the near future)
Neil proposed to me in July 2012 and in November 2012 we bought a house together. Now over a year later we are finally ready to do some wedding planning.
We have had a few discussions, the biggest one was about where to actually hold the wedding. We have settled on having the ceremony and reception in the UK around August/September next year (2015), followed by a blessing ceremony and reception in NZ the following March/April. Once that was settled, we visited a few wedding fairs in the area to get some ideas and I have decided on my MOH and BMs
Yesterday I make some 'be my bridesmaid' cards for my attendants and today I have my very first appointment at a bridal shop. My fMIL and best friend are coming with me in place of my own mum who is in NZ. I will put some pics in some albums shortly so you can see the cards I made. I am quite excited about my visit to the bridal shop today, I have no idea of what I want so will be trying on all sorts of stuff I imagine in the hope I can at least narrow down my options
We have had a few bumps already which I have written about on here before but hopefully we won't have too many problems trying to plan two weddings in two different countries. It's definitely giving me headaches already just thinking about it!
CommentAuthorKimberleyR78
Whoops, behind already.
So I have officially asked my sister to be MOH and my best friend and sil2b to be bridesmaids. OH hasn't thought about best man yet but I know who he will choose.
Firstly, the appointment at the bridal shop went really well. I tried on 10 dresses and narrowed down to 2 completely different ones that I like. I want to go to more dress shops for a bit of variety and also mil2b has just sent me an email about a charity wedding dress sale at the beginning of April so I might look at going to that.
We went to a wedding fair last weekend, we met a really nice photographer there and also a nice cake lady. We have had testers at a few different wedding fairs of different cakes but these ones tasted so good, miles ahead of every other one we have tried. I think we will make an appointment to meet the photographer at his studio, he has a fair discount but it is only valid for another 2 weeks and we have not set a date yet so might ask we can provisionally book him and still get the discount.
I have been looking at venues and now have 2 that we can afford and I want to go and look at, then I need to get OH to speak to the vicar at his village church to get the ball rolling there.
So much to do, but hopefully I can keep on top of it all.
CommentAuthorMrsThomson2B
Curious, are you having the same bridal party in both weddings or a UK bridal party and a NZ bridal party. Really interesting to read about you doing 2 weddings on opposite sides of the world xx
CommentAuthorKimberleyR78
At this stage I don't think there will be a bridal party as such in nz, as a lot of our friends in the UK party won't make it over there. I have a big family in NZ, my dad was one of 7. There is 22 years between my parents and unfortunately this means that dad's family are now mostly elderly and will not make the trip to the UK. So the blessing ceremony is our way of including them. I will definately be wearing my wedding dress again tho!
CommentAuthorLizM28
A tip: Make sure you check with the airline well in advance how they will carry the dress!
there are no special provisions with airlines to carry wedding dresses ,... there is no "extra baggage allowance " you can pack it in a case and it will go in the hold or take it ( as i did ) in a garment cover as part of my hand luggage ..... the crew i had did hang my dress in a locker for me ..but you cant guarantee this happening
I had two 'weddings' too - the legal one was in Vegas (where we clearly don't live!) and then a month later, we had a blessing in our local park and a reception in a local restaurant. As for taking the dress on the plane...I took mine in a special wedding dress box and took it on as hand luggage. The cabin crew kindly popped it in the Captain's cabin for safe keeping (both going out there and heading home).
Enjoy the planning - I loved every minute of it!
Just out of interest, where will your UK wedding be?
Vegas baby!
Moderator
CommentAuthorKimberleyR78
Wow, it has been a while since I have been on here! An update tho- I have found my dress!!!!!!!!
I first saw it and fell in love with it on the ukbride Facebook page nearly 2 months ago but didn't have a chance to go and try it on. In the meantime, I attended a charity wedding dress sale and bought a dress, it was the best one on the day and a bargain but I just wasn't sure and had this other dress in my head all day.
Anyway I have now tried it on and love it! My mum and bridesmaids really like it too.
So, we don't have a date, or a venue or anything else but my dress is chosen. It's mori lee blu 5103. There is a pic on my profile.
Also, my family in New Zealand have suggested combining my blessing ceremony with a family reunion. It will mean a lot more people that I would initially have invited but I might be able to spread the cost a bit if other family contribute to the reunion. So something else for me to think about.
CommentAuthorAprilS61
Your dress is lovely! X
Mr & Mrs Swan 04/04/15
CommentAuthorFutureMrsPendlebury
I am so envious of you! I'm from New Zealand (Auckland) and arrived in the UK July 2003. I went back in 2010 for a few weeks and miss it so much especially my family. We are going back in January 2015 for 3 weeks but wish we were doing a blessing back in NZ after our wedding but H2B wants to go to Vietnam for the honeymoon and is too expensive to get a flight from there back to Auckland. However, to have a bit of 'home' in my wedding is to incorporate various things of NZ that we can bring back as favours, use place names as the table and have a querky wedding cake. Feel free to add me to chat about stuff! lol x p.s. beautiful dress!
March 5th 2016
CommentAuthorTheNewMrsBarrett
Ooh your dress is gorgeous! X
CommentAuthorKimberleyR78
Thanks everyone for your comments.
Work has been so hectic recently wedding planning took a bit of a back seat for a few weeks, but now we have a venue! OH and I went to a wedding open evening at this hotel a few weeks ago and really liked this place and their packages are really reasonable.
We want to have our wedding on the Sunday of the august bank holiday next year (it's cheaper at the venue this day) but we can't confirm this date with the church at the moment as they don't have a vicar. They were apparently interviewing this week so hopefully there will be news soon.
The venue has been really kind and are currently holding both the Saturday and the Sunday of the bank holiday weekend until we can talk to the vicar.
We also have chosen a photographer who is currently still available both of these days but I think I will have to be a bit cheeky and ask if he will do the same and hold both days for us for a couple of weeks until we can talk to the vicar. Don't want to risk it if we don't have to.
Futuremrspendlebury - I miss my family heaps too but OHs family have been really supportive which is great. Am originally from oamaru (South Island). We went back for Christmas 2012 for 3 weeks which was great (and hot!) can't wait to go back again.
Have you chosen your cake? Would love to see a pic when you have!
CommentAuthorKimberleyR78
Futuremrspendlebury - I can't add you, I think your profile is restricted
CommentAuthorFutureMrsPendlebury
I've added you :) No haven't chosen a cake yet, I've picked out my wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses who will be in navy. I've designed the invites with a navy blue background with a silver fern and looks really good! I need to find one of these cheap tourist shops to get little things for favours. I'm going to get paua to put in my centrepieces as I want white sand and a candle so can put the paua in it as well! We have found a venue too just need to go to church for a few weeks then talk to the priest eek!
