What have we been up to since I last checked in? Since I booked the honeymoon (which Liz is incidentally still very excited about) there have still been quite a few things to keep us busy…
Planning the Ceremony
There are a few little twists that’ll be less than traditional with this wedding and we wanted to get the vicar’s thoughts on our plans so far… Good news, he’s happy and that means we can start designing the “Order(s) of Service”. From our separate arrivals at church to the hymns to the register signing and finally our departure, I’m glad to say we’re going to do it “Our Way” (OK, so it’s not quite Frank Sinatra, but it’ll do for us). It’s really starting to feel as this is going to be the way we wanted to do it and not just an “off-the-shelf” wedding.
Invitations
This was one of the more relaxing jobs for us as, once they had been made it was over to Liz’s dad to write them and post them out! We were thinking that maybe some people wouldn’t be able to make it due to dates but so far everyone has accepted (even family from St Louis in the USA and my school pen-friend from Germany who will be one of my Groomsmen). The way things are going is that it’s shaping up to be a really good day!
Venue Planning
So what can I say about planning after you’ve chosen your venue? The seating plan is quite possibly the most infuriating puzzle ever created… It’s like a Sudoku puzzle with only 9 numbers filled in. It’s true to say that choosing the favours and wrapping them took a long time but the seating plan made this seem like a doddle! This was compounded by the issue of numbers… when the first guest-list was drawn up we were trying to keep the numbers sensible,by the time the final invitations were sent we’d topped out at over 100 for the day with another 50 confirmed for the evening (I’m not even sure I know this many people!!!) The centre pieces arrived a couple of weeks ago and I have to say that they didn’t look this big when we ordered them online! We now have a dozen antique birdcages taking up our spare room at home, I’m not sure what we’re going to do for space when the candles and flowers arrive too!!!!
The Photographer
We managed to catch up with our photographer a couple of weeks ago to show him the church and to get an idea of what style of photos he’d be taking. We were so happy with one of them we’ve ordered a print for our guests to sign at the wedding rather than a traditional wedding book.
Finalising the Honeymoon Details
Ah the fun part! We’ve decided that before the relaxation of 10 days at the Excellence Riviera Cancun we’re going to have 4 days in Las Vegas and then drive to San Francisco for a 3 night stay. This means that to kick off the honeymoon we’re staying at the Bellagio for 4 nights where we’ve already booked tickets for Cirque de Soleil and a flight to (and over) the Grand Canyon. In San Francisco we’ve booked 3 nights at “Parc 55” with a Segway tour around the park, an evening tour of Alcatraz and a visit to AT&T Park to watch the San Francisco Giants host LA Dodgers in Major League Baseball. As far as the rooms are concerned we’ve just booked standard rooms in the USA, but at the Excellence we’ve booked into an Excellence Club Junior Suite Oceanfront (which is the VIP Club section of the hotel). I’m really looking forward to the relaxing atmosphere after the hectic schedule we’ve committed to in the States.
The Painful Part…
One thing that didn’t really sink in when all this preparation started last June was that just how many different people would be involved in helping with my wedding day and more importantly that they’d all (eventually) need paying. From the cars to the suits, the photographer to the venue they all want their money 8 weeks before the big day. On the up-side, at least I’ll have a chance of having a few quid in my pocket on the day if everyone’s paid now!??!
The Hen and Stag Weekends
In tradition with an English Wedding both Liz and I are having a weekend away with our friends and colleagues to celebrate the last few days of “freedom”. I thought that the lads were well ahead of the game as we knew what we were doing pretty much last June, however, with 2 weeks to go we’re still yet to finalise numbers and buy the tickets for the rugby we’re going to watch in the afternoon. This is in stark contrast to the girls who, in the short space of a few weeks have booked transport to and from Chester, booked a venue for lunch, have booked (and incidentally paid for) tickets to the races and have also firmed up the accommodation for the night. I’m beginning to see what I’m up against in terms of a woman’s organisational abilities and I admit it’s a little daunting! Will let you know how I get on in a few weeks time…
Click here to read The Final Chapter: Champagne & Celebrations
