Trav's new look

Today is Trav's first day of leave! And it's going to be a busy on - dropped me off at work, met his dad at Formal Red for his suit fitting (he tells me he looks positively SMASHING!), a leisurely brunch together, back home, orthodontist at 4 to remove top front braces (!!) and then the dentist for a good clean. When I meet him in Moonee Ponds at 6 he'll be a new man! (for 2 weeks anyway, then those grills will go back on until February).

So with all the extra things I've asked him to do, there's be no rest for this guy on his first day off... he'd have less to do at work!

Mum came over last night to help me finish a little project or two, and tonight we're enjoying dinner with Susan, Gary, Marian, Egan, Mum and Michael.

Save me from myself

somecards

Thinking back over our 2 year engagement, I've come up with so many things that I did because I wanted to, even though they were extra time and effort, I think it's these touches that help make the day special (to me anyway!)

• Writing this blog. But I want to remember all the little things that happened along the way and I hope to share it with my own daughter one day.
• Making our own invitations and place cards
• Making gifts
• Personalising things like the ring cushion and my wedding dress
• Arranging the day after BBQ and HABA dive day
• Preparing Telegrams for our guests
• Preparing Welcome postcards for our guests and setting a timeline for the week
• Learning a dance
• Keeping a ***** to give to *****
• Creating our own centrepieces
• Sourcing the wine
• Designing our own seating plan
• Making **** for the *******
• Using a wedding website and monthly update emails to connect with our guests
• Offering to organise bus transfers for all guest and recording all their trip details

What can I say? I just love projects!

Also here are the cute petal cones that Michelle has been busy making for me. They're made out of  old sheet music. I love them!

Mini Wedding Bee a success!

Our last big project is out of the way! Fueled with a delicious roast dinner and red wine, we got all the place cards assembled in one night and they look fantastic! A BIG thank you to Tamra and Kathryn for your help - it would have been boring and tedious without you!

Tamra asked me how I was feeling about the upcoming marriage and all I could think of was how that is the calmest thing in this whole wedding. Simply marrying Trav.

Today I appointed an honorary Sommelier - Kyle is helping me select some wines for our menu which are ideally Victorian but in any case, a great match at a decent price. Gotta love handballing!

We're getting married this month!

source

At our second last dance lesson last night we learned the Grand Finale and Sim invited us to come back on Thursday to film it. Oh and Francesca invited us back next Friday to perform it!

I slipped a couple of times when we were practicing and soon noticed some clever 'feet' Francesca was wearing on her heels - for $6.95 a pair they might just keep me on my feet!

Vivaz Dance

They're designed to fit dance shoes (their heels are a bit bigger) but with a bit of glue I'm sure they'd stay on mine too!

Looking forward to our Wedding Bee tonight girls!

It's starting to come together now

Our (OK Trav's) last minute place card has been a huge success. I got everything printed last night and it all looks fabulous (the lady at Officeworks was probably even more excited than I was!) The print on Trav's beer bottles is raised and the lacework and names on my champagne bottles look embossed. I'm thrilled!

We cut out one of each last night and Trav proudly stuck his straight into a stubby holder - perfect!

I'm just waiting for my fairy floss sticks so I can stand them in the gift boxes, we'll get these all cut out and assembled over the next week - hopefully with the help of some good mates of mine... (nudge nudge wink wink)

We've also got the bus charter information so we'll be sending it out to all our guests this evening, hopefully they'll appreciate that we have to facilitate this ourselves and will help by sticking to the deadlines, I really want it to be as swift as possible.

I've also decided to feature a Port Douglas icon on FaceBook each day until we leave - a nice teaser for our guests!

someone's trash...

...is another person's treasure. Although I just don't know how Italian Silk and French Lace could ever be trash, I really don't!

I've got some very exciting news - Marian and Susan have offered to handmake our ring cushion and was lucky enough to score some offcuts of the fabric used to make my dress! We had our monogram (painstakingly) embroidered on the silk before handing all the pieces over to the creative genius that is M&S. Apparently it was finished but now it's not anymore, they're debating over some minor additions - well I just can't wait to see it. I was also lucky enough to have a piece of the fabric embroidered with our initials and our wedding date and this sent up to Wendy Makin to be sewn into my dress. If you're looking for a thoughtful way to personalise something, I highly recommend contacting Marro and Josie of Embroid-It in Essendon, they embroid everything!

I love mail!

Our invitations arrived yesterday! The printing is gorgeous and all other projects have been flung aside so that we can prepare these for posting! I was practicing my very best handwriting for the names on the invite. Unfortunately it looks like we won’t have room for the cute little wedding bells stamp I purchased- yet another thing to put on eBay after June! The envelopes are stamped and labeled, RSVP’s are stamped and  the letters are merged and printed, ready to go. I’ll continue naming the invitations this evening then will put everything in envelopes so that when the Telegram postcards arrive next week we’ll just pop one into each envelope ready for posting!

We’ve kept a pretty good spreadsheet of names and addresses and I must have looked at it and checked it a hundred times, but now that we’re getting ready to post everything I can’t help worrying that I’ve still missed a detail - spelling error? New address? That must just be paranoid bride behavior!

I also received some spare fabric from my dress which will be made into the ring cushion – that will be embroidered in the next few days then Marian & Susan will take care of the rest. It was a very exciting mail day!

Oh dear... (bridesmaids step away from computer now)

Yes. You. Tamra and Louise!





























Me and my big ideas! I've just added another sewing project to my already huge list! I was looking on etsy today to see if I could find some cute and different bags for my two bridesmaids, when I came across this cute pattern for a Mini Twist Clutch by Constructivism. This means I could make the clutches in any fabric I like and I could have the lining embroidered by my good friends at EmbroidIt!

I'm already going to Spotlight tomorrow morning, so what did I do? Yep. Sold.

238 days to go...

Things are moving now! To keep with our broad 'summer holiday' theme, we've designed some old style postcards for invites and RSVP Cards, I''m not putting pictures up yet - it's still a secret!

I've narrowed the Victoria's Secret Convertible bridesmaid dresses down to 3 colours now, Sangria Wine, Blackberry and Berryliscious and sent snapshots to the girls to see what their pick is.

The dresses will be a gift from me and I truly want them to want to wear them again and again. Getting the colour sorted will really help with preparing the rest of the decorations.

I tried making Martha Stewart's Carrick Knot napkin rings last night and they're so easy and effective. Right - time to set up the DIY To Do List

Jan 2010 - Invitations (we're getting them printed by Vistaprint but they'll need the personal touch)

April 2010 - Fan programs (templates from Custom-Programs)

April 2010 - Dress converting - practice practice practice!

May 2010 - Welcome Packs
June 2010 - Napkin knots

June 2010 - Seating cards (well - parasols)

And of course I intend to persuade them with lots of wine, tea and yummy things!

Travis and his mum are suit shopping tomorrow, Marian can hardly wait - hope they check out Travellers Apparel in Collingwood.

One inspired bride...

I didn't ever want to lock the wedding into a theme - but these are the two constant questions I get asked - What's your theme? What are your colours?

But now I think I've got just the right blend.

I needed something portable - don't want to be lugging tin buckets or elaborate candleabra's up in our luggage and I don't like the thought of just hiring it all. So paper will be my friend.  I've always liked the look of paper lanterns bobbing in the breeze and they'll definitely look the part at Lure Restaurant - so why not expand on this idea bit then?
I love these instead of the traditional pew bows - maybe white lanterns with deep pink or purple ribbons?

Australia Entertains

And then at the reception...

Martha Stewart Weddings

This can keep the summer holiday mood we want to create without being too strict, and for the reception decorations...

Paul Johnson Photography

I love these colours together too!

We'll also have parasols for the photos - I can imagine it already...

The Knot