7 sleeps... running around town

What an action-packed day! It was one of those days that, when you climb into bed at the end of it all, you can't quite believe what you were doing at the beginning.

We woke up to the sound of construction works across the road, our sleep-in was shortlived - even though I was covering our ears with my hands.

We had a difficut start this morning, when Trav came downstairs in the morning he just caught Rossi having another seizure. We were both there together for the first time. I'm sure the last one was in April, which scares me because it's reoccured a lot faster than all the others. What else can we possibly try that might help our little man?

Once we'd all recovered from the rough morning, Trav and I headed into town where I met Kate at Brides of Melbourne for my FINAL try-on and dress pick-up. Once again I was so glad to have company. An overly smiley assistant named Cath helped me into the fitting room and all she could tell me was that it was all done. Hmmm, I asked to see Allison for my own peace of mind.

Before I even put the dress on I noticed just how nice it looked inside - they'd taken the cups and sewn them inside the lining, rather that leaving them tacked on as Wendy's team had. Bonus points!

This time I didn't even bother taking my leggings off and I stepped out of the fitting room to see Louisa for the very last time. She had no idea what had happened that week and as I took my final 'walk' she declared that my husband would run down the aisle to me!

Allison came out and confirmed that they'd fixed up the skirt without a problem and Kate and I could see with great relief that the skirt was very even, and the front lace panel had been moved up to match. Satisfied, I arranged to pick up the dress later that morning.

As Kate reluctantly returned up the hill to work, I met Trav at ADC and we wandered over to Laurent for a breakfast of croissants and lattes.

It was 11:30 by the time we arrived at Arthur Murray unannounced (for the first time today), the studio was closed and dark, we could hear the phone ringing and the answering machine kick in as we waited, deciding what to do. It was a bit surprising considering they advertised 10am to 10pm opening hours.

I returned to Brides of Melbourne with Travis, who graciously turned around as I inspected my gown to make sure it was indeed mine. He asked whether the puffy sleeves were being sent up directly, and quipped that he'd seen the road train carrying the rest of the dress leave this morning. 

Trav offered to carry it for the first couple of minutes, before deciding that it wasn't doing much for his image and promptly swapping it for the bag containing our dancing shoes. I suggested that any young lady would melt at the sight of him carrying a VID (very important dress) and he agreed that they would sigh with regret that another good man was about to be off the market - why else would Louise and Tamra be wearing black dresses??

Our day continued with a visit to the Collingwood Football Club, where I luckily rescued one of the groomsmen's gifts from the Australia Post bag, only to find that they'd packed the wrong size, talk about timing! Next up - Boyles dance shoe store in Prahan, after finding that all the heel grips were still too big for my heels, we took their advice and headed to a shoe repair store in North Melbourne who would replace the cheap plastic heels with rubber-absolutely-non-slip ones.

We scoffed our pork rolls at home on the couch before I headed up the highway to see mum. Without time to try on the dress, we laid it out and were happy to see that the semicircles matched up this time. Crisis officially over.

Mum showed me the finishing touches she'd put on our little project and then I spent the rest of the afternoon with Kimberly of Karma Hairdressing, we set a date for my PWC (Post Wedding Chop) and Kimberley almost had a tear in her eye as she recalled my wedding gown and wished us all the very best. My colour was finished in record time - apparently it does take a lot faster if the client has a lot going on at the time. Our carefully planned colouring hit a high - we were both really excited with the result and I walked out of there positively beaming.

Hitting the highway I hoped I'd make it in time to catch a few of Trav's workmates before their drinks wrapped up and their long weekend began....
On the way I got a fair ribbing from Louise about my 'to-the-minute' running sheet but have to say, it was load off my mind when I sent it out. I knew that it meant I wasn't the only one who knows what's going on next week and I'll be able to happily put down my memory stick and pick up a Mango Daiquiri as I resign from my wedding coordinator role and Trav steps down from his TRAVel agent role!

Arriving at VU about 7pm, there were a couple of guys left and we chuckled over a drink with Dan, Warren (the fijian-indian), Trish and Mick before making our way back to the car.

Walking down the hill, Trav said the words "I think if we knocked out 2 good practices at home, why don't we go into the city."

....it took me a few seconds to understant what he meant. I
d totally forgot that we'd originally been asked along to the social night to peform our wedding dance tonight...he actually wanted to do it. He'd originally written it ff because he thought he;d havve too many drinls and didn't even expect to ave the bus-stop under control let alone our routine!

'Are you sure???" I panicked... he confessed he'd been feeling really low about our last practice and wanted to really show Sim that we knew wht we were doing. "OK" I offered, unconvincingly.

t home we moved the couches >again< and practiced. and practiced. and practiced. Rossi was under our feet so Trav moved him and hi bed to the couch and we practiced aain. and AGAIN.

To be percetly honest, after the fist 4, I didn't think we were readyu at all to make the trip downtown, but we persisted and after knocking out 2 good ones, I changed and we were in the car headed for Bourke st.

I couldn't believe he was serious! My Trav doesnt dance until I beg him, i started to feel like the whole night was a deam, my Trav - draging me onto the dancefloor, on a night we'd already declined once. I started to feel like I was in the end of 'Shall we dance' when Mr Clark showed up unanounced at the going away party...

I was still aving trouble believing it as we drvove into town, I was thinking to myself, "this will either be a xomplete success or a complete flop, it's up to us".

We stepped into the elevator. pressed "M" for Mezzanine. We could hear the music as soon as the elevator door opened. We looked at each other. This was it. I pushed open the door, my bag got caught as Francesca looked up from her group class and said

OH
MY
GOD
This couple will be presenting their wedding routine to us tonight!!!


The next hour was all practice, and again, and again. We did really well only a few minor slips and were both feeling very confident....

We were both having a ball, and soon enough we were on. We completed the routine to applause and there was only one time when I'd skipped half a step so we'd finished about 2 seconds before the music. Sim was so proud of us and Francesca walked in just as we'd finished - after all that excitement!

It was about 9:15 by the time we headed over to the dumpling place for a late dinner. It was the same one we'd dined at after our very first lesson too!

Disclaimer: Any typos are due to the fact I was using Trav's Mac rather than a standard keyboard. live with it.

Diary of a Bride

So what does a Bride do with 10 days left until her big day? Surely she relaxes, takes it easy with lots of baths and early nights? I wish! Considering we had nothing booked except for dancing and a haircut at the start of the week, here's what we've got on now...

Monday: Last minute alterations at Brides of Melbourne, and last dance lessons at Arthur Murray

Tuesday: Mum is coming over to help me finish some little projects, drop into PassionFoods at lunchtime

Wednesday: We've been invited out for dinner with Trav's parents and their close friends

Thursday: Christie work drinks, and visiting Kathryn at her gorgeous house-sit in Kensington

That's right - beautification starts way before the day! I was so excited to book in our massages for Saturday (and the 20% discount makes it that little bit sweeter!) Notice the 10pm appointments? I've set that for all week, let's see how many I can achieve!

Crisis averted (hopefully!)

Soon enough the working day ended and I met Kathryn and Louise on the steps of the GPO.

As we walked into Brides of Melbourne Allison greeted us immediately and showed me to a fitting room. She was cool, she was calm and no-fuss. (I bet she knows how to handle bridezillas!)

In the fitting room I stayed calm and said I just couldn't believe none of us had noticed this difference - Allison said it was a common occurrence - usually the top half of the dress gets all the fussing. She just made me feel comfortable immediately and even helped me into my shoes.

I stared into the mirror as Allison spread out the skirt, pinning and measuring. She wasn't phased with raising the hem - it would only be a problem if I wanted it lower! With Louise and Kathryn looking on we agreed on the length of the front left side and as Allison measured the length of the skirt from the left and right bodice seams, we noticed more than a couple of inches difference - the left side of the skirt was at least 8 inches longer! That's not a circle! Allison promised to measure the whole gown to ensure it was even and she is even removing the lace on the front and resewing it after the hem is raised - I seriously thought she'd just trim the bottom!

I mentioned that I hadn't spoken to Wendy yet and she said she'd give her a call.

Leaving my dress in the fitting room, I approached the counter where we locked in 10:30 am Friday for final fitting and pick up - and it will be freshly pressed too.

Phew! I walked out of there confident but relieved that I'd brought along reinforcements.

I quietly sipped my tea at Grossi while waiting to meet Trav at our last dance lesson.

The practice class was great - we worked on basic foxtrot and rumba steps, underarm turns (with proper arms) and my favourite - swivels!

We enjoyed pizza at Tono's and service was lightning fast this time, it was fitting that we'd started here 9 weeks ago and were ending here - with a much better experience!

Our private class had it's ups and downs, we concentrated hard on the ending and it's now looking lovely - we still had the odd slip up or two during the routine but as long as Trav doesn't get that 'I just stepped in dog-poo' look on his face no one will be any wiser.

We practiced again and again and worked on the timing at the start, our arms and smoothing the whole routine. We then performed it for Sim, Francesca, Andrew and a couple of the other students and it instantly felt different - my mouth was so dry! The feeling of people watching was so unnerving, Trav said the whole time he was thinking that Sim was disappointed, then he'd miss a step - tell himself off and miss another one - the poor thing really got worked up. We'll take it easy with the practice I think, we both know we know the steps and if we drill it over and over it will just look robotic. We'll be just fine!

Sim has worked so hard with us to make such a fantastic routine! I love the music just as much as when we started and the dance is just so much fun! It's sad to think we won't be spending Monday night 'date nights' with her from now on, but I hope we hold onto all that we've learned.

As we left the studio the same song was playing as the first time we'd walked in - 'I got rhythm' and we thought it would be a fitting song for our Parent's Dance...

In other news...

We received a very generous parcel from Dad on Friday. He had kept asking us to tell him an amount to contribute but as we just couldn't pluck a number he organised it for us.


Trav has been arranging our car hire for our arrival at Cairns Airport - this is the email I got from him...


Just looking at car hire for PD
Can get a Getz for $65 plus about $15 petrol, but not a lot of storage. 3 large suitcases and a big puffy sleeved dress
Can get a Tarago for $90 plus $20 worth of fuel.
How much running around will we actually do between Cains and PD on the Tuesday?
If we can get most things ticked of then its worth it
Is it better to get transfers?


A big puffy sleeve dress? Ain't he cute!


I enjoyed a lovely breakfast with old neighbours Andrea and David on Sunday morning at Duchess in Spotswood. It was really nice to spend the morning with them, talking about our plans just like the good old days.

Safety in numbers

Well I've learned by now not to assume anything so I called for reinforcements. I put the call out to Louise, Tamra and Kathryn to see if anyone could come along for the ride tonight.

Instantly Louise was in. Not long after - Kathryn was joining us. Tamra's working late but 2 out of 3's not bad! I sent them both the background info and here are they're responses!

Louise

Now what did I say about things going wrong – just breathe… It will be fine girl they can’t charge you for something you have already paid for, its not like you have grown six inches taller or shrunken by the same amount.
I had the same problem with the bustle – my was I couldn’t locate it!
Anyway it will all be okay.

Kathryn 

Right! Got it!
I’m working next Tuesday – so if it takes them longer to fix it I can pick it up on the Tuesday next week.
All good? Still breathing fine? Don’t worry – we’ll get it sorted!

What more could a girl ask for??

 Anyway I only need Trav, Deborah, Me and our witnesses to get married.
All the rest of it is bonus fluff.

11 sleeps, one fingernail gone

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I worked my last shift at Passionfoods  on Saturday, I received lots of lovely wishes and hugs - and my boss Steven had this to say;

"Just enjoy every moment. Be in the moment. I know you've got all these last little things going around your head, but just enjoy it all."

Great advice at this stage in the game,  and I'm reminding myself of it all the time.
It definitely is my mantra for today and I'll tell you why...

On Saturday night I tried on my dress again and practiced dancing in it. I still couldn't work out why I was standing on it all the time. And then we confirmed what Louise had noticed last time, the left side is longer. And not just by a centimetre - more like a couple of inches. It lays on the floor whereas the right side just skims the floor.
We checked it on the hard floor - thinking Mum's nice thick soft carpet was making things worse, only a slight improvement. We unbustled and rebustled higher. And higher. And twisted the skirt the other way. And laid the skirt out flat. And put higher shoes on.

We looked at how it might be fixed, shorten the hem on one side gradually? most of it was behind the lace panel so it wouldn't be so noticeable - but the lace would have to be trimmed as well. Pull it up at the hips? This left the fabric at the front curling instead of draping beautifully.

Worried I was going to put my heel through the dress on the day, and for the sheer principle of the fact this very expensive dress was crooked, we agreed I'd call Brides of Melbourne first thing Sunday and try to get down there as soon as possible.

I began wondering what they'd say. "It's not that noticeable" Can't you change your dance?"

And with a week to go until we fly out I knew there wasn't time to send it to Wendy in QLD for alterations, to receive it in Melbourne before we left. That meant they'd need to alter it onsite. I started having flashbacks of my friend Louise's experience with alterations at the store. Or would they send it to Wendy and have her send it directly to Port Douglas next week? They all sounded like risks I didn't feel like taking.

I woke up on Sunday with that feeling of 'there's something I don't really want to do today'. Brides of Melbourne doesn't open until 11 on Sundays so after enjoying breakfast with David and Andrea I picked up the phone and called them. No Louisa isn't in today. I spoke to Helen and briefly explained the problem - no alterations staff are in today but come in tomorrow after work. She remembered me and remembered that Wendy had done all fittings and alterations for the gown. Helen was very calm and helpful - I'm sure she gets last minute dress issues often.

I'm glad I tried it on again. And I hadn't started dance lessons until after we picked up the dress so I hadn't even contemplated any problems then. Why do we get these 11th hour issues? I kept myself busy for the rest of the day and I was fine, but on the way into work this morning I started to pick at my thumbnail, by 10 am it's all gone and looking kinda out of place among the others that I've been so carefully growing. I'm feeling a bit uneasy and foggy and I think it's going to be a long day. I know everything will be wonderful on the day, and I have no doubt at all that I'll be wearing my beautiful dress, it's just thewondering and worrying that's getting to me. But we all know that there's no point in worrying until there's something to worry about. Right?


I suppose this is the 'hint of drama' I asked for - better now than on the day I'm sure. Fingers are crossed for a straightforward solution.

3 little letters

V.P.L

I knew these 3 little letters would drive me slightly mad when searching for the ideal undergarments. Luckily, as the bodice finishes quite low, I don't need to worry about the waistband, it's just the legs/butt area.

I began my research online - there are heaps of no VPL products around, this can't be too hard?
Berlei was about to bring out their Barely There range so I stalked the womens lingerie section of Myer until I saw them. I bought a pair, tried them at the next fitting and no good - they ride up and create an unsightly line. Horror.

An Elle Macpherson brief in a similar style wasn't much better so next option was the G-string, worked a charm but with that long split in my dress I'm now petrified of Trav dipping me and exposing everything!

I've done some more research and keep hearing the names Spanz, Nancy Gantz, Ambra and Holeproof Nothing. And I also found this hilarious product called the C-String - check it out here if you dare! I think I might just get some boy-legs to try with the dress too - if they don't work I'll stick with the G and anyway, a girl can't have too much nude underwear!

If only...

... I could wear a garter with my dress. I'm sure I'd pick one of these beauties from Florrie Mitton Couture

Just another day in paradise...

Have a look at the beautiful blue sky up in Port today!

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Last night was our third last dance lesson and we learned our beginning! The lesson went so quickly and we've got lots of practicing to do. On Thursday we're attending a Bridal Couples only class where we can learn about what to do if we stuff up, and how to enter and exit the floor. We'll take any extra help we can get!

After speaking to Sim about my dress (and sending through some pics) she said it'd be best to carry the train in my left hand otherwise I'll hang myself with my underarm turns. To my relief she taught us a very modest dip where my foot doesn't even leave the floor. Phew!

Tamra's dress arrived safely yesterday which was also a big relief - she'll be looking forward to trying it on tonight!

I had a quick peek at our massive to-do list and was pleasantly surprised that we're pretty under control.We've got most of our thank you gifts sorted and Trav came up with a great idea for the boys!

We've got a good start on the seating chart and Trav also suggested a brilliant place card idea. Now if only Lure would get back to us and things would start arriving in the post!

The next major thing to tackle is the bus charters, I'm seriously starting to regret this one but we just wanted to help our guests as much as possible. Hopefully Coral Sea Villas will be in touch soon with their provider and we can ask our guests to contact them directly. We've got most of their times recorded and could fill a couple of mini buses if everyone was interested... the sooner we get this started the better. And don't even talk to me about return trips!

Dress Rehearsal

It was all about the dress again this weekend. I woke early (before 7am) at Mum's place on Saturday morning to the sound of cats fighting on the deck. I raced out to check that Rossi wasn't out there and couldn't find any cats but upstairs I saw the beginnings of the most beautiful sunrise that I decided to grab a cup of tea and blanket and watch it. It took a good 10 minutes for me to realise that I should be watching Sunrise the program to catch snippets of St Mary's by the Sea in Port Douglas during the weather updates. They were filming there because Carnivale was on.

Soon Mum was up and we spent the morning chatting and deciding on the vases to use for the sand ceremony. We had all morning but managed to tip over a bowl of cereal and forget my hair extensions when I left for the hairdresser!

We tried out two styles and the clip-in extensions were seamless, they were such a good pick!

In the first style Kimberley used some small plaits to give my hair body around the side, and twisted it over to one side. I loved the effect of the 'swoop' from the top of my head and also might invest in a couple of small crystal pins.

Because we had to take it all out again she didn't put too much product in so it will need more oomf on the day to keep it looking good (as Louise pointed out - all those hugs can take their toll!) I also hope my fringe will be longer by then and am not sure about having hair down at the front, it will have to be trimmed to suit on the day.

The next style was in the centre, and although pretty, we both liked the first one better! We looked at the clock and 2 hours had gone in a flash!

I came home and enjoyed a chicken and champagne lunch with Mum before stepping into my beautiful gown and putting on my jewellery and shoes. I was standing over the warm floor vent and we took some pics of my Marilyn Munroe moment!

Louise and Bronny arrived soon after and the swooning began, Mum had set up some mirrors and I practiced a few steps - when bustled the dress still seemed a bit low when I stepped backwards so I slipped the loop over my left hand. It didn't really hold up the lacy side enough so I tried the right hand - bingo! This might just work. I tried a few dips with leg lifts but this was a no go for modesty reasons! Will have to practice leg-down-dips. I also tried turning with my right arm and wondered whether I'd get tangled in the train. I'll have to ask Sim about this.

Louise suggested getting slightly higher shoes to give more clearance around my feet and I've also since thought of hooking the train on one or two buttons higher. I'll have to try all these things next time!

I even managed a couple of glasses of sparkling without spilling a drop and mastered 'sitting gracefully' too.

I really enjoyed chatting with Louise about everything we're planning to do - Daniel is having his birthday drinks in Port Douglas on the Wednesday night! 

When Kimberley arrived she put my veil in and mum kept clicking away on the camera. Bronny carried my train as I descended the stairs - as my honorary bridesmaid, it was such a fun afternoon!

Happy stress

Flashback:

On the evening we picked my dress up, Louisa and the girls at Brides of Melbourne joked 'Aren't I married yet??!' I assured them that I hoped this was my last visit. My dress felt fairly loose under the arms this time and I started to worry that my upcoming detox may not be the best idea. Louisa said if it was going to be a problem I should come over to her house for a big bowl of spaghetti!

She also gave me these very important words of advice - 'When you get to your boarding gate, head straight for a friendly looking married female flight attendant if possible, she's more likely to take extra care with your dress than anyone else!'

The last few nights have been filled with wedding discussions, emails back and forth between suppliers and countless spreadsheets and to-lists. I really don't want to be a wedding planner or travel agent when I get to Port Douglas so I hope that being extra careful (OK pedantic) now will mean I can sign off on Tuesday afternoon. Afterall - it's our holiday too right?

Last night we allocated our seats for the flight up and guess what - we're in row 18! They also noted that I'll be travelling with my wedding dress and cake.

I also picked up some possible vases for the sand ceremony from highpoint, when I was chatting with the sales assistant about how much I still have to do for the wedding she said - 'well it's happy stress isn't it - it's the best kind of stress to have!'. True. Very true.
When am I next going to be able to deliberate over bus transfers, napkins or which colour parasols to have? I want to make a conscious effort to pretend I'm not getting married so I can clearly look at all the things we're planning and really get excited - pretend to be the guest instead of the guest and wedding planner.

When I was talking to Kyle today about our weekend plans (mine being busy with a hair trial, dress try-on, wedding planning with mum and suitcase shopping with Trav) he said - 'well you're busy but at least it's all exciting stuff - it's plans for your wedding and travels'. True again.

All our guests we're speaking to are so excited. Can't wait. Want that holiday. I'm only thinking about everything that needs to be done. I should be more excited than everyone but I don't seem to be letting myself relax yet. Hope this wears off soon.

I just hope the more planned and organised I am now, the more relaxed I'll be later.

PS - I just sent this affirmation to Trav

We’re getting married in Port Douglas next month just like we planned and 63 of our closest friends and family want to come! I’m starting to believe it now!

Happy 18th! (already??)

Yes, 4 weeks to go and about 100 things still to do!

The weather isn't something I've thought about much in our planning process, I thought we'd be guaranteed a beautiful blue sky just like our two visits up north have been. Alas this week I've started to hear that things are expected to be a bit chillier than normal in QLD this winter. So as anyone would expect I had a mini-melt down and looked up the Elders  28 day rainfall forecast, but that wasn't very helpful as it only goes as far north as Brisbane

The BOM outlook

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 And of course current conditions in Port Douglas itself...

Finally, a quick check of the trusty webcam at Zinc restaurant confirmed that there's been no rain today!

My make up artist explained that their wet season was a bit later than normal this year so April was a lot wetter than normal, but she said the weather was beautiful and blue where she was standing so not to worry too much - just concentrate on things we can control. A good reminder is that during our last June visit, the locals were wearing ski jackets when we were in shorts and tees; so the meaning of 'cold' is different to everyone. I'm sure I'll be happy with anything warmer than a Melbourne winter, but that won't stop me from including the weekly forecast in here during this last month anyway.

I just saw some beautiful pictures of Lure at night time and I can't wait to be dancing on that very dance floor - and looking out over that very marina!

This Saturday is another big exciting day for me! Mum and I are going to see Kimberley my hairdresser for a hair trial and then back to mum's to try on my beautiful dress - must remember to practice some dance steps, turns and dips with the bustle and the wrist loop - just to ensure that everything will still be left to the imagination on the night!

In the afternoon Mum is going to help me with a few last projects and decisions and then we'll be playing email ping-pong with our suppliers for the next few weeks. Oh - we have to buy a suitcase too!


So just like Matt warned me, 'don't you ever dare to wish your time away'


PS: Can you get addicted to webcam?

Mad Hatter's Tea Party Album #3

Doesn't Kat's dress have an uncanny resemblance to Amsale's Kennedy gown???

I'm ready

After a fun shopping trip with Kate I'm ready for whatever tomorrow holds...

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It's amazing what a dress can do for your confidence!

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Not that I am...

But if I was I'd do it like this...

I think these underwater Trash the Dress photos are just amazing! Just not sure how all the crystals, beading and lace would like that water. I've heard that most dresses have washed out good as new after the photo session, I just don't know if I could. But look how much fun it would it be....

40 days to go...

This weekend was abuzz with chatter about next week's big hens and bucks parties! It all started with a phone call from Tamra on Friday night - "You need to wear white next Saturday". White? I don't have anything white - it goes with owning a black pug. Gotta hit the shops!

On Sunday we checked out the 'Man Cave' Egan created and Kate and I rummaged through her wardrobe in search of white dresses. I took home a couple of possibilities but when I realised that they were so short I couldn't even bend over I had to cross them off the list. A quick trip to eBay solved my dilemma and I'm looking forward to receiving my dress on Tuesday.

At Mum's later that evening I tried on my gown - fearing that this detox may have left me with less to work with but there was nothing to worry about - it actually fit slightly better under the arms than the day I picked it up. Those push ups are working - keep at'em Christie!

Mum loved our Mother's Day dinner and gift of the photo frame with 'Memories in the making' and then she absolutely floored us with a gift of her own.

She has given us a set of Royal Doulton Neptune Champagne Flutes - complete with our initials tied to the stem! They are to use on our wedding night and I am so terrified that I'll damage them!

Time Flies

Well here we are, with less than 2 months to go until our big day. The day which we've been planning for 2 years! What the heck am I gonna do when it's all over??

There are some 'real' moments coming up which are going to make these last 59 days pretty quick ones.

1. I'm picking up my dress on Friday night!! I get to try it on again! And finally bring it home. That's real.

2. My work pal Belinda is getting married this Saturday. She's 55 days ahead of me and has kept reminding me this whole time that it's going to fly. I'm starting to believe her. All the best for Saturday Belinda!

3. The festivities kick off in May with my shower and our hens and bucks parties. What's realer than that??

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Our dancing is going really really well, I just can't wait for each Monday night and this week we've got a bonus - we're joining the practice group this Wednesday night too! I've been so inspired by some wedding dances on the web lately and I just hope we can pull it off on the night.

I'm booking in a hair trial with my hairdresser soon and we'll take some pics that I can send up to Kristy for a bit of a guide.

Also, we're ordering so many things at the moment, from stubby holders to a cake stand and the best bit is that they'll either be delivered directly to our hotel, or to my lil sis in Charleville, who will be driving her feral ute up to PD and can carry a few extra things for us. Who'd have known she could be so helpful from all the way up there??

Reminiscing...

Very early into our engagement I began my search for THE DRESS. Like any other search, I started with the www and quickly found Alfred Angelo. Being a destination wedding, I was taken by their convertible dress design, it made perfect sense from ceremony to reception!

 Alfred Angelo

But after lots of searching I was sure this one would be my dress - 

 Alfred Angelo

I was lucky enough that a Melbourne stockist ordered one in just for me to try on and I thought I was in love. Louise and Tamra came along to my first try on and both gave me the nod of approval -  and my mum came to the second one- but while there I also tried on lots of other dresses, including this one.

Alfred Angelo

Yes. This was definitely the one. It was ivory with an ivory ribbon at the waist.

Well, that was easy.

A couple of months later my sister was in town for our engagement party and a friends wedding. I knew I'd already found my dress but set up a couple of appointments at some boutiques in town so Michelle could join in the fun. What I well and truly hadn't expected was to find my dress. THE DRESS.

The dress my sister picked. The dress I couldn't get out of my mind. The dress that made me blush. The dress that cost so much more. It really happened - I didn't want to take it off and couldn't wait to visit it again and again! And I did - I'm sure I have tried on my dress about 7 times since the day I found it, November 10th 2008.

It's not a dress, it's a masterpiece

Wow. What a week. Wedding fever hit our house last Sunday when we sat down with Deborah and planned the details for the ceremony. We’ve picked the music, readings and order of things – we now just need to decide on our vows and work out the sand ceremony details. I’ve got all our wedding music on my iPod and love listening to it on the way to work, it finally feels like we’re getting married soon!

We also arranged the reception timeline and sent out our 3 month countdown to guests. We have 30 guests confirmed so far - and I know there’s many more who have booked their flights but just haven’t RSVP’d yet. To make the most of having all these fantastic people in Port Douglas with us, we’ll be setting aside a couple of hours each day to catch up with everyone. This will be a great opportunity to show them our favourite spots and everyone will start to get to know each other too. We’ll put this info on a postcard which will be waiting in their rooms when they arrive.

I just can’t wait to start dance lessons – I’m so excited that I’ve even started learning some basics at home (slow, quick, quick, slow – back left, side right, close left, side right)! We haven’t decided on our song or dance style and we’ll have to wait until the week after Easter to begin that adventure. I think it will be a really great stress reliever as we get closer to June.

I finally tried on my very own dress on Friday night, Mum and I got from our door to Brides of Melbourne in 20 minutes. It was the last time I’ll see Wendy and her assistant Kelly who have both been so helpful along the way. I don’t think they see any Melbourne Brides quite as often as they’ve seen me (every time they’ve visited since November 2008!)
My poor dress was so crumpled, and it was strange seeing it without the lace on the front of the skirt. I was pinned into it and Wendy marked the hem and where the lace will go. I put on my earrings and my beautiful Kezani bracelet – a gift from Michelle and got excited all over again! I was still very sure of my ‘no veil’ decision, but I tried on one that Wendy recommended – just for fun and it was actually quite lovely. The difference was that it was silk tulle – so it wasn’t as stiff as the regular stuff and it was also as long as the train on my dress, which looked a lot better than the waist length ones I’d tried. They’re going to send down a sample in the right colour with my gown and I’ll make my mind up then.
It will take another month for my masterpiece to be completed and returned to Melbourne and then I’ll be able to visit it every time we go to mum’s. Travis is sure I’ll be trying it on every time! I am looking forward to trying it on with my hair all done up – and am trying to think of anyone I know with a free standing mirror – it would be very helpful to have a couple for that day. I might start checking out some op shops.

On Sunday Marian and the boys went into town to pick out their outfits, and Louise came over and tried on her dress with her beautiful new satin Sandler heels. She. Looked. Stunning. The dress fit perfectly and it was very comfortable - it’s such a relief to know I won’t be trying to return them to the store in America. Just need to pin Tamra down now.
 
So we’ve gotten a lot of major stuff done and have a very clear plan of what’s left to do – only 88 days to go now…

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!