Our Engagement Shoot In Edinburgh

We both had a great time on our Engagement shoot which was taken whilst we were up in Edinburgh this weekend!

Our photographer Derek made us feel completely at ease despite the fact that we were being photographed right bang in the middle of the Royal Mile!

Here is a link to the pictures taken... 

http://www.derekchristiephotography.com/blog/2011/09/30/carlyn-bens-pre-wedding-shoot-in-edinburgh/ 


Let me know what you think!

I can't wait to have the pictures taken on the day now : )

Our 'Forget Us Not' Save The Dates

Our Save the Dates have finally been sent!

When we were deciding what to go for, we had lots of ideas. I didn't want to just send a card as I thought people may put them at the back of a drawer and forget about them, so started to think about more practical options.

I liked the idea of fridge magnets and tea towels but then came across personalised seed packets from Mooks Design. Neither Ben and I are big on gardening (yet - this is mostly due to us living in a flat) but I thought it would be a nice idea to have everyone plant them in June and watch them grow in the countdown to the wedding.

The packets are full of little forget-me-not-seeds, which are a gorgeous flower : )

Here are our proofs:

You can find details about purchasing the seed packets yourselves on the Mooks webiste at http://www.mooksdesign.co.uk/Forget_me_nots.html

Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

Last week I managed to tick another item off my every-growing wedding list: the purchase of my wedding shoes.

I have to admit, this purchase had started to drive me insane.  I didn’t really know what I wanted – ivory, a colour, open-toe, court shoe, lace, vintage or none of these?

After much research online, I came across some beautiful Rachel Simpson shoes: http://rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk/range.php?range=2&name_id=25&style_id=157

These are simply stunning, but I just couldn’t justify the price (RRP £150). I’m not stingy, but my logic is telling me that no one is really going to see the shoes anyway and I always had a budget of £50 in mind.

I was then back to searching for the perfect pair on the high street, and wasn’t having much joy. No matter where I went, I just couldn’t find the right pair.

So last Saturday when I was visiting my local popular high street discount store, my eyes were drawn to a pair of shoes that looked comfortable and I knew they would go brilliantly with my dress. I tried them on and that was it – I had to have them! When I turned them over to look at the price I almost did a double take as they were only £10, reduced from £45! I examined them to make sure they were in good condition and they are perfect! And at that, I bought them : )

I’m really chuffed. As a budget-savvy bride, I think I’ve outdone myself on the shoes and my advice to other brides is that you really can get some bargains – you just have to look for them!

So what are the shoes? I don’t want to give them away by posting a picture but they’re ivory, are not peep-toe and have an average 10cm heel, so I won’t be toppling over on the big day. At least not until I’ve had a few drinks : )

Motherly Love

With Mother’s Day this Sunday, this week I thought I would write a blog about Mother of the Brides and how my lovely Mum has been getting involved in my big day.

Upon researching the web as to the role of the Mother of the Bride, I came across some things that I hadn’t heard of!

Apparently the traditional role played in the past by the MoB included:

• setting up the guest list
• ordering stationery
• sending out invitations
• helping the bride choose her dress
• arrange and book the Reception
• hire the cars
• book the photographer
• draw up the seating plan

Now I’m sorry, but that to me sounds like it’s the MoB’s day rather than your own!  Ben and I will be doing all of the above ourselves pretty much : )

I also wasn’t aware that apparently the MoB should always be the last to be seated at the ceremony.

If you continue to stick with tradition, the MoB should stand first in line to greet the guests as well as dance with the groom’s father after the first dance!

All these things to consider!

My lovely Mum has been nothing but helpful throughout the wedding planning process.  As her first-born, she has been really excited about the whole thing and has come up with some great ideas along the way.  She isn’t afraid to give her opinion about things and although we may not always agree, it’s great to have someone to bounce ideas off of.

When Ben and I first got engaged, I took her with us to 4 wedding venues to get her valued opinion.  She was with me when I chose my wedding dress and has been with me to a couple of wedding fairs, braving the Bridezillas : )

The next thing I’ve involved her in is the guest list and we’ve just about finished that now!

The biggest challenge for her will come on the big day itself though.  With the absence of my beloved Dad, Mum will be walking me down the aisle and I know that emotions will be running high.  But I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side on our special day.

Cannae Wait For Some Ceilidh Dancing!

Although we are still searching for a band to play at our wedding, we have decided that we would definitely like them to include a short half an hour Ceilidh dancing set.

A Ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering which usually involves playing music and dancing.  It actually originated in Ireland but is now common in Scotland as well.

Ceilidh music is usually provided by an assortment of fiddle, flute, tin whistle and accordion and also the drums and electric guitar.  The music is cheerful and lively and the steps should be fairly easy to learn (here’s hoping so, because we are both left-footed!)

The dances can be performed in circles or lines with couples facing each other and should be a great chance for our guests who haven’t met before to become better acquainted!

Popular Ceilidh dances include:

The Britannia Twostep, The Gay Gordons, The Flying Scotsman, The Dashing White Sergeant and The Eightsome Reel.

We are going to spend the next few months searching Youtube for these dances and deciding which ones to go for.

If anyone has any recommendations as to which dances are best, please let me know!

The History Of The Hub

This week I thought I would explore the history of our chosen wedding venue, The Hub in Edinburgh.

Although from the outside it looks like a church, The Hub is actually the home of the Edinburgh International Festival, and a central source of information on all of the Edinburgh Festivals.

Its gothic spire is the highest point in central Edinburgh and towers over the surrounding buildings, including the adjacent Castle.

The amazing spire

The building was constructed between 1842 and 1845 and was designed in collaboration with Edinburgh architect J Gillespie Graham and Augustus Pugin.

The Hub was built for the Church of Scotland both as a parish church and as a purpose-built General Assembly Hall (originally known as the Victoria Hall).  The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland last met here in 1929.

The venue is simply stunning and I just can’t wait to get married there!

A 'moody' looking Hub!

We’ve Got The Whole World…In Our hands!

I literally cannot stop dreaming about our Honeymoon of late.

The World is literally our oyster.  We can go wherever we please, and I love that feeling of freedom.  I keep looking at a world map which is pinned up by my desk and imagining what it would be like to visit each continent.

One regret I do have is going travelling.  I never went to university, but I did have the opportunity to head off to Indonesia for 6 months when I was 19 and turned it down as my sensible head said no.  Maybe my ‘you only live once’ head should have won the battle!

Having spoken about our various honeymoon options over the last few months, I think we have narrowed it down to two and they are each very different!

1) Florida and the Keys

I am a massive Disney fan (always have been, always will) and have ALWAYS wanted to go to Florida to the theme parks.  I would be like a child in a sweet shop (especially now they have built Harry Potter World – just don’t get me started!), most likely driving Ben completely insane, but still!  He’s been lucky enough to have holidayed there a few times already, and loved it each time.  So the plan is to have 2 weeks discovering the parks and then jetting down to the Keys for a week of relaxation to unwind at the end of it all.

Harry Potter World!

The only problem I can forsee with this option is that it isn’t exactly a ‘relaxing’ break for the first two weeks and after all the stress of the wedding we may just want to do absolutely NOTHING but lie horizontally in the sun, sipping cocktails and chillax.

2) Thailand

As a couple we’ve always fancied jetting off to the Far East, particularly Thailand, but have yet to get round to it.  Ben’s parents go for a month every March and always wow us with their stories and photos of white sands and gorgeous crystal waters when they get back.  We are also huge fans of Thai food so this seems to fit the bill in that respect too.  It just looks like total paradise and a mixture of Bangkok and 2 beach locations would be ideal.

Bangkok

Beautiful Thailand : )

One thing getting in the way is the weather.  If we were to go in May it’s going into their hurricane season and I certainly don’t want to swept away on our Honeymoon : )  Apparently the best time to go is January to March, and this would mean waiting until 2013 to go and I don’t think I can be that patient!

But we have decided to be really greedy and in fact have two honeymoons!  We are going to have a ‘mini-moon’ straight after the wedding and plan on staying in a secluded log cabin in either the Lake District or Loch Lomond.  It makes sense as we’ll be in Edinburgh anyway.

We figure, why not?  My ‘you only live once’ head is certainly on this time!