Just after three years later my Better-half asked my father for my hand (how sweet and romantic is that?!), got down on one knee (he really did) and asked me to marry him.
This summer, ten years later, we are getting married.
When we decided last spring there was the initial flurry of activity; sending out save the date cards, booking a registrar and finding a venue (the football ground where it all started!) and getting a DJ. We asked our bridesmaids and best-man, and then it quieted down a bit (apart from my regrettable wedding magazine addiction).
And then suddenly it is 2013, the wedding isn't next year any more. There are things that really need to get organised now, flowers, cake, dresses (for me and the bridesmaids) and suits for the men. Readings and music for the service need to be found, invites (and other stationery) need to be ordered. I was wondering last year why anyone finds wedding planning stressful... know I'm beginning to find out!
I'm lucky, my Mum is helping out with everything... and my Better-half, whilst content to give his input, is fairly relaxed about everything.
On Friday my Mum and I went cake shopping. Randomly (considering she lives in Kent) she recommended a shop near me which had done my grandmother's 90th Birthday cake. So we popped across. The Cake Store is amazing. All the cakes on display were gorgeous and the girl who did our consultation really knew what she was talking about. We looked through the selection... I started with round and fairly plain with maybe just some ribbons... then I saw this cake and I knew it was the right one! The flowers in the display are even about the colour I want my bouquet to be! We went away with little samples to try to decide what to have in each layer, which the Better-half and I later had for desert! We also went to the flower shop in Charlton village. They had a huge album of examples of wedding flowers to look through - so now I pretty much know what I want my flowers to be.
The dress (for me) is well under-way as my God-Mother was a dress-maker, and has taken all the photos of the dresses I sent her and turned them into exactly what I want! The bridesmaids dresses are proving a little more difficult, but happily both the girls (sorry ladies!) are on the case too!
We went to the venue on Friday as Mum had never been there, and discussed things in a little more detail, I can begin to imagine it all done up now. We still have to choose the actual menu but there is some time for that.
So less than five months to go now, but everything is under control!