Wedding Blog

So, I got MARRIED isn't it?

This is a very good thing, which makes me very happy. Woo and also Horay!

'aisle' shot, by Svadbas Photography

HORAY FOR LOVE 

This thing of wedding though, somewhat ate my life, and has put other things into the shade a bit, and I wanted to write about it, how we went about our wedding, and which parts of it I would recommend, but was ages ago now, and I still haven't done so to my satisfaction. 

I have tried to write about it with a touch of myth busting (tradition shmadition and bridezilla moodkilla) and navel gazing (why was I so adamant that all of the butterflies used in the decoration be hand cut from field guides not printed, so no two were the same, it's a wedding, not a conceptual installation), budget analysis (just always comes down to priorities doesn't it? We spent big bucks on flights and fireworks and booze, birds of prey, a mariachi band and some very nice portaloos, but not on flowers, dresses, cake etc.), what it's all about (well duh, it is about LOVE). 

Me and my now Mr Alex, with Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture in New York, 2007

I feel so blessed to have been able to celebrate with my favourite person and commit to him, and to have such amazing family and friends to share it with, so many of whom helped it all come together. There is so much to be said there. 

And I have spluttered and stalled and failed to write what I really want to say. So you can have the above, and here are lots of pictures (yay!). I may just share with you some of my favourite wedding wisdom soundbites that I may have said a lot during the process and deliriously on the days themselves. But I'll leave them to the end. 

If you are friends with me on facebook, apologies, I know you have already seen roughly one billion photos of my wedding. 

SO. First we went to Dubrovnik, Croatia for 4 days with 10 of our nearest and dearest. 

A small wedding abroad had been our plan from the day that Alex first suggested marriage, and there was no particular reason for Croatia being the place we settled upon, except that it is pretty. And relatively affordable. 

 Dubrovnik is nice

This is the island of Lokrum, where we marriaged.

We did some sea kayaking the night before the wedding. With a sunset.

 It was well glamorous. Photgraph by Frances Bonnington, 

Photograph by Ellie Cryer 

all following by  Svadbas Photography

we had a boat. it was beauuutiful

Nick and Ned

my bridal party, attempting to deformalise the 'aisle' moment. 

 The actual wedding. Oh my days. Everything drops away and it's perfect you know? This was the best bit.

My mother reading

Cheesy group shots avec palm trees

 Dubrovnik is a Game Of Thrones Location, but these ladies were not playing the Rains of Castamere, thankfully

 Hugs are very important. This photo makes me tear up every time. totes emosh.

 You've got to mix it up a bit isn't it? Our photographer was totally amenable to our less usual requests.

A week later we had a big party in my new parents in law's garden. We wore the same outfits but there was a lot more people. And birds.

wedding collage by me

Photographs below by Recollection Photography unless otherwise stated. 

We done that thing with the flowers in the jam jars. 

I cut up lots of maps into circles and sewed the together. because I am too cool for bunting.

already mentioned the butterflies. 

Vintage teacups tho, you can't go wrong can you? 

Oh there were some people there too. 

Hugs are very important at wedding parties too.

 Barn Owl!

Photo by Paul Lismer

 Photo by Paul Lismer

Fancy dress was also very important.

and music! 

Croquembouche! Thank you to my amazing sister in law Rebecca 

ommonomnom

not to mention my amazing actual sister Hazel, who was in charge of running the party (she did a brilliant job)

As well as Croquembouche we had a multitude of colourful jellies made by friends and family. Jelly = win.

 Photo by Hannah Robins (my mum!)

 A well stocked bar was also a big priority for us. And jaunty bar staff. 

 stationary and quiz

 Love Poem

 good times. I love this photo by Paul with all the red. 

It's all a bit of a blur now, but looking at these photos make me feel pretty good about it. We went through a lot of stress and angst trying to make good choices, and I think we did a pretty good job. 

What I learned about weddings, nominally advice for goingtobeweds:

1. A wedding is the day you learn the most about how you would do it better next time, and then stand up and say you will never do it again. 

2. Most other people have not spent anywhere near as long as you looking at wedding blogs and magazines. They don't know that vintage teacups and flowers in jam jars were not my idea. I might as well have had bunting and cupcakes.

3. For everything that might seem like accepted wisdom about how to plan a wedding, there will be someone who disagrees (quite often you), so don't worry about it too much, sort out your own priorities. 

4. Your priorities are allowed to include pleasing people other than the bride. Of course.

5. A wedding is the day all about you, that makes you realise how much your family and friends mean to you.

6. A wedding is the day all about your family and friends, that make you realise how much your partner means to you. 

awwwwwww, shmalzzy walzzzy lovey love.

did I mention?

I haven't had much time for watching Big Brother these last few weeks

my boss had me on 9 to 5s at Dayjob#1 - how do normal people do it? guess i'm not normal people tho. who is? oh wait. dolly parton. right.

here's a picture of people, me on the left in the boots, Ali and Anna of TwoMagpiesFind are in the middle, at the launch thing for Fragments. I wrote two journalisms about it, one for Windsor local Beat magazine, which was a bit serious, and about my art and stuff, and another one for Amelia's Magazine which was a bit less serious, and about birds and Windsor and stuff.

this is a super budget phone photo of one of the paintings i did for the show - it has puffins!
Puffins are mental, how have they not died out yet! it's not survival of the cutest!


Also, what has been happening is I have been working on my ethical fashiony stuff for that Amelia's Compendium open brief. its too late you missed it.

I went to The Big Swish (it's where you swap your clothes but not with any naked) last week, (it was very fun, although there was Primark related controversy) anyway, I almost brought home a playsuit. almost. i didn't actually. probably for the best.

I forgot to write in my bit about me for the submission how much I love drawing pitcures of people taking photos of themselves, and of groups posing for photos. They are so ace. I love how you can go out one time, and on facebook there's this photo of you looking well chummy with all these people you didn't even properly meet. And I love everyone pulling thier photo faces, almost as much as i love catching people so not making their photo faces.



anyway everything is ok because i have drawn Nelson Mandelephant
please do not hink there is any kind of political meaning to him, it's purest wordplay. He came up in conversation at a grown up cocktail party come geeky sleepover I attended at the home of my cousin in Coventry. (see i told you I has had exotic adventures) which was awesome.

other adventures I have had recently include going to see some sshhhhhhhhakespeare at the globe theatre which i had not done before. That was Ace. there were lots of fat jokes.

Also I went to see Inception FOR FREE (due to my genius of being the most geeky out of 4 people!) it is super good, i recommend it a lot. love the ending - so cheeky!

Also i made a cheesecake. that was a while ago now but still a first. oh, before that i went strawberry picking as well! that's where the cheesecake had its genesis.

And I went to a pub quiz.

And i went to THE GYM.

that might be all of the adventures.

I am up to the Chrises in the facebook project. there are 8 of them. beaten by Daves with 10 tho.

I also did this interview with the amoresome Tigz for the magazine d'Amelia.

Oh ALSO. I am moving house again soon. NORTH OF THE RIVER. saints preserve us. i shall become trendy automatically i assume.