A non-guidey guide from a soon to be bride part four

Here's the latest blog from Leigh, our real bride blogger who is getting married at Chrsitmas and sharing her planning journey along the way...

Hello Autumn- It’s good to see you!

Without question, Autumn is my favourite time of year. Being an October baby, I’m apparently a “natural lover of beauty and the outdoors”, and I absolutely adore this season.

Perhaps my admiration for autumn is not just innate but also has something to do with my love of trees. With their deep autumnal colours- burnt orange, burgundy… nature really spoils us at this time of year, don’t you think? Is there not anything more satisfying than a crisp, autumnal countryside walk through the woods and the fields? Better still if there is the promise of a good local pub at the other end. At minimal expense and a wonder for the soul, I know what the coming weeks will have in store for us (in between the photographer meetings, make up trials and food tastings of course).

Talking of weather, only a few days ago I opened our doors onto a sunny yet chilly Sunday morning, where there lay a subtle fog over the garden and I thought to myself if only I could order that precise weather for our wedding day. Our date however, is exactly one week after winter solstice and I’ll be up before sunrise and enjoying our wedding ‘breakfast’ at dusk. We recently decided to move our ceremony time earlier due to limited daylight for photo’s (with thanks to our superbly helpful photographer who tactfully reminded us that darkness will not excuse itself on our wedding day).

Whatever the weather, come rain or shine or wind or snow, we’ll embrace it all for better or for worse.

Moving on to a different matter entirely, I wanted to share an honest few words with you all, especially to anyone indeed planning their own wedding. Time for real talk!

Be you a day, a month or a year into your planning- take heed. This matter is one that is seemingly rarely discussed within the industry but is very real for anyone planning his or her wedding… and in my opinion (as with all delicate subjects) it is better off spoken out loud and clear (no matter how controversial)! This month, I hold my hands up to you all and I admit that I am currently experiencing this very matter, so when I stumbled across a blog boldly titled‘Falling Out Of Love With Your Wedding’ I felt a huge surge of relief- I’m not alone! And I couldn’t have written those few, honest paragraphs any better myself (but I will try).

Until recently, I hadn’t yet been exposed to any negative, wedding related content; I thought all of this stuff remained unwritten? Is it not all confetti, love and laughter? Definitely Not. And I say Hallelujah to the daringly, honest author of that exquisite little post that happened to appear in my inbox- my stumbling across it could not have been timed any better.

‘Falling Out Of Love With Your Wedding’. It’s a strong statement- but a very real one at that. Perhaps it’s the decision after decision, the grueling task of budgeting, or the trying (and most likely failing) to keep all of your friends and family completely happy? Perhaps it’s the time consumption, the overwhelming task of coordinating ‘on the day’ logistics, or the unbearable frustration of not being able to find the perfect shoes for your dress? Or just maybe, it’s the realisation that above the centerpieces, the cake flavours and the wording of your vows, quite simply all you really want to do is marry your favourite human being. Whatever it is that brutally kicks you out of your wedding planning honeymoon stage let me leave you with this.

If you, like myself also find yourself in this unwelcome cloud of emotion, allow me to comfort you slightly- this is only temporary. We’re not heading for disaster (no matter how extreme and dramatic it all seems) and we’re not about to come crashing down- we’re just experiencing a bit of turbulence. For some perhaps more so than others but either way, don’t forget that you will come through and out the other side! And remember that the destination is so totally worth it.

Luckily for me, I have just (rather ungracefully) stumbled over that little hurdle- just in time for my birthday AND my hen do month…

(I promise to share all of the juicy details!)

91 Days to go and counting…