1 Let planning commence – Jenny’s Wedding Diary

Thoughts from the day

After a morning of sampling, giggling, consulting, and giggling some more, we finally emerged from the building, laden with bags full of freebies. We “did lunch” in our favourite bar down the road, and had time to reflect.

It was a shame that Paul wasn’t able to come with us. There was plenty for him to look at ‐ he’d have found the suit‐hire information really useful, and he’d have loved to sit in the posh cars!

The only other setback was the fact that the exhibition was miles away from our wedding location. We got some great ideas but then had to find similar shops and suppliers at home in Bewdley ‐ perhaps we should have looked for an exhibition closer to home with some local contacts. Well, there’s a good excuse to find another wedding show that I can take Paul along to!

So, my thoughts so far at this early stage is that I would definitely recommend a wedding exhibition to any bride‐to‐be ‐ a great day out and a real eye opener. Just one tip ‐ stick to flat shoes. Walking around an exhibition all day isn’t the time to test out your wedding shoe heels!

What’s next?

It’s back to the drawing board with my ideas. My notebook is starting to bulge with contacts and I’m putting all the details on to my Confetti budget planner, which I’m determined to stick to…more about budgets next month

We’re engaged, what next?

After all the initial excitement of our engagement was over, Paul and I knew there was a lot of planning to do. The question was… where to start? We knew we’d like to get married in my hometown, Bewdley, deep in the beautiful Worcestershire countryside, but that was the only decision we’d made. In an attempt to fuel ourselves with information, we began to look online and in magazines, for ideas, and read about a wedding exhibition in Liverpool – a little far from home, but perhaps worth a look.

The wedding exhibition – a girls’ day out

Paul was working, so couldn’t come, but his mum, Lesley, and sister, Barbara, came along instead. We had no idea what to expect, but thought it would be a good starting point for the planning – hopefully some unusual ideas and a chance to get our burning questions answered by the professionals.

When we arrived, we were just overwhelmed with wedding vibes! The exhibition was held in a large glass building glass building, and there was a great atmosphere with the vast hall filled with all things pink and white. I got a free makeover, a hair trial, a health and beauty consultation, and a week’s free membership at a local fitness spa!

We also got the chance to sample some champagne, which was a treat, and we tried some delicious wedding cake. I had a look at some wedding stationery, and talked to a fantastic wedding shoe supplier, who actually custom makes the shoes to fit your feet. This was great for Lesley, as her feet are a really unusual shape, and she has trouble getting shoes that don’t hurt her.

There were good ideas for the venue as well. Apart from the usual hotels and stately homes, we found some interesting tips for decorating your own garden or a simple function room. I spoke to a gentleman who provided satin covers for plastic chairs, and a lady who supplied personalised balloons. When I saw their photos from past weddings, I was amazed at how stylish a village hall could be made to look.

Oh, and I got to sit in a Rolls Royce too. I felt just like Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds! FAB!

The fashion show

The highlight of the exhibition was definitely the Wedding Fashion Show. Some of the wedding dresses were absolutely beautiful while others were so unusual they were works of art in themselves. I had no idea there were so many styles out there – whatever the bride’s shape, size or taste, a perfect dress could be found – from sleek, slinky little numbers to frothy ‘meringues’ that didn’t look as if they’d fit through the front door. My jaw just dropped when we heard the prices of the dresses- I couldn’t believe one dress could cost so much! But, then if it’s the most important dress of your life, it’s worth it.

There were also lots of outfits on show for the groom and best man, and for the mothers of the bride and groom. After the show, I think we all had some ideas for what we might like to wear for the big day.