What would my Dream Wedding look like?
#collaborative post
Now nearly 6, and a big lover of Disney Princesses and the concept of happily ever after, I am asked on a fairly regular basis by Erin (and other people for that matter) when Mike and I will be getting married. I am always fairly upfront about it, in that I don’t know if we ever will. Despite what I imagined when I was younger (meeting a man, having a lavish wedding and seeing two children arrive a few years down the line), the order of my life goals didn’t quite go according to plan, and now with two beautiful daughters and living in an unofficial civil partnership, money seems to be a big factor in whether or not we decide to tie the knot.
That said, if we were to get married any time in the future, I do have a few ideas of how I would want my dream wedding to be, somewhat influenced by my time working as a bridalwear consultant whilst I was at University.
The Rings
When it comes to putting a ring on it, my tastes might differ somewhat from the traditional solitaire diamond ring and there is a reason for this. When I was a child, my Mum had a blue sapphire ring in her jewellery box. It was only costume jewellery but I adored it. Whenever she wasn’t looking I would sneak into her bedroom and sit at the mirror, popping on her ring and admiring my reflection in the mirror. I would love my engagement ring to be similar to the ring I loved so much as a child, and feel like I somehow had her with me through the ups and downs of married life. The diamond and sapphire cluster ring from F Hinds is just perfect, with a little style of Princess Katherine thrown into the mix too!
The Dress
Having worked in a bridalshop for 2 years whilst at University, I have tried on my fair share of wedding dresses in my time, albeit not since I have had children, and my figure has changed somewhat since then! As much as I love the idea of a sleek slender wedding dress, being more on the petit side height wise, the fuller skirts definitely tended to suit me better. Having also seen the stock prices of wedding gowns however, I am reluctant to spend an absolute fortune on a dress I will only wear once, and would much rather save some of that budget towards the honeymoon!
The Location
This is a real tough one, I love the idea of being whisked away somewhere exotic and getting married by the sea, but the reality is with such a large family to think about, it is more likely to be somewhere in the UK. I love the idea of a fairly small and intimate ceremony, where friends congregate afterwards for a reception, and I love places such as Hampton Manor who have smaller private spaces for a family wedding whilst offering huge grounds with beautiful views for the photographs.
The Honeymoon
For me, a honeymoon has to be something uber relaxing and calm, somewhere where you can relax, unwind and spend quality time with your new husband. Having written my bucketlist a very long time ago, my choice of the Cooke Islands would still be up there with the best of them – soft white sands, turquoise seas and palm trees gallore – find me a hammock and somewhere calm to watch the sunset and I would be a very happy girl indeed!
Before you head off to buy yourself a hat (particuarly Aunty Shirl if you’re reading this), it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon! As much as I’d love the romance of being whisked down the ailse, with two young girls to think about we can’t currently justify the expense, when it could be spend on things all four of us could enjoy together. Who knows though, time will tell – maybe watch this space?
