9 weeks and closing...finally finished my bouquets though!

So a year ago when we first started planning this wedding I was obsessed with 'button bouquets' as an unusual theme and keep-sake. However the people who make/sell them charge an absolute fortune for the service of making them?!? Undeterred I decided that my degree in Graphic Design and Art would not go unused and I would simply make my own - saving me time and allowing me to make it however I want it.

I have had the button stems and flowers made up for a while. I however have spent months 'flapping' over the final assembly, never quite happy with the position of the buttons/flowers the stems, if I could see the wire, forming the handle...etc...

Anyhoo...yesterday I had me a spurt of creativity and I finished them off, positions final, bound and glue gunned everything together, made the handle and decorated the stem...

...here are a few piccis of the final product...

Bridesmaids small posy

Bridesmaids small posy side view so you can see the handle

Brides bouquet

Brides bouquet side view

Brides bouquet, handle

I wouldn't say it has necessarily been the cheapest option, here is an approximate breakdown:

Buttons - £20
Wire - £30
Paper Flowers - £30
Ribbon - £20
Organza - £14
Pearl Beads - £6
Total - £120

HOWEVER - this has made 3 bouquets (Bride and 2 bridesmaids) and 6 buttonholes for the men with lots of buttons/flowers/organza/ribbon left over! I have then used the 'leftovers' to make the invites, place names, table centrepieces, seating plan and to decorate the cake stand, so £120 was well spent in the great scheme of things as it has covered a lot of things which now all match and tie in together well.

10 weeks and closing

So...yesterday marked exactly 10 weeks until the wedding...which also happens to be 9 weeks until I leave my job and a little over 11 weeks until I start my uni PGCE course. Its all happening and its all crazy-manic!

We don't have that much left to do, but if I'm honest there seems to be lots of little jobs I just cant seem to finish off, and with the day looming closer I'm feeling the pressure starting to increase. Especially as the last few weeks I've been so distracted with my uni application/interviews/placements at schools as well as working my part time shop job in and around doing all of that. The wedding very much took a back seat.

So, the last couple of nights I've jumped straight back into the creative side of my 'hand-made' wedding pieces. We've received all of the replies for the 'daytime' ceremony/reception and most of the ones for the evening 'do' as well, and are starting to build up a lovely collection of acceptance/regret cards.

I'm not sure of the 'protocol' for displaying these cards - I very much intend to enjoy them and leave them up until the wedding. I then decided to set about writing an informantive letter with a few more details on about the big day/menu choices to send out to those who have accepted.

And most recently I attacked to grand task of writing out the place settings for the tables. Considering we are only having 39 guests to the day reception this was a laborious task as I hand made each one with a multi-step process that, although I enjoyed, felt very tiring and repetitive. Again with this my only hope is that people appreciate the time and effort that goes into making such a small and inconsequential item.

Step 1: Take paper 'large luggage' tags

Step 2: remove white string

Step 3: Add shaped contoured edge with fancy scissors

Step 4: Use hot glue gun to apply buttons to each tag



((Step 4 again)) - observe added buttons achieved through hot-glue-singed-fingertips

Step 5: Take purple ultra thin craft stickers

 

Step 6: Stick on and trim to size purple border sticker

Step 7: Add names - handwritten in purple

Step 8, Add purple/white twine to each tag

Lets Tango In Paris...

Honeymoon is booked. Paris here we come!

Via the poor-mans transport, megabus to London, Eurostar to Paris and a cheap (and hopefully cheerful) hotel for 4 days!

Now to narrow down what we actually want to go and see, with so much choice this is going to be a non-stop sight seeing adventure. I plan for my feet to be in pure agony by the end of every single day.

Choices include:

- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Notredame Cathedral
- Moulin Rouge
- Sacre Couer
- Arc De Triumph
- Pompidou Centre

...and these are just the ones of the top of my head...

For a brief moment I was more excited about going to Paris for the honeymoon than I was about the wedding itself, this feeling and rush of excitement has subsided and I am devastated to report the void has been filled with worry, stress and dread.

Don't get me wrong, we're pretty organised and there isn't LOADS left to do, but there are a few little things and all the Paris money had to be paid up front which has put the squeeze on us a bit for now.