…Weddings Are Actually a Good Idea.

Who knew!?

Well not me, thats for sure. In the lead up to my wedding I was a mess, the three days before – a wreck. I was snotty and ill and crying and dreading the ‘big day’ (it makes it worse when people call it that). However, something amazing happened – when I woke up on ‘the morning of’ I was calm, happy, relaxed, still a bit poorly but nothing a lemsip and glass of fizz couldn’t fix. I loved getting ready and then when the actual event got started I actually had the best day of my entire life. It was the opposite of what I expected, but actually exactly what everyone said it would be. I can’t wait to see the wedding video because at the moment it all feels as though it was a really wonderful dream! Yesterday I received these beautiful pictures and they’re really helping it all seem like reality.

So in the interest of any other petrified brides out there I’ve put together five reasons why you should have a wedding (as opposed to an elopement – which was my original plan):

1. People bloody love it! People love weddings, you get the odd cow complaining about the price of the accommodation but the majority of your guest list will be excitedly shopping for outfits a good six months before the actual day (I include the male contingency in this) and texting you countdown updates on a regular basis. All your nearest and dearest (and all the other guests that you don’t really know that well) make such a wonderful effort and the day wouldn’t be half as special without them.
2. All these lovely people bring presents! For the first time in our lives together Chris and I are now lucky enough to be able to throw away the cheap (but pretty hardcore) pans that my mum bought me from Ikea just before I headed off to uni (thanks mama). Which is especially nice because now we won’t have to cook our meals in something I’ve been sick in!
3. I’ve never felt so beautiful. I use the word felt here, because regardless of how I looked I felt completely lush. I didn’t really have a fixed idea of what I wanted in a wedding dress and I think because of this I instinctively ended up creating (not with a sewing machine – a very lovely and remarkably talented lady did that bit) a dress that was completely perfect for me. I’ve always been one for putting things on my head and as soon as I got engaged I decided to focus on finding the most epic thing I could (instead of focusing on the panicky bits) plus on which other day of your life do you get to wear a veil?! So when I put it all on I’ve honestly never felt so lovely in my entire life, and that feeling will stay with me forever, especially in the moments when I’m bloated, greasy and ill (now).
4. People say really nice things about you – it’s great! The speeches were full of jokes at my own expense but that’s how they should be (and I have done some really silly shit it my time) and the other bits were all the people that mean most to me saying really lovely things about and to me. Couple that with the veil and everything and I think I must have been visibly glowing!
5. Love is the best reason to party ever and party you should! All in all the best way of summing up the entire wedding day was one big, epic, amazing party. We had a dress-up box and an iPod playlist and I’ve never been on a better dance floor. Getting married is expensive but the calibre of party that comes from that is completely worth it. If you like a good party – you will like having a wedding day because that’s really all it is, but the fact that you got married at the start of the party just makes it all the more awesome.

These AMAZING moments were captured by AMAZING wedding photographers Dot & Lucy (http://dotandlucyphotography.co.uk) and the BEAUTIFUL flowers were created by the BEAUTIFUL Jan Lima (http://www.janlimaflowers.co.uk).