{Image Credits: Left column & Top Centre by Botelet; All other images from Author’s Personal Collection}

86 days left until the big day. We have taken further steps to simplify things. Whereas I was once thinking I would hand write all our invitations in calligraphy, we have decided our sanity is more important. We have delegated these to Alex, talented Graphic Designer and A1’s boyfriend. (If anyone in the UK needs anything graphic related doing for them at excellent rates, please leave a comment and I will e-mail you his details. His work is excellent. I am not biased!) He is also making the order of service so the two shall match. In return, I have sorted out some legal type stuff for the two of them. This trade of skills is excellent for brides on a small budget. So, hopefully, soon, there should be an invitation to show you. Soon, because if they don’t get sent out in the next two weeks, we might not have any guests at the wedding…

T and I spent Saturday afternoon making/altering my Going Away Outfit. A friend donated the dress to me, which she bought in a sale some years previously thinking she might get it altered to fit her and then, as usually happens, never got round to it. A UK size 14 was too large for me too (I am a UK8) so T and I unpicked some of the seams, took it in, altered the shape a little, chopped off the hem, and are now putting it back together. In exchange for afternoon tea which I prepared (tea and home-made scones and jam) T got to work at the sewing machine and within a few minutes had completed the alterations to the outside. Now all I need to do is the lining to fit. It was extremely impressive watching a professional at work: things that take me ages when I am sewing took her a matter of moments. When it is finished, I shall show you some photographs. It doesn’t look quite the same at the moment, with the skirt of the dress unattached!

Speaking of our sanity, the images above are where we have decided to take our honeymoon. We considered many other options – Morocco (a favourite destination of ours), Greece (beautiful buildings, architecture, good food and white beaches), more remote places such as Thailand etc – and then finally settled on somewhere which suited both us and our budget: Cornwall. We have booked a yurt for the first week and have arranged massages for the first day. After that, who knows. Plenty of sleeping, reading, surfing, sunbathing (we hope) and cooking and eating. The second week’s accommodation is still being arranged but hopefully a cottage as I am not sure I can do more than a week of an outside loo and shower.