So, how is everyone doing?

kelda_shelton

im still here just quiety looking for stuff etc!

shelovestobuystuff

Most of the major stuff is done ,just found my dress so I am majorly relaxed now as that has caused me some worry for well over a year.
Visited the venue at the weekend,paid for ther booking ages ago as I loved it from the photos,its even better in real life though.
Just changed caterer to the more expensive castle recommended local chef as we dont want to risk not getting it perfect on the day.
Ditched our recommended baker after a taste test,god that was awful cake!So still to get the cake organised all over again.
Thinking about inviting some more people too,just another 4 of OH,s family.

*Louise*

7 Days to go......:j

I did notice the lull on the boards recently lol, but I just figured people were working away at various things, like myself.

I just spent the last 3 hours making the place cards and re-jigging my table plan. Couple of people said last week they couldn't go, and found out today another relative is too ill to make it. Staying stress free though (can't garantee I still will be in a few days if anyone else messes about lol)

My brother FINALLY got measured for his kilt yesterday, he was the last one. I still have another 6 corsages to make, and I wanted to make cake topper figures of the kids, but I can't see me having enough time now.

Oh - and M&S nearly messed up my order for my fairy cakes!! No one phoned the supplier - if I hadn't been going past the store and popped in I would never have known. I am going to phone tomorrow and see if they have done it this time.:rolleyes:

And I got my dress back on Saturday, with the hem altered - I can;t wat to wear it!!!:j:j

lindaatno9

How's it going Kelda? Any joy??

kelda_shelton

Ive ordered on the 18th a protype of my BM dresses with gianibridal to see what its like... It was £52 & that includes P&P..

Now that is more than terminal uk and the original store of dress had quoted.. (They had said $65 which works out at about £42) but I decided that extra was worth it for the good reviews and customer service.

I know you said before what is the point of getting a prototype but I just felt so much better in myself doing that and seeing the dress before spending money on all 4 (plus 2 FG's) ... and I was getting nowhere finding a dress maker in Scotland (if only I lived near you Linda!!)that would work out anywhere near the price of ordering all the BMs plus one protype one never mind the same price! (And this includes me budgeting for alteration on the chinese dresses once they are in Scotland!)

So they have said it will take 30 days to make and like milly they will send me a few pictures towards the end of the pricess to check I'm happy before shipping.

They're keeping a swatch of the material they actually use for colour match reference because the idea is I may be able to use the protype for one of my BM's.

I'm having the prototype made to measure to me - to see how good the the made to measure is and to see what my Mother's measuring is like!! I'm a size 16 and the idea is that this can perhaps become the dress for my currently pregnant BM. Since she doesn't know what size she'll be at the wedding (as she will have given birth 5 weeks before) they say you should buy 2 sizes up from her usual size - which is a 12 - and make alterations from there. This is why they have kept the colour match so they can advise that the new navy chiffon roll of material, colour matches okay to the original dress or not, and thus whether I should buy 3 or 4 dresses for my 4 BM's ...

If I have to buy 4 dresses from the same batch of material I plan to sell the extra one on ebay after the wedding.

I also asked about the underneath material - and they came back saying it would be the silky satin in the same colour - so thats what you had mentioned so i was happy that without prompting thats what they had suggested.


(phew! That was a longer post than I imagined!!)

madfrenchgirl

Well, I am at the mercy of other people really...

Civil Ceremony: booked
Registrars: booked
Venue: booked
Meals: booked
Invites: sent
Party only invites: not sent
Bridesmaid's dresses: getting made
Suit fitting hire: done
Car: booked
Hen night: booked

Mainly the problem with me is that last time I spoke to my chief bridesmaid, she announced she was pregnant. That was a month ago and we had to order the dresses without her: I had sent her countless messages with examples of maternity dresses on ebay and she never replied. Not only am I worried about her, but after trying to call her many many times, I had to give up and consider she would not turn up for the wedding. So had to fire her in absentia by default. I am going to have to put someone else as my witness for the registrars. My mom keeps on suggesting my female cousin, whom I hate but had to put as usherette to shut my mum up. That same cousin allowed herself to call 2 of my bridesmaids "fuglies" when it was mentioned they were size 14's. She also does not seem to get through her thick skull that she needs to wear an all-black dress and said she intended to turn up as she wanted (good excuse to kick her out of the wedding party). So I am using the excuse of "no family members as witness" to not have her standing right next to me during the ceremony. I am gona have to go for a tatooed, metalhead, size 16, lesbian friend of mine whom i consider as my sister: and if my family does not like it, they can go home!

In the meantime, i have one bridesmaid who is also a French expat: we are not very close but I needed someone to take care of my French family on the day (put them in taxis, make sure they don't wander off, translate when needed, make them feel welcome...). So far, she has been rude and inconsiderate, passing judgements on the other bridesmaids she has not even met yet, suggesting dresses double the price, not making contructive comments about my dress (oh they are all the same to me,it's not as iff I look at wedding dresses all the time). She is too busy for meeting up with the rest of them. She is so busy that the date for my hen night had to be on the only weekend SHE was available. if I did not need her for my family, she would not be part fo the bridal party. She made us late for ordering the bridesmaids' dresses, tried to give me measurements taken with a DIY tape (!), kept on messing me about coming over (she lives one effing mile away) when i told her I would take her measurements for her properly at mine (I am coming tonight, no tomorrow, running late by 15 mins, no actually an hour) and it turns out it was pretty obvious she never read the instructions I sent her on how to take measurements.

I told her off for not reading my emails and just passing the buck when it came to doing things. Her excuse was "it's not my job, it's the chief bridesmaid's and she is missing. I don;t want to step on her toes as I have never met her".

Other thing I am facing on the human aspect is that it takes absolute freaking ages for anyone to come back to me on anything: I have planned to make the girls accessories for their hair but I need to know what they want. They don't seem to understand that ther eis always a reason why I ask things. 2 of my remaining bridesmaids are finishing uni work so busy until the end of the month. The French one is doing a part time master (and tends to think people should try to slot into HER schedule and her time is more valuable than some final year student's). Yet I am busy too and I am getting fed up of waiting for other people to be available. So far, I have been understanding and patient but it is starting to get to me big time.

What i am going to do with the French one is plain and simple: "here's your dress, here are your instructions, see you at the wedding"...

I am also still trying to sort out my wedding dress: went for a fitting at Sweetsend in Reading back in Januray. Tried this prototype/copy of a dress, loved it, wanted to order it. I told them to hang onto the order until I ahd lost some weight but when it came to order at the beginning of this month, the China factory told me they did not know which one I was talking about. I had to come back to Peng who runs the shop in Reading, and has a 3 months old babay to take care of, to ask her to get it sorted. She said she would but that was a week ago and nothing has been sorted yet. I know the wedding is at the end of August, but I need my dress to do hair and makeup trials and decide on my accessories!

So I am thinking of going to Milly or Landy, even though we started matching our colours to Sweetsend's swatches!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!

I need a hug! and I need chocolate cake but I am low-carbing!

madfrenchgirl

Sorry about the extremely long post!

lindaatno9

madfrenchgirl wrote: »

I am gona have to go for a tatooed, metalhead, size 16, lesbian friend of mine whom i consider as my sister: and if my family does not like it, they can go home!

You know what would make this easier? If someone actually put you first at the moment. You are the one trying to keep everything together. You want some recognition of the job you are doing and the fact it's going to be your day. You deserve to be center of attention and it aint happening.

Well if it's any consolation, I think you ladies all do a fab job. Guests just turn up and eat. This is for you Madfrenchgirl and all you other ladies experiencing stress whether dress related of stand off bridesmaid related. :T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

madfrenchgirl

Thx Linda... this is so sweet! if only you were local!

I do have lots of support from the bestwoman (yes a bestwoman) and a beautician friend of my OH who is currently disabled and has made "being well enough to do my makeup on my wedding day" her goal for getting better. So i do get a bit of support: just not from the people who should help me out. I know I just have to be patient and wait til the end of the month when the 2 students are done. But it's mainly the thought of only having 2 real bridesmaids out of 4.

Thx Linda, you are fab: you listen to all our worries, answer to all our questions and always makes us feel better!

lindaatno9

madfrenchgirl wrote: »

Thx Linda... this is so sweet! if only you were local!

!

Ha, well I'm more local than China!!! and always happy to help de stress.