Good morning everyone! I woke up super early this morning, feeling much better than yesterday (which doesn’t mean I feel great yet). I was flipping through the current issue of Today’s Bride when I came across their bridal budget.

The budget. What a scary thing to think of. I just figured I could throw out a number that sounded OK, like $20k, and that would be the budget. Whoops, turns out it’s not. My friend Mel, who got married a few months ago told me I need to actually work out numbers for all categories. SAY WHAAAT??? As in, I need to estimate an itemized list, and add all the numbers up? Oh dear.

So the Today’s Bride budget actually has some numbers on there for you, which makes things a bit easier for a first time bride (aren’t there a lot out there?) to guess how much things will cost. I plopped in some numbers. I’m super excited that my mom (a former florist) and some friends will help with the flowers. There goes like, $1000 in savings. I’m designing my own dress, which is my mom’s gift to me (a former bridalwear designer), so there goes like, $2000 in savings. J (a printer) and I are designing and printing our invitations so there goes like, $800 in savings. I figure I’m ahead of everyone because I got all these connections, and the budget should be pretty small.

I don’t even fill in all the categories because some I have no idea on (how much does a rehearsal dinner cost?), so figure I’ll add in a little more when I know more. I look at the total. It’s already over $30k. Gulp. And that’s with 100 less people than the FMIL suggested. Gulp.

Lesson learned this morning: work out a budget that’s as realistic as possible, because when it comes to weddings, the increments aren’t tens, or even hundreds of dollars, they are thousands of dollars. And it’s real easy to go from $10,000 to $20,000 without realizing where it all went. I’m going to go through a more whittled down guest list (the current one is super loose), which hopefully will give me a more realistic attendee number, and take it from there.

Boy oh boy, am I ever sick! It’s my second day off work, AND I missed a Superbowl potluck, which goes to show how sick I really am. Thanks to some extra strength Nurofen, I can actually sit up and type, so why not introduce myself a little?

I’m in my late twenties (gasp!).
I was born in the UK, lived in HK, and grew up in the Netherlands and Canada. Briefly went back to the UK but now I’m in Canada again!
I’m a graphic designer. I love all things creative.
I met my fiancé, J, over 10 years ago… through the 10 years, there’s been tears, laughter, separations and togetherness. The one thing that never changed was love.
In 2008, we officially got back together and just before 2009 we got engaged.  Funny what fate does to ya.

Sunday was the day I officially became engaged. Ok, so it’s been almost a month since my (now) fiancé asked me to marry him, but Sunday was the day it became certain – I went to a bridal show.

I currently have, and always have had, a strange affinity with engagements and weddings in general. I have a simultaneous fear and desire to be swallowed whole by it. And on Sunday, I got fearfully swallowed just a tad.

For those of you who have been to a wedding show, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t, let me divulge.  Sunday was a free-for-all for vendors to touch me, grab me, yell at me, question me, and get my contact information, because I’m a bride to be. Women grabbed my hand to check out the ring, men asked me to fill out page long questionnaires and ballot forms with my name, address, daytime number, evening number, emergency contact, favourite cereal, bra size and wedding date. Right… the eminent wedding date.

Let me tell you that – surprise – I don’t have one yet. (Actually – let me sidetrack here for a moment. The second you get engaged, people ask two things. I’m sure you can guess them: “Can I see the ring?” and “Have you guys set a date?” Funny enough, I’m guilty of the latter – but only until now. Anyway. Back on track.). And when you tell a photographer, chair cover specialist, or tuxedo fitter that there is no date yet, you get a strange… almost sympathetic glance. For just a second. But it’s there. I swear it was there!

Can I not enjoy my engagement for a few days before I become a bridezilla??? Oh, and welcome to my blog. Enjoy your stay!