100,000 white wedding

I found this on the dailymail.co.uk site ages ago, and rediscovered it a couple of weeks ago.

What Daddy's little girl wants Daddy's little girl gets.
So when Missy Quinn insisted on a big white wedding with her boyfriend, her father said Yes. It didn't matter that she was only 16 and the groom 17.
Daddy also said Yes to a £16,000 wedding dress (which looked suspiciously like a crop top and skirt) and Yes to 150 guests at the reception. Then there were the cars, the hotels, the tiara and the £500 bouquet.

In the end, making Missy's wedding dreams come true cost her father - who lives in a caravan and surfaces driveways for a living - a whopping £100,000.
But as his princess, who hasn't been in a classroom since she was nine and wants to be a glamour model, posed for photographs, her father Simon, 35, declared it was worth every penny. 'I'm very proud of her today,' he said.
Missy was just happy to be the undisputed centre of attention.
Her dress, studded with Swarovski crystals, and with a 10ft wide train, was so heavy that it took ten guests to help her struggle out of the Rolls-Royce Phantom that brought her to the church.

'It was huge. I wanted to outdo everyone else's wedding dress,' she said.
'It was extremely heavy and just standing in the church was really difficult. But despite all that, I felt just like Cinderella.'
The bill was around five times the cost of the average British wedding.
Missy said: 'It cost a fortune, but I've always wanted a big wedding and my dad has been saving for ages to pay for it.' She met Thomas at Alton Towers theme park when she was 13.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1081355/The-100-000-white-wedding-16-year-old-girl-lives-caravan.html#ixzz0axLuUQPe

Our Christmas 2009

Dear Ri,
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, our fifth together and the last before we get married. I love you. Tori. P.S. are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

This is our Christmas day:

Ri and I woke up at 7:00am, we spent two hours preparing the turkey (turns out it came gutted, so we couldn't stuff it the usual way so Ri spent about half an hour sewing on a calico skin graft to keep the onion and celery in).
This is how we prepared the turkey, I made a mustard paste from mustard powder and worcestershire sauce. Ri 'stuffed' the bird with onion and celery. Ri coated the inside and outside with the mustard sauce. Ri put half a pound of butter on the top of the bird and then strips of bacon on that. I then soaked calico in olive oil. Ri covered the whole lot in the calico and put it in the BBQ with the lid down for 2 hours. Ri also prepared a leg of lamb. I made some cranberry sauce from crasins, port, orange zest/juice and blackberry jam. I also made white christmas.

Now being a vegetarian preparing the turkey was pretty much up to Ri and I think I dry reached when he showed me the neck. The cooked finished product looked like what I'd seen on TV and Ri says it was the best turkey he had ever had. Very moist.

It was a small Christmas. So much meat.

Merry Christmas 2009

Hi!
Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Great Ideas

With just about 4.5 months to go we're current so busy with this wedding that we're busy all the time. Yesterday for example we booked our dressmaker! It's such a relief to have someone booked to make the bridesmaid dresses, I was beginning to think that we'd left it too late. I also was called into work (second on call weekend in a row to prevent Christmas poverty). Then we booked and paid for our HONEYMOON flights. Bought some MORE ribbon and glue (Ri is so into the invites, it's really cute, he actually said *do you think this ribbon is thinner than the stuff at home* my response "I don't know, I don't care, who will notice").

Anyway in a rare act of being social for the second weekend in a row, last night we went to a beautiful friends 25th birthday and got some great tips from another couple who have been to Thailand a few times, afterwards I told Ri that I was SO excited about booking the flights that I couldn't help but tell everyone, but by the time I listed off the countries to the last person I told I braced myself for the travel advice, and Ri was like "Yeah I was listening to the couple thinking, *I won't remember that city* *nope I won't remember that beach either* *and I definately won't remember to look up the "beach beginning with H next to the other beach*"

Today we got the engagement proofs back and OMG the photos are so amazing!

The photo on this blog is of a bathbomb from Lush, I bought about 10 to use between now and the wedding. SO GOOD for muscle/joint pain.

I am a speech pathologist

I'm having such a good day. I had a bad day yesterday, let's just say there was a disagreement over the wording of our wedding invites. Mum doesn't want her name on the same invite as dad. They live in the same house. I didn't mean anything by putting all my immediate families name on a trial invite. I haven't even printed it out on our paper yet! I'd just used their names in the trial to see how it looked with names/alignment. Also I had written Ri and I were the hosts. I ended up bursting into tears in the office at work, I was overwhelmed with a *I can't please anyone* feeling.
Mum and I have kissed and made up, she doesn't mean to say somethings aloud and then I'm too sensitive. There is no problem there.

But today has been one of those days.
Beautiful sky, working airconditioner, half day at work. Got me thinking how lucky I am...
It's been over a year since I graduated with my masters in speech pathology and I am really beginning to feel less like a new grad and more like a speechie.
I love my job.
I love that I have work up until our wedding!!!
I love my work place.
I think my workmates are AWESOME.
I fell into the right area of speech pathology.

Ri is perfect. Today alone he has:
Gotten up early to run me a bath before work. Made breakfast. Made Lunch. Dropped me at work. Picked me up during his lunch break.

The things I'm stressing about are so small that they don't matter. Or so big that they've got to wait til we get back.

I've been wishing time away, waiting to be married, that I haven't stopped to appreciate wow I am a speech pathologist!

Celeb wedding 6: F is for Fergie

Most of these photos are from an awesome blog called "Green wedding shoes".

I really am no fan of this wedding dress. The train looks... wrong, like a mistake. Everything looks lovely.

I have wasted a bit of time on this site http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/
so much beautiful vintage inspiration! I love it.

Because I can't stop singing it

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Complicated

Seemingly simple things are becoming way to complicated. I dont think I've spent so much time thinking about things that just won't matter in 5 years since my science degree.
Latest. Necklaces. Should I wear one? If so should I wear one I have or buy a new one? If I buy a new one which one? One I'll wear again or one more wedding-y.

187 days

No that isn't the number of day until the wedding, its a bit less than that!
That is how long we'll be out of the country next year!
Breaking it down
37 days in the us/canada
90 days in europe (excluding the uk)
46 days in the uk
14 days in thailand/singapore

so.excited.

Jump aboard

It was my mums birthday yesterday. She's 55.
Maybe it's age or maybe the increasing senility, but she has finally jumped aboard the wedding... train.

And now that she's on board she's noticed how little we've done and how much there is left to go.

We had a phone conversation that went like this:

Mum: Do the wedding invites need so much ribbon?
Me: Yes, I'm very pro ribbon and what do you care?
Mum: Well then shouldn't you get onto it?
Me: Well I was meaning to on Sunday but I was sick.
Mum: How are the girls dresses going?
Me: We're meeting a dress maker this weekend
Mum:Maybe I should have a dress made
Me:I'd like that
Mum: Something simple like a black cocktail dress
Me: Mum?
Mum:mmm?
Me: No you can't wear black.
Mum: Why not?
Me: You can wear grey or black and white
Mum: I don't want to wear white
Me: Good, because I don't want you to either. Black and white or grey.
Mum: Mmmm
Me: If you wear black, you've got to wear the flowers I'm buying you
Mum: Grey sounds good.
Me: *Sighs* I'll end up giving stacey your flowers wont I?
Mum: Yep, I hear Stacey loves flowers.
Me: *Groans* - but is smiling
Mum: What about the honeymoon
Me: Booking it this weekend
Mum: Heard that before


hahaha so have I. Shall we take bets? Ri has a hard time exchange large amounts of money for goods and serves.

It's a good feeling having mum interested.

DECEMBER 2009

I was writing in a med chart and I realised it was 1/12/09.
One month until 2010!
We've been engaged for something like 20 months.
There have been so many weddings lately that I'm really feeling the long engagement.
We're going to a wedding on Saturday actually :) I'm very excited about that. They got engaged a couple of months after us and I can't help but think. I just want to be married!
The wedding is starting to eat into my sleep. I stay up and think about all the details of well everything. And the thing is I'm not even worrying! I'm just thinking about it, the wordig of the vows/invites are the big ones. And the speeches. I'm trying to figure out how to pad out the vows so it takes longer than 5 minutes. I've been looking at ceremony add ons. Sand ceremonies look nice, but it's not a beach wedding and in fact I'm not a beach person. Candle ceremonies can be nice, but I'm not sure how Ri would feel about fire on our wedding day. Oh and I don't want our vows to be to lovey dovey because that is not me. I actually prefer them to be on the funny side.

some inspiration:
Dr Seuss wedding vows
Pastor: Will you answer me right now
These questions, as your wedding vow?

Groom: Yes, I will answer right now
Your questions as my wedding vow.

Pastor: Will you take her as your wife?
Will you love her all your life?

Groom: Yes, I take her as my wife,
Yes, I'll love her all my life.

Pastor: Will you have, and also hold
Just as you have at this time told?

Groom: Yes, I will have, and I will hold,
Just as I have at this time told,
Yes, I will love her all my life
As I now take her as my wife.

Pastor: Will you love through good and bad?
Whether you're happy or sad?

Groom: Yes, I'll love through good and bad,
Whether we're happy or sad,
Yes, I will have and I will hold
Just as I have already told,
Yes, I will love her all my life,
Yes, I will take her as my wife!

Pastor: Will you love her if you're rich?
Or if you're poor, and in a ditch?

Groom: Yes, I'll love her if we're rich,
And I will love her in a ditch,
I'll love her through good times and bad,
Whether we are happy or sad,
Yes, I will have, and I will hold
(I could have sworn this has been told!)
I promise to love all my life
This woman, as my lawful wife!

Pastor: Will you love her when you're fit,
And also when you're feeling sick?

Groom: Yes, I'll love her when we're fit,
And when we're hurt, and when we're sick,
And I will love her when we're rich
And I will love her in a ditch
And I will love through good and bad,
And I will love when glad or sad,
And I will have, and I will hold
Ten years from now a thousandfold,
Yes, I will love for my whole life
This lovely woman as my wife!

Pastor: Will you love with all your heart?
Will you love till death you part?

Groom: Yes, I'll love with all my heart
From now until death do us part,
And I will love her when we're rich,
And when we're broke and in a ditch,
And when we're fit, and when we're sick,
(Oh, CAN'T we get this finished quick?)
And I will love through good and bad,
And I will love when glad or sad,
And I will have, and I will hold,
And if I might now be so bold,
I'll love her my entire life,
Yes, I WILL take her as my wife!

Pastor: Then if you'll take her as your wife,
And if you'll love her all your life,
And if you'll have, and if you'll hold,
From now until the stars grow cold,
And if you'll love through good and bad,
And whether you're happy or sad,
And love in sickness, and in health,
And when you're poor, and when in wealth,
And if you'll love with all your heart,
From now until death do you part,
Yes, if you'll love her through and through,
Please answer with these words:

Pastor and Groom: I DO!

Pastor: You're married now! So kiss the bride,
But please, do keep it dignified.

Christmas in November... and whatever comes to mind

Every year I forget exactly how hot and rainy summer is. Christmas and mums return from America has resulted in wedding block. I really cannot think of what to do next for the wedding.

We're half way through the wedding invites (well the mock up copy), but need to go to three shops before we can start the mass production. Also I need to find the Myer's stuff, so I can include the gift info. Oh and I'm not sure what time to put on the invite for the ceremony OR reception.

We've registered at Myers, for about 20 items. We've got to go back.

We have the name of about 3 or 4 dress makers, but we're going to wait until after Ri's sister gets back from India before we start that process. That's actually Ri's job.

I'm about half way through the vows.

So many half done tasks. Now to Christmas.

We had our first Christmas party on Sunday. With the secret santa, where Ri had to buy for his mum and I had to buy for someone I never meet. I finally got to meet Al, Ri's future future Brother inlaw. He was exactly what I was expecting except for one thing. He had brown eyes.

Christmas does not feel very Christmas-y this year. We are not even going anywhere! Ri's sister will be away and so will my dad. We have not even put up a tree yet. I know this is the normal time to put up a tree, but in my family we put up the tree in the first week of November.

MY MUM IS HOME! She was away for three weeks and we got a text msg and a postcard. Now I can't be told off next year if I only call six times in six months.
We picked her up from the airport yesterday. She went to all the thanksgivings sales, and come home with bags of gifts for her three children.

My gifts include a necklace from the Tiffany's in new york. And a shirt from a chocolate factory that simply says "Reese's".

Can't sleep

Clowns will eat me.

It's 2:30am and I cannot sleep. I've been having trouble getting to sleep ever since we reached 6 months to go. I think about everything just as I'm trying to get to sleep. I'm not even worried about the things I think about, they just run through my mind and drive me nuts. I think of new ideas for the vows, speeches, music, invite wording.
I am driving myself crazy.
and Rhys too as I know his sleep is suffering like it always does when mine does.

Here is a poem:
I take you as my partner...I take you as my partner, my friend and my love.
My hopes and dreams will now be intermingled with yours.
I will seek to balance my needs with those of our community and family.
I will openly draw from our combined experience
and feelings in our search for truth and meaning.
I will strive for harmony through compromise and understanding.

I will be forgiving, but not complacent.
From this day forward, I take shared responsibility
for our marriage, family, community and myself,
regardless of our successes or failures.

I promise to be faithful and true to you in mind,
body, and spirit; to cherish you and respect you;
and to be a source of comfort and encouragement,
free and bound by our love, as long as we shall live.

Less than six months to go

With less than six months to go, we've started making the invites and I have to say that they look AMAZING. Much better than I ever expected Rhys and I would be able to manage.
I'll post up some pics once that have been sent out.
We've put together the guest list.

The engagement photos are nowhere to be seen. Five weeks after the fact. Sigh. Karma for making the photographer shoot in the rain? I just could not bare the idea of having to get ready again. I'd had a facial, got my nails done, hair and makeup. I will post them once I get my hands on them. I'm sure that they will be great.

The dress is the dress my MC is having made for the wedding. Except in blue. She is going to be my something blue.

We went to a wedding on Saturday the 7th! I would like to congratulate the bride and groom on a beautiful day.
Their part of the ceremony was beautiful. The priest however told us how people still say that he looks young to be a priest (???) and then told us the meaning of life is this this this. Whatever that may be. The bride looked amazing and the theme was good fun (Tiffany and Co) I would have a great time. Except at the ceremony I got a migraine and by the time the other guests were cheering the arrival of the bride and groom at the reception I was bent over the toilet throwing up. I had to go home at 8. To throw up some more. Sleep. Throw up. You get the idea.

It's our first Christmas do this weekend. Ri's family are having an early christmas because his sis is going to India for the holidays.

They are having a secret santa.

I got Al.

I don't do secrets.

The actual engagement shoot

ARGH. Someone once told me that nothing will ever be as good or as bad as you imagine it will be.
Our e-shoot was on Tuesday the 13th of October. The day started out fine, I looked up in the morning disappointed to only be seeing one cloud. I happily got my make-up done and hair put up. It was only at 4pm, 30 minutes before we were meant to meet at Shorncliffe pier. The sky was cloudy, but skill blue. Our photographer (who was great) called us to say it was likely that it was going to rain. We're like, nah.
Another call. It started to RAIN. We were presented with the option of doing it another day. But I could not bare the idea. The hair, the make up, the facial, the NAILS! ARGH!! The only thing stopping me from crying was the make up.
When the photographer arrived the rain had stopped, so we walked out to the pier, then it started to POUR. My fringe fell out, my shoes filled with water. I felt awful.

After 10 the rain stopped and a rainbow came out. I'll post a photo asap.

Engagement shoot

Is this week! At shorncliffe pier and sandgate. I'm getting pretty excited/nervous. It'll be good to get some practice in front of a camera! Not a lot of people seem to have heard of the concept. So here it is, the photographer takes photos of the couple in normal clothes at their desired location. Our Photographer is going to take the pics and make a guest book for ppl to sign at the wedding. Its usually done a month prior to the wedding, but I asked if we could do it in October to get the jacerandas. I'll probably wear a dress my late Aunty Joan bought me when I was accepted to UQ. It's turning into a bit of a tribute to those who couldnt be at the wedding.
I'm thinking of putting my hair up in a messy bun thingy. And I'm getting my makeup done...hopefully to make my eyes POP.

My current Favourite

After one of my BM trying on, probably 15 dress styles, this is my favourite.
It does not come in the colours I want and costs $405.

The good and the bad

Well I did not get my job, so I have two more weeks to go! Lucky the same hospital has offered me work til the November (for sure) and maybe even up until Christmas.
I would have loved to be permanent, but casual pay is pretty good... and variety would be nice.

As this weekend, The dress is now living with us upstairs. These are photos of me trying on the dress and a close up of the veil. I wish I could post up all the pics we took, but where would be the fun in that?

I'm now doing my head in with bridesmaids dresses. I'm finding styles I like that dont come in the colours, a designer that has the colours but no dresses that quite suit. Plus it REALLY sucks that they don't have the dresses in the store, so we were trying on dresses that have similar features. It's not good enough. When you're spending $1200 on 3 dresses they should at least have one in store.

So we've started looking for a dress maker. I have a design in mind.

Always plotting

The next thing added to the list of things that we're planning includes scouting out a location for the engagement shoot, which we're having in Oct/Nov sometime.
Desired:
- Shorncliffe/Sandgate
- Jacerandas
- Sunset

We're having it so soon because we would like jacerandas in the photos, the flower that brings terror to uni students and always reminds Ri of his late Grandmother, who passed away late last year. Just after the jacerandas bloomed.

Job Interview

Had a job interview for the job I've been filing in for since June. So often you hear of people trying for jobs, only to find out in went to someone on the inside.

What is the bet that I am the exception?

If I do not get the job then Rhys and I have a Plan B...

My 25th birhday

Blogger isn't making it easy to upload photos, so they may have to wait.
Last Friday was my 25th birthday. I had a heck of a day at work, I had this delusion that the place would absorb it was my birthday and let me out a 3pm instead of 5pm. I think I had Rhys pick me up at 5:30. Oh well!
He gave me some red roses.
And drove me to the goldcoast hinterlands for four nights at Pethers. We had dinner at the restraunt which had a massive fire place that I cannot even begin to describe. Which is why I'd like to have uploaded some photos.
We saw the sites, ate chocolate and fudge and polish food. Drank wine and coffees. Saw German clocks. Saw glow worms and went on a sky walk. Mt Tamborine is beautiful. Inspired me to start planning a wedding. Not ours. A bit late to switch to Mt Taborine, if only I had a sister, I'd have her wedding half planned already.

It was so relaxing and beautiful that I never felt more tired when I started back at work on Wednesday. It has not been easy lately, while I had the flu I couldn't take my Enbrel (my med that keeps the arthritis in check) so I'm in so much pain while I wait for it to kick in again (I missed about a months worth).

Anyway.

Best.Birthday.Ever.

Last one as a 'single' girl too!

Wedding Season

September/spring is wedding season. Ri and I went down to the Shorncliffe Pier at Sunset to case it for engagement photo ops and, I kid you not, five bridal parties were having their photos taken, each on an angle trying not to get the others in the shot. (They had the most beauitful sunset to work with, they'll have lovely photos).
I've only ever been to one spring wedding.
Weddings I've been to, when and my favourite part:
Feb 2006: Beautiful Melbourne settings, very classy.
March 2007: Great party atmosphere
July 2005: Hand made favours
August 2008: most original bridal hair I've seen
September 2006: original/trend setting colour concept
December 2007: best bridesmaids, they were very interactive with the guests.

and the next one is November 2009.
I love that I have never been to a wedding in the same month twice. I still need to collect January, April, June and October.

So spring is meant to be wedding season. We could never get married in spring because that's my birth season and I wanted to keep the wedding as far away from my birthday as possible. I'd never been or heard of anyone having a May wedding. Having a May wedding was mum's idea. She was more concerned about ensuring our honeymoon was during summer so I wouldn't be too cold.
After booking for May and feeling original turns out 2 friends I knew from highschool/uni years were not only getting married in May but on the same date one year earlier!

May will be beautiful.

My next obsession will be locations for wedding photography.

Butter or Vanilla, Mint and Salmon

I've gone and decided on an impossible colour scheme. Yesterday we found so many beautiful dresses that either came in one or none of our colours.
Common Colours:
Black, Red, Blue (royal or Tiffany's), Chocolate, Purple, Lavender and a dark shade of pink.
I probably should have started looking sooner before getting attached. There is one brand great for having lots of colour choices "Alfred Angelo."

The most beautiful dress I saw was at Anne Marie and Mr John by "Angeline" it only came in mint. I almost considered putting all the girls in the same colour.

We looked at: BBO (Brisbane Bridal Outlet)
http://www.queenslandbrides.com.au/planning/directory/profile/?cpid=1540

Hills on Hollywood
http://www.hillsinhollywood.com/

Anne Marie and Mr Jonn
http://www.annamarieandmrjohn.com/

Casars Elegance
http://www.casarelegance.com.au/

and The bridal centre
http://www.thebridalcentre.com.au/

At the bridal centre we found a beautiful dress that has two layers, an under layer and an over layer of lace (and you can decide the colour of both). Hard to explain/do justice but I liked it alot, but it's very girly and I'm not sure if it'll suit all the beautiful bridesmaids.
My second favourite is a concept, a floor length chiffon dress with a sweet heart neckline.
There are four below, the short one is the one I tried to explain and the other three is my third favourite in our three impossible colours.

Bridesmaids Dress

Rhys and I spent the day in Chermside and the city looking for the ideal bridesmaid dress. Here are some of the best ones I found in the Brissy region. xoxo.

Hair

While I'm on the topic of hair... here is what is inspiring me.