A Thrifty Wedding?

I'm doing this post now before the wedding because after this i'm back to a positive, keep calm attitude and I don't want to ruin my wedding blog post moaning all woe is me at you all.

When my OH decided we should set the date I had hoped he would give me at least a year to get used to the idea to plan and save etc. Obviously such is my attraction and my apparent 'meh' attitude he decided the get- wed-quick route was the best. Five months the git gave me, five blinking months.

With all families at the mo, extra pennies are few and far in between but being thrifty and pretty happy with the idea of a 'small do' we figured what we couldn't buy we would make, and what we couldn't make or buy we would do without. Of course this sounds like a lovely idea but weddings have a sneaky way of snowballing... for instance a small family BBQ has turned into a vintage themed hall do complete with hog roast! Gasps of horror at not wearing white, no cars, no honeymooon, no first dance, no over the top speeches... no top table OMG no top table! (we caved and now have a top table lol)

Over the last five months we have brought what we could afford- outfits, rings, crockery, cutlery until the money ran out and what was left on the list was for me to somehow conjure up using my making skills. In the last month I've turned from cake decorator to fabric florist, to table decoration specialist. To be honest i'm pretty much burnt out. Thankfully my mum has been a diamond and helped where possible making favour bits and other much needed items but I've made the following:

Bouquet
Bridesmaid Posy
Hair Accessories
Buttonholes
Favour bags
Favour sweets
Cupcakes
Cake decorations
Bunting
More bunting
and yet more bunting
Place cards
Invitations
Table decorations
Tablecloths.... the list is endless

Now I love making and even if I could have afforded a package wedding I really don't think I would have done it. Although a little part of me wishes that I didn't have to, that I chose to do it because I love making and thrifting and not because it would have been such a simple sterile day if we didn't put the effort in. Of course i've done myself no favours, i've overstretched and over researched and i'm paying the price for having so many ideas. I just wish that after yet another night being left despairing and crying at my latest cake disaster it wont have been in vein.... and that the guests love it and more importantly get it!

On the positive side I love my OH and this is totally going to be our and our childrens day... well its a bit like Christmas isn't it? if you haven't got it by the night before then you cant do nothing to change it!

9 days and counting...