Can't wait to get married to you, baby. One more year!! Okay... one more month. And one more year!!
30 October 2009
the 1 year mark
Can't wait to get married to you, baby. One more year!! Okay... one more month. And one more year!!
28 October 2009
27 October 2009
christmas is coming...
and I just bought this gift tag and a couple more items off Etsy!!
I'm probably getting excited a lil too early but it will be our first time celebrating Christmas this year. We've always been away on a trip each Christmas holiday but I only get a week off this year so we've decided to do it the English way in sunny Sydney. My family ain't big on festivals or celebrations of any kind so doing it proper will be the first for me so no wonder I'm excited!!
picture credits: lowfidelity
25 October 2009
southern highlands
Me ecstatic. Ryan overjoyed.
We woke up at the ungodly hour of 5am last Saturday and left for the Southern Highlands. What a difference to when we were down there on the long weekend. The weather was beautiful for the first weekend in probably a month and you could just feel the buzz. It was definitely a going out Saturday!
The gardens within Hopewood Country House is everything we imagined our registry wedding to be and more. We had a lovely time traipsing around the 11 hectare property trying to decide which area to have our ceremony, fell in love with The French Cottage, made friends with the two furry residents, Tiffany & Max and came up with the brilliant idea of treating Ryan's parents to a stay at Hopewood which we're sure they're going to love and surprising them with the ceremony at the gardens (right now, they think it's going to be at the registry office).
Suzie recommended Centennial Vineyards Restaurant, which was just across the road when she found out we were having a difficult time finding a nice place for a meal after the ceremony. Most of the places that we've looked at close on Mondays but Centennial happens to close on Tuesdays so we rushed off to check it out before our next appointment. I think they were setting up for a wedding when we got there but they were really lovely too and the restaurant was in a rustic looking building overlooking the vineyards which goes on for miles and miles. Urmm, yea, we book a table for lunch!
We then rushed off to meet with Charles Dunk, a celebrant in the area who we booked on the spot. He was really friendly and warm and most importantly, we clicked instantly.
It all came together perfectly last week, it was surreal. Everthing was decided and locked in by 12pm and I couldn't believe it.
We woke up at the ungodly hour of 5am last Saturday and left for the Southern Highlands. What a difference to when we were down there on the long weekend. The weather was beautiful for the first weekend in probably a month and you could just feel the buzz. It was definitely a going out Saturday!
The gardens within Hopewood Country House is everything we imagined our registry wedding to be and more. We had a lovely time traipsing around the 11 hectare property trying to decide which area to have our ceremony, fell in love with The French Cottage, made friends with the two furry residents, Tiffany & Max and came up with the brilliant idea of treating Ryan's parents to a stay at Hopewood which we're sure they're going to love and surprising them with the ceremony at the gardens (right now, they think it's going to be at the registry office).
Suzie recommended Centennial Vineyards Restaurant, which was just across the road when she found out we were having a difficult time finding a nice place for a meal after the ceremony. Most of the places that we've looked at close on Mondays but Centennial happens to close on Tuesdays so we rushed off to check it out before our next appointment. I think they were setting up for a wedding when we got there but they were really lovely too and the restaurant was in a rustic looking building overlooking the vineyards which goes on for miles and miles. Urmm, yea, we book a table for lunch!
We then rushed off to meet with Charles Dunk, a celebrant in the area who we booked on the spot. He was really friendly and warm and most importantly, we clicked instantly.
It all came together perfectly last week, it was surreal. Everthing was decided and locked in by 12pm and I couldn't believe it.
22 October 2009
18 October 2009
monday surprise: wiley valentine
I am in love with Wiley Valentine's wedding invitations. I have been for a while now but it's only just today I realised how badly I love them. I was checking out wedding invitations on Minted and every single one that caught my breath was a Wiley. They are just so gorgeous!!! I don't know if I'll be able to afford his work but at least I can admire them and wished for now.
picture credit: Wiley Valentine
16 October 2009
it's just a ceremony
Guess what??? I have a super fantabulous awesome boss!! He gave me one week off to go get registered and spend some time with the new in-laws. Is he not the best?? Oh my gawd, I love him!! And in that short space of time from me walking back from his office giddy with excitement to my desk, it hits me that I can probably do a whole lot more than just going to the registry office. What has he done now, giving me so much time off?? ;) I mean, I love the registry office idea but I wasn't in love with the registry office we have here in Sydney. From the pictures I've seen, it looks like a room with red walls. Really. That's it. *shrug* But if I had only gotten two days off work then I would have gotten married there and the red walls wouldn't have bothered me all that much.
Now if the registry office we have looked like this:
then that's another story.
Then I remembered this absolutely simple ceremony on a Practical Wedding. When you stripped everything down to the core, this is what a wedding should be all about.
And I love the fact that they just had a picnic right after the ceremony. It would be lovely to do something just like that, if it was in the morning, then you have the rest of the day, to just enjoy everyone's company and do something fun. Especially if we get glorious weather on the day, I would love for us to be at the beach reading a book, eating, exploring, snorkeling..... and then maybe a nice dinner in the city to end the day.
But maybe we should get out of Sydney and do something. Anything is possible now. We really wanted a beach wedding when we first started talking about weddings. Really wanted to elope like them here
so I went a-searching for a beautiful beach. And found Jonah's at Whale Beach. The food at Jonah's are meant to be really nice and they have a ceremony venue on site which has a to die for view.
But they wanted to charge us $500 to have a ceremony and $1,000 to hire the terrace. On a Monday for 8 people. And the lady on the phone was really unfriendly. Like, it'll be nice to get married in a beautiful picturesque scenery but that to me spells extortion. Don't you agree?? And we're not desperate to get married right there. We just want a nice place that is reasonably priced.
Then I remembered Berrima. The Southern Highlands. Yup, we went there a few weeks ago and the weather was just absolutely dreadful. But it is a beautiful place. And I grew up going there on daytrips with the family. So it has some meaning.... and some beautiful gardens. And they remind us both so much of the gardens we visited when we were in the UK. And I chanced upon Hopewood Country House and I'm in love again.
You have to check the website out. It is just so beautiful and Suzie is really lovely to deal with. She initially thought that we were having a big wedding and said they only do wedding on Saturdays but upon finding out that all we wanted was a place to have a ceremony for 8 people, she said we could have it there. :) Can you imagined?? I am beyond thrilled!! I, on the other hand, assumed that we'll have to stay there in order to have the ceremony because they have accomodation on site but apparently not. Do you not want to stay there anyway?? I do!! I want to live there!! But maybe not with the family for the ceremony. It'll be too stressful I think. We're going down tomorrow to check the place out so wish us luck because after 2 nights of searching for places and calling them the next day, I'm quite ready to give up and go back to the registry office idea.
Now if the registry office we have looked like this:
then that's another story.
Then I remembered this absolutely simple ceremony on a Practical Wedding. When you stripped everything down to the core, this is what a wedding should be all about.
And I love the fact that they just had a picnic right after the ceremony. It would be lovely to do something just like that, if it was in the morning, then you have the rest of the day, to just enjoy everyone's company and do something fun. Especially if we get glorious weather on the day, I would love for us to be at the beach reading a book, eating, exploring, snorkeling..... and then maybe a nice dinner in the city to end the day.
But maybe we should get out of Sydney and do something. Anything is possible now. We really wanted a beach wedding when we first started talking about weddings. Really wanted to elope like them here
Then I remembered Berrima. The Southern Highlands. Yup, we went there a few weeks ago and the weather was just absolutely dreadful. But it is a beautiful place. And I grew up going there on daytrips with the family. So it has some meaning.... and some beautiful gardens. And they remind us both so much of the gardens we visited when we were in the UK. And I chanced upon Hopewood Country House and I'm in love again.
You have to check the website out. It is just so beautiful and Suzie is really lovely to deal with. She initially thought that we were having a big wedding and said they only do wedding on Saturdays but upon finding out that all we wanted was a place to have a ceremony for 8 people, she said we could have it there. :) Can you imagined?? I am beyond thrilled!! I, on the other hand, assumed that we'll have to stay there in order to have the ceremony because they have accomodation on site but apparently not. Do you not want to stay there anyway?? I do!! I want to live there!! But maybe not with the family for the ceremony. It'll be too stressful I think. We're going down tomorrow to check the place out so wish us luck because after 2 nights of searching for places and calling them the next day, I'm quite ready to give up and go back to the registry office idea.
15 October 2009
30 november
After mulling over it for so many weeks (see this post), we have finally decided to just register our marriage this year. Keep the folks happy and Ryan parents will be in Sydney for the first ever time too so maybe it's a sign?? 30 November. Exactly 11 months before our wedding next year because well, it's too late to put in our Notice of Intended Marriage form now for the 30 October and Ryan's parents are not here on that date.
It's like a mad rush trying to get things organised now. We have to get our Notice of Intended Marriage form in before the end of the month, put in my leave (I'm hoping to take about 2 days off, 3 if I'm lucky!), and a place to have a nice meal!! Sounds easy!!
It's like a mad rush trying to get things organised now. We have to get our Notice of Intended Marriage form in before the end of the month, put in my leave (I'm hoping to take about 2 days off, 3 if I'm lucky!), and a place to have a nice meal!! Sounds easy!!
white frock
I have news!!
I finally caved in and got my wedding dress.
But you'll just have to wait until my wedding day to see it. It's just that, believe it or not, we didn't take pictures. Which is just as well, because Ryan doesn't want to know anything about it and doesn't want it on the blog anyway. Something about a superstition where the groom is not allowed to see the bride in her wedding dress until the wedding day. I brought my sister with me and we spent more than 2 hours in the shop trying to decide if we should get the dress now or later! I know.... we just weren't thinking. I love it!! There'll be some modifications made to it when it arrived, the main one being stripping off the corset back into a buttoned one. Okay, there's all I'm saying so I don't give too much away to him.
And that wasn't even on the list of things to do!
I finally caved in and got my wedding dress.
But you'll just have to wait until my wedding day to see it. It's just that, believe it or not, we didn't take pictures. Which is just as well, because Ryan doesn't want to know anything about it and doesn't want it on the blog anyway. Something about a superstition where the groom is not allowed to see the bride in her wedding dress until the wedding day. I brought my sister with me and we spent more than 2 hours in the shop trying to decide if we should get the dress now or later! I know.... we just weren't thinking. I love it!! There'll be some modifications made to it when it arrived, the main one being stripping off the corset back into a buttoned one. Okay, there's all I'm saying so I don't give too much away to him.
And that wasn't even on the list of things to do!
12 October 2009
11 October 2009
inauspicious year?
Dad called a few weeks back and mentioned something about next year being an inauspicious year for getting married. Yup, uh huh, it's like brake lights!! The date's set!! The deposit on the venue been paid!! Seriously??? Now, we're not a traditional Chinese family in any way at all. I can't think of any great examples but take this, he'd found out about it from a newspaper article of all things. That's how untraditional we are - we don't even know any of these things.
So he'd like us to get married this year. Might as well just say get married now! Gah~ I don't know what to think or feel. As I said before, the wedding venue's booked. There is no way we'll be able to book a date for this year, especially since we are planning to invite friends and family from overseas. So the only option is to register our marriage. But we're really happy with our date next year. If we get married this year, does that mean that our wedding anniversary is going to be our registration date because that will be the date on our marriage certificate, won't it???
Then again, since we know that next year is inauspicious, maybe it's ideal to just register the marriage than tempt faith. I wished dad hadn't stumbled upon the article in the newspaper now. What to do, what to do?? Ryan's parents are coming over in November and we thought if we have to do it, it might be nice to do it while they are here. But what are we actually going to do?? Do we have a simple registration or maybe we can have a ceremony?? Just family or with some close friends too?? What to do, what to do??
So he'd like us to get married this year. Might as well just say get married now! Gah~ I don't know what to think or feel. As I said before, the wedding venue's booked. There is no way we'll be able to book a date for this year, especially since we are planning to invite friends and family from overseas. So the only option is to register our marriage. But we're really happy with our date next year. If we get married this year, does that mean that our wedding anniversary is going to be our registration date because that will be the date on our marriage certificate, won't it???
Then again, since we know that next year is inauspicious, maybe it's ideal to just register the marriage than tempt faith. I wished dad hadn't stumbled upon the article in the newspaper now. What to do, what to do?? Ryan's parents are coming over in November and we thought if we have to do it, it might be nice to do it while they are here. But what are we actually going to do?? Do we have a simple registration or maybe we can have a ceremony?? Just family or with some close friends too?? What to do, what to do??
08 October 2009
the long weekend
The long weekend was just depressing. It rained... like every single day. We drove back to my parents' place on Friday night all excited for our Berrima trip, praying fervently that the weather might change during the night. But, no.... it continued raining the next day. We continued on with our plans anyway, sans my sister and her boyfriend who decided that they much rather stay in than venture out into misery. We wished we did too once we realised how horrible the weather was... grey and cold and wet. It wasn't very nice!! And I didn't get to take many photos. :(
Except this beautiful horse on a farm...
05 October 2009
monday surprise: looklet
I've been having fun playing dress up on Looklet lately. It's sooo fun and I have to warn, very addictive. I've created some looks which are similar to my style and oh so useful when you wanna try something different to see if they work. I find that you can spend ages just checking out the wide array of clothes they have up and they're adding new stuff everyday. It's like playing dress up when you were kids except better!!
02 October 2009
the wedding to do list
I've been trying to get through my wedding to do list lately. This is our progress so far:
- print the address labels for our save the dates (we've not send Ryan's save the dates yet) - We've finally come up with a simple designa and we're hoping to print it this weekend. It's almost good to go.
- visit the flower market - we've been planning to go for ages now but can never seem to muster up the energy to get up at 4am in the morning for the drive. :(
- come up with some designs for our invitation card and favor boxes - I've not even started!! :(
- do at least two trial run of chocolate brownies - I've made one batch!! I mixed in chopped up pecans and whole hazelnuts and everyone didn't like the hazelnuts, in its whole-ness. I might try chopping up the hazelnuts next time. I wanna try them with macademia nuts too!!
- most importantly, decide on a colour scheme. We've put this off for far too long now!! - Ahh, it might seem like we took the easy route but we really crack our heads with this one and we still couldn't decide. We were very happy with it once we decide on this though. Yeah!!!
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