Wedded bliss

This post is brought to you from my sick bed. Well, that's a touch dramatic, but I really am feeling rotten. I have a stinking cold and I've self~prescribed lots of rest in bed. I've just eaten a spicy Moroccan soup in the hope that it would clear out my head, but I can already tell it's not having the desired effect. I'm all tucked up and armed with supplies to get me through the rest of the day:

iPad {for bridal browsing}, Kindle {do you have any recommendations? I've just finished the Hunger Games trilogy so would like something funny to cheer me up and shake off my self~pity...}, wedding planning file {because it goes everywhere with me}, a New York guide {for honeymoon research}, my favourite Yankee Candle {not that I can smell it but it makes me feel all cosy} and Diet Coke {would prefer tea but I haven't got the energy to go down the two flights of stairs, then drag my sorry bum back up them - height of laziness, I know}.

The saving grace of being holed up in bed means that I can use the downtime to do some bridal browsing. With only 7 months until the Big Day, our wedding plans are in full swing. We've had a very, very long engagement {10 years by the time we marry... that's some kind of record, surely?}, so I've had plenty of time to dream of the most romantic day of our relationship ~ one of many I hope!

We've decided on a December wedding. I am a Winter girl at heart, and I think a Winter wedding would be so magical and dreamy, with candles in abundance and a sprinkling of sparkling embellishments. I dream of wearing a dress with exquisite fabric and glistening jewels, encased in a glamourous faux fur or feather wrap in a bid to keep me warm.

I guess the overall look we are trying to achieve is more akin to a Winter Wonderland than Christmas ~ think crisp whites, frosty silvers and shimmering greys. Imagine a cosy room being decorated with twinkling lights, candles and tea lights casting a warm, soft glow onto the faces of your nearest and dearest, and devouring some delicious comfort food. That, to me, is perfection. And that is what we want from our wedding day.

We are having a civil ceremony and are getting married just a stone's throw away from where we live. It's a Country Park with acres upon acres of lush greenery, a beautifully masonic mansion house that looks like a grand fairytale castle, and old stone ruins, which would make for gorgeous photographs. The ceremony and reception will be held in The Orangery, an 18th Century building which, according to the website, is "set back in its own tranquil little kingdom of peace and beauty". It has huge windows all along the front, allowing the light to flood in with a view of a wonderful and serene water fountain. When the darkness starts to fall, the windows are lit from outside, creating a really gothic looking building. It really is stunning.

Here are some other images that are providing some inspiration for our wedding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could share a ton more pictures with you, but this post is already picture heavy and there are still so many parts of the wedding that I haven't even touched on! I think our wedding guests are going to have a pleasant surprise when they see how we've styled the day. I know lots of my friends think we are going for a very girly day with lots of pink and florals, whilst others think we are going down the traditional, Christmassy red and gold route. That's the thing with long engagements ~ it truly gives you time to find things you love, and if you don't love it, why have it on your wedding day?

You'll notice my wedding dress is missing from the inspiration pictures... I've chosen my dress and it has the exact details I imagined, so any inspiration pictures would be too much of a likeness to my gorgeous frock. What I can tell you is that I absolutely adore it, and does wonders for my quite~on~the~large~side figure. It holds me in and plumps me out in all the right places and gives me a waist I never knew I had. Sigh. I love it. Besides, showing you a bog~standard website picture wouldn't do the dress justice at all because the model looks hideous in it. I've bought my shoes too. I've banged on about them quite a bit on Twitter so most of you are probably fed up of hearing about them, but their gorgeousness deserves a post of their own.

Some days I can't wait for the wedding, other days I panic that I'm running out of time. Sometimes I get wobbles about everything, thinking it's going to look Big Fat Gypsy Wedding~esque, but mostly I find it strange that it's even happening at all. As Lana Del Ray would say, "Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a {insert naughty word here} dream I'm living in". And she couldn't be more right.

Tell me about the best wedding you've been to ~ I'd love to know what bits you remember most!

Love Laura x