Meet The Wedding Party

I have always known who I would want to stand with me as I made the biggest commitment of my life.

Amanda and Jeanette were no-brainers. They are essentially my sisters and we have become bound to each other, just as family are. Twenty years of friendship means I have known more years with them than without them.

I also decided to ask Vicky. Vicky is a newer friend (about 6 years) and we get on very well, but more importantly she played a large role in my life during all the cancer stuff. She was with me when I got the phone call telling me that I had cancer. She came with me to my chemotherapy appointments. She included me in social gatherings but made arrangements for me to be able to easily duck out if I felt tired and the need to rest. She brought Halloween to me because that year I couldn’t attend (due to recovering from my hysterectomy) Sean’s annual Halloween Party. She lent me a wig when I lost my hair. She made me feel like I was invincible at a time when I was at my weakest. She was also the first friend to meet RJ and welcome him to the group. Obviously, she had to stand with me at my wedding.

RJ had asked 2 old work colleagues who shall remain nameless – mainly because they are no longer in his life… and to be honest they were not really friends. This is of course, very sad. I didn’t think it was a good idea to ask them, but truthfully, RJ doesn’t have that many friends. Don’t get me wrong, he has had many mates over his lifetime, but as the circumstances in which he met them changed or ended – so did the relationships.

Luckily, my friends are amazing and have adopted RJ – and he, them. So much so that his two groomsmen are my very good friends of 7 years.

Li and Sean have been great friends to me, and for better or for worse they are like my brothers. They embraced RJ and us as a couple and their support has been immeasurable. RJ felt that on such a nerve wrecking (but magical) day, he would do well to have people who support him and us as a couple. It was also important for him to have groomsmen who can keep him calm and light on the day. Enter Li and Sean.

I’m thrilled with my band of Merry Men/Women and I think the wedding party has been chosen with care and consideration. I know they will only add to an already life-changing day!

Tara xoxo

My Proposal

In recent years a trend of asking your Bridesmaids and Groomsmen to be a part of your wedding has become a bit of a production. I’m not a huge fan of the overly dramatic proposals, but I do like the idea of asking with a series of small gifts and knick-knacks in order to get everyone excited and set-up a pace for the wedding preparation and the day itself.

With that in mind I made up Bridesmaid Boxes for my ladies (as pictured below):

Included in the boxes:

• Cadbury’s Chocolate
• Peach Bath Bomb
• The Knot: Bridesmaid Handbook
• Bridesmaid Planner
• Bridesmaids (Extended Addition DVD)
• Mini Print of Colour Scheme
• Gold Foil Tattoo/Nail Transfers
• Gold, Orange & Blue Nail Polish
• Diamond Pen
• Mini Prosecco
• Personalised Box

I was quite proud of my little box of goodies!

RJ’s Groomsmen Bags:

Included in the bags:

• The Hangover (DVD)
• Mini Jack Daniel’s & Coke
• Cigar
• Yorkie Chocolate Bar
• Card

We both presented our proposal gifts to our maids and men during the Engagement dinner (to those whom attended – Vicky & Li couldn’t make it).

It was a nice way to kick off the celebrations and the beginning of planning although it felt very anti-climactic, and like it meant more to me than it did to them… which it probably did. Oh well, I still enjoyed it…

Tara xoxo

Engagement Dinner

Traditionally, as far as I have understood, when two people get serious, they meet each other’s families and are brought into the ‘fold’ of each family respectively. Then, when the time comes, the man asks for the blessing of his partner’s parents before proposing.

This isn’t quite how things happened for us. We did it all a bit backwards. RJ was brought into the fold of my family, he proposed – I accepted, and then he asked for my parents blessing.

Late Summer 2017 we had a small engagement dinner at a lovely steak house in Barking called Cristina’s – in an effort to catch up with some of the steps we’d jumped ahead of.

We invited our immediate families and the people whom we were going to ask to be a part of the wedding party.

It was a bit of an excuse to celebrate but mainly for our families (in this country) to meet each other.

We had this gorgeous eggless cream topped cake as dessert (pictured above).

We gave favours of mini mason jars filled with orange, brown and blue M&M’s tied with twine and a thank you tag. We had heart shaped confetti which was cut out of romantic literature.

My parents got these beautiful flowers delivered to the restaurant in time for our arrival and my aunt in Trinidad bought us a bottle of champagne through the restaurant website to be served for the toast.

It was honestly lovely.

Of course, not everything went to plan…

One groomsman and one bridesmaid couldn’t come. The waitresses at the restaurant were rude, unaccommodating and disorganised.

Otherwise, it was really nice to have (nearly) everyone in one place and getting the opportunity to meet each other. It was nice that my family got to meet his and for everyone to meet (most of) the wedding party and get familiar with faces that they would be seeing over the lead up to the wedding.

My sister-in-law-to-be made me this lovely memory keepsake of all the engagement dinner bits and I love it! I’ve put it up in the hallway and every time I see it, I am reminded of all the best parts of that night and the excitement I felt at RJ and I celebrating our engagement with our nearest and dearest.

Tara xoxo