Venue visiting.

Our first proper day venue visiting went quite well. We both work during the week and decided to take a wee cheeky day off. When making meetings to see venues, most people work Monday to Friday but you will sometimes find amazing wedding co-ordinators who will make time for you in the evenings or weekends. This is a good sign! Especially to find people who make the effort to see you.

We saw four venues today and have still got one more to go tomorrow. The meetings were Stirling Management Centre at Stirling University, the Albert Halls in Stirling town centre, MacDonald Inchyra Hotel in Grangemouth and the Highland Hotel, also in Stirling town centre (I love where this hotel is situated, right in the heart of the old town and close to the castle). 

*Courtesy of MacDonald Inchyra Hotel. Can you tell our favourite so far?

It was quite odd going to meetings being on the other side and listening to pitches (I'm usually the one doing the sales pitches at work). They ranged from amazing, totally professional and extremely helpful to very rushed, lacking in information and to even seeing our wedding as just another function. Don't get me wrong, I know these places must do hundreds of weddings and we are not naive enough to think our wedding will be that different from others. However, I don't really want to go with places that have the feeling of 'get you in, get it done and get it over with'. No thanks! 

Signs of a good meeting are co-ordinators who take you around the venue, walking you through your day and the most obvious, asking you questions about what you want (expect a mini interview – don't worry it's not scary). It was a surprise to see three out of 4 venues didn't do this. A couple of handy things to take with you to the meetings are; a notepad and pen (obviously), also I found a great checklist on the internet here, which has lots of good questions to ask. Also take money! For us it was a fun but long day and we had to take more than one break to chat it over...

 My idea of taking a break. Mmmm Chai Latte...

 

Gary's idea of taking a break.

The next chapter begins...

Bonjour and welcome to my first blog! I have decided to set up a blog and more specifically a wedding blog for a number of reasons;

• As a new hobby for 2012.
• To develop my writing skills.
• To generate some calm and vent all about the craziness that is weddings.
• To allow our friends and family to follow our planning.
• For the memories. The family went a bit old school in putting a announcement in the local paper which we loved.

I always wanted to start a blog but was very unsure where to start. My colleague at work, Juliet helped me with some hints and tips to setting up my page and what to write about. You can check out her blog here. If you are a girly girl like me then happy reading!

Okay so to get on with the story. Gary and I have been officially been a couple for seven years. We have known each other since primary school, through high school and is also my neighbour. However, lets make this clear; we did not like each other. Yeah there was the odd 14 year old crush (mainly from me) but the majority of the time we pretty much thought each other was a pain in the backside. So fast forward one drunken night in Stirling town when I was 17 and Gary was 18, we began dating and after going back and forth about being boyfriend and girlfriend (mainly Gary), eventually we became a couple.

The happy couple. Doing what we do best, eating and drinking.

Don't get me wrong we have had our share of tears, mini break-ups and hard times. Nevertheless the good times obviously outweighed the bad and we have had many laughs, amazing holidays and have been living together for nearly two years. Not only are we partners, but best friends and we looking forward to more of the above (hopefully not the mini break ups haha).

So on December 25^th 2011, Gary proposed and this started a new chapter of our lives. He bought me this lovely ring from Beaverbrooks.

Before you ask, picked all by himself. Good man!

It is all very exciting but we have never been so confused! Neither Gary and I have been to a wedding and after flicking through lots of magazines and talking to lots of friends and colleagues, we have realised there is a lot of work involved! So hopefully this blog will help us and other people in our situation to get some ideas. People can also have a few laughs while we gain some clarity through all the stress. I have also enlisted Gary to guest blog on it as while researching wedding blogs I feel there isn't much around from a guy's perspective. As people keep saying it is his day too. Hmmm we'll see..........

Gone are the Christmas cards....