2015 brides!

tread_softly

Had such an amazing weekend in Edinburgh but paying the price now, absolutely in bits at my computer!

I remember nearly all of the weekend except Saturday night but apparently this was me at about 3am?



Can't believe the wedding is on Saturday!!!

kildareash

Haha! One of the signs of a great night!
I am definitely taking the Monday morning off after my hen, one of the busiest and most stressful days of my working week, a hangover on top of that is not a good mix!

When are you finishing up work for the wedding???

Fits, really hope your hairdresser gets back to you. Are you calling her old number or new salon number? My hairdresser moved a couple of months ago and I had trouble getting her on the old number, which she kept active for the first couple of weeks. It was a simple explanation in the end, the mailbox had filled up and she didn't realise. Could you call in to her?

Milly33

haha looks like you had a fun time Tread Softly!! Nearly there now, hopefully youll get time to recuperate this week..

Have you heard anything back Fits? Perhaps tis time to arrange someone else if she hasn't come back to you..Sod it don't be stressing yourself out waiting on her if she doesn't even have the courtesy to come back to you...

I have a number for a mobile lady, haven't had a trial yet from her but she came recommened

bluebell27

Tread softly it looks like you had a great weekend! Edinburgh was an amazing choice for a hen. Hope you are feeling ok today. i was so glad I took this morning off work as hardly slept Friday or Saturday as was so excited having everyone together!

Pistachios & cream

Tread softly looks like you had an amazing time. My hen is this weekend so i'm hoping i make it to a bed before i pass out!

stickybookmark

Milly my tips on invites would be all around the RSVP.
First off someone on boards posted a very useful template for an RSVP which i used. Very important to include a line
Number of guests attending: ....

Because I invited people plus one (cousins if I wasn't sure they had a gf or whatever) and it's important that they indicate who exactly is coming i.e. the number of people that are attending. What can happen is people will just reply with their name on the RSVP and assume you know that they are bringing a plus 1 because they were invited with one. Or one of my cousins has 5 kids and she's only bringing 3 to the wedding so it was important that she was able to fill in no. of people attending.

A mistake I made was having the 'RSVP by 10th May' (for example) PRINTED on the invites. I should have a left a gap next to that where it could be handwritten in:
RSVP by: ....
Becasue as Decline RSVPs have started to come in, I've started to invite the 'second wave' but the problem is becasue the RSVP date is printed on the invite, it's obvious to the second wave that they are the second wave if you know what I mean? I mean if you get an invite and the RSVP date is in 1 week's time, you're going huh??
So in hindsight I shoudl have left the RSVP by: blank and that would mean the invites could be used for 1st wave, 2nd wave etc.
I'm going to have to order new invites now as my RSVP date on the original invites is this week and I have people that I want to invite now that the Declines are starting to come in! More money!

Milly33

I was debating about the RSVP date, we ended up just putting asap next to it to save this. I didn't even think about that with 2nd wave as such figuring out that they were in the 2nd wave.. We aren't doing it to be mean or anything it is just the case of we don't have enough space to have everyone so if someone cant go them we could invite the next person on the list...

I hope you get loads of Yes ones soon!! It must be exciting to see them come in...

Hoping to get ours out this week, got funky gaming stamps there from An post they would look great on some of them...Must just do the menu card (with a place for numbers/how many like you say) and the info sheet that's it....

stickybookmark

Milly33 wrote: »

I was debating about the RSVP date, we ended up just putting asap next to it to save this. I didn't even think about that with 2nd wave as such figuring out that they were in the 2nd wave.. We aren't doing it to be mean or anything it is just the case of we don't have enough space to have everyone so if someone cant go them we could invite the next person on the list...

I hope you get loads of Yes ones soon!! It must be exciting to see them come in...

Hoping to get ours out this week, got funky gaming stamps there from An post they would look great on some of them...Must just do the menu card (with a place for numbers/how many like you say) and the info sheet that's it....

What do you mean menu card?
The info sheet is a bloody headwreck, at least I managed to do it mostly on company time hehe
Oh god I was deee lighted to get the Declines coming in, I invited more than the venue can hold so you have that nervous few weeks when you think '**** what if they all come' and then slowly start to breathe as the Declines come in.
There's a great Ipad App called Irish weddings, I'm using it to keep track of the list. Taking the declines off and adding in the second wave and the unexpected plus ones I'm currently on 175 (venue can take 182) exepcting a few more declines and have the third wave ready to go...as soon as i get the new invites printed (pah!)

kildareash

Ye have second waves of invites???

I'm hoping 20-30 people we invite won't be able to make it!!!

Because I made a provisional guest list almost 2 years before the wedding I included plus ones for most of the singles. But I'm not inviting a plus one that I haven't met before the invites go out.
I know this has caused a bit of aggro at previous weddings, but feck them, it's our day!

We've budgeted for 200 people to sit down, so hopefully we might have a few euro left over!

stickybookmark

kildareash wrote: »

Ye have second waves of invites???

I'm hoping 20-30 people we invite won't be able to make it!!!

Because I made a provisional guest list almost 2 years before the wedding I included plus ones for most of the singles. But I'm not inviting a plus one that I haven't met before the invites go out.
I know this has caused a bit of aggro at previous weddings, but feck them, it's our day!

We've budgeted for 200 people to sit down, so hopefully we might have a few euro left over!

In fairness if you're inviting nigh on 250 people I think that includes 1st, 2nd and 3rd wave :-)
My 2nd wave is parent's friends, Great Aunty Betty, neighbours of my parents that invited them to their kids' weddings that sort of thing.

I was single for a good few years in my mid 20s so I'm sensitive to the single person's plight I think it's insulting to send a singleton an invite just for themselves it's like saying 'I know you're single with years so I presume you'll still be single by the time my wedding comes around' so I invited all singletons plus one. One of my cousins has come back now he's bringing a girlfriend, I didn't even know he had one he's been single for years and this is his first ever significant other, so I'm like phew TG I invited him plus one!
I assume genuinely single people will have the decency to RSVP on their own (considering I had the decency to invite them plus one)

Milly33

Yep waves kildareash haha... I know, I had thought about it before but just didn't know as such there was a term for it. But it is as sticky has said really. Like mum now, I have her two closest friends down to go and then will get invites but then she does have two others or dad has a cousin kind of a thing so, of course we would like to invite all but we just cant afford it or fit that many. So if someone else cant make it then they get the invite as such...

Some people make it out to be harsh but I wouldn't think so myself...

I not sure with the hole cousin partner thing... I don't know I think yeah tis great again if you can say yeah you can invite them but again tis kinda like the waves if I can fit them in I will but if not, they can come to the afters

rainbow kirby

I don't think we're even going to do a second wave - 6 weeks to go now, we're pretty much exactly at our sweet spot of 80. I can't imagine having 250 there :eek:

stickybookmark

Milly33 wrote: »

Some people make it out to be harsh but I wouldn't think so myself...

I not sure with the hole cousin partner thing... I don't know I think yeah tis great again if you can say yeah you can invite them but again tis kinda like the waves if I can fit them in I will but if not, they can come to the afters

Our venue doesn't allow afters. Like I said for personal reasons it's something that is important to me to invite plus one. Totally down to the bride and groom - your day your way!

Milly33

6 Weeks!! Yeah it is nice hearing all the weddings coming up... I hope everyone comes back to tell us how they went...

Oh yeah sticky it is all about what ye like everyone has their own tuppence but in the end, do whatever you like.

Faith

My shoes from shoesofprey.com aren't due to arrive until may 1st, but I've just gotten an email to say that they've upgraded me to express production and I should have them in a few days!!

Aghh, so excited to see them!!

bluebell27

Does anyone have any ideas for bridesmaid thank you gifts? I only have 6 weeks to go so need to get organised. I don't want to get them jewellery as a few of them were 30 this year and got them jewellery as birthday presents.

I wish i had thought about the rsvp date on the invite. We only have a few people in our second wave which we are sending tomorrow but rsvp is the 24th so going to be obvious to them. Hope they aren't offended!

stickybookmark

bluebell27 wrote: »

Does anyone have any ideas for bridesmaid thank you gifts? I only have 6 weeks to go so need to get organised. I don't want to get them jewellery as a few of them were 30 this year and got them jewellery as birthday presents.
/quote]

My sis got me a 100 euro voucher for a gourmet restaurant as bm present

CorkClaire82

Faith wrote: »

My shoes from shoesofprey.com aren't due to arrive until may 1st, but I've just gotten an email to say that they've upgraded me to express production and I should have them in a few days!!

Aghh, so excited to see them!!

They were the same for me, sooooooooo exciting getting them.

Some drama there with the venue but was all down to a misunderstanding between staff members thankfully. Back to being delighted I've finished work!

fits

Still no word from hairdresser, and she definitely got the message. Oh well.

Was in dublin airport this morning and bought another pair of shoes in lk bennett. Gold wedge sandals. So much for my cost saving.

Robyn_14

I'm so surprised to hear of this "second wave" notion, don't guests cop this is what's going on? I was told last year by someone that we would be invited to a wedding of a friend if there were people who couldn't go. To be honest I was insulted.

Milly33

Not really when you think about it if their is big families and again the whole thing where you cant invite one aunt and not the other then it makes sense.. I wouldn't be insulated in the least I would get it.. I remember one wedding I went to and lets say someone told me I was only invited to keep another occupied and I was like well feck it I don't care I still had a great day and it was lovely to see a couple enjoy their day...

Faith

We're not doing "waves". If we don't think someone is important enough to be invited in the first round, then they're not important enough to be invited at all, IMO. We're inviting about 150, and anyone who can't come will just be an empty place. Budget-wise, we've extended ourselves as much as we can with 150 guests so we're happy to save a bit, too.

Milly33

bluebell27 wrote: »

Does anyone have any ideas for bridesmaid thank you gifts? I only have 6 weeks to go so need to get organised. I don't want to get them jewellery as a few of them were 30 this year and got them jewellery as birthday presents.

I wish i had thought about the rsvp date on the invite. We only have a few people in our second wave which we are sending tomorrow but rsvp is the 24th so going to be obvious to them. Hope they aren't offended!

Na I don't think anyone would be offended, and if they are sure there is nothing you can really do, they will or they wont.. To me it would be a bit childish to get offended by it..

With the gifts, I get what you mean with jewellery I was all up for it and then was kinda saying sure they have lots of it anyway.

You could get them a nice funky handbag to match their outfits.. Was in Rock Frocks for a trip and they had some lovely ones...

For my own I picked up gift bags and got a few bits to put in.
Bamboo brush set with big powder brushes.
Some foot cream for the morning after.
A small little wallet (from pennys) to put any change in
A hand mask from pennys...

Bits like that

stargazer 68

Faith wrote: »

We're not doing "waves". If we don't think someone is important enough to be invited in the first round, then they're not important enough to be invited at all, IMO. We're inviting about 150, and anyone who can't come will just be an empty place. Budget-wise, we've extended ourselves as much as we can with 150 guests so we're happy to save a bit, too.

We aren't either. 130 invited and those that can't come can't. Will just reduce the numbers at the venue.

stickybookmark

Robyn_14 wrote: »

I'm so surprised to hear of this "second wave" notion, don't guests cop this is what's going on? I was told last year by someone that we would be invited to a wedding of a friend if there were people who couldn't go. To be honest I was insulted.

Totally I'd be insulted too! People should never find out they're second wave!! Your friend effed up big time there by letting ye find that out!

I don't have any of my friends on second wave, it's just all my parents & OH's parents 'acquaintences'. There seems to be some kinda politics going on 'So-and-So invited us to their Johnny's wedding but we've already invited them to your brothers wedding so we don't owe them one but shur if there's space for them we'd like to invite them' etc etc...
My parents are paying for the wedding so who am I to argue! Also I'm getting brownie points with the ol In-Laws by going back to them now saying 'Anyone else you want to invite?' so they can never at a later date say 'oh we weren't allowed to invite John and Mary up the road'

kildareash

I'm so glad neither sets of parents have offered opinions on our guest list. I thought MIL wld be telling us she wanted this one or that one invited but so far she hasn't.
There's a really small extended family on my side, so I've included a couple of my mam's friends too but I've known them all my life, and she has been invited to their sons and daughters weddings.

Where we are getting stuck is people we wld have been friendlier with a few years ago but barely see anymore.
There is one couple we were at their wedding and him and OH were really good friends about 10 years ago but we've seen them twice in the last 3 years. I'd be inclined to leave them off but OH feels we shld invite them

Milly33

Mum has already kinda said sure ill take one more look now before you send the invites! I was like not a hope stay away. I know she means the best and it is quite funny I must say listening to her...

The friends one is tough, see this is where the whole wave thing comes into action. If ye so happen to have the space then sure invite them... There was a great manual thing on one of the bridal books about "To Invite or Not". I get what you mean with it being hard to judge if they were good friend but ye have just drifted...

Im stuck on three pals, I would like for them to be there, but one of them used to have a bit of a crush and im like mmmmm he can get a bit odd after a few drinks, don't know if it will be the right situation me thinks not..

stargazer 68

stickybookmark wrote: »

so they can never at a later date say 'oh we weren't allowed to invite John and Mary up the road'

Well my OH didn't want to invite his nieces and nephews! I put my foot down on that one. Mine are all invited and they are younger than his. There was no way I was going to have that being an issue!

kildareash

Milly33 wrote:

The friends one is tough, see this is where the whole wave thing comes into action. If ye so happen to have the space then sure invite them... There was a great manual thing on one of the bridal books about "To Invite or Not". I get what you mean with it being hard to judge if they were good friend but ye have just drifted...

I don't think the second wave is for me. I'd be offended if I reached an invitation like that, so I wouldn't do it to my guests. And I'd be afraid other mutual friends would be asking if they received an invite and then they wld figure it out for themselves.

stickybookmark

Dovies wrote: »

Well my OH didn't want to invite his nieces and nephews! I put my foot down on that one. Mine are all invited and they are younger than his. There was no way I was going to have that being an issue!

Dovies I 100% agree with you. Nieces and nephews of the bride and groom have to be invited, even if you're having a no-kids wedding.

rainbow kirby

stickybookmark wrote: »

Dovies I 100% agree with you. Nieces and nephews of the bride and groom have to be invited, even if you're having a no-kids wedding.

My niece isn't coming to mine - she will be 10 months old at the time of the wedding though so the wedding is a bit of a break for my bro and his GF!

Milly33

See that would annoying me then, I get inviting because they are family etc but it would annoy me if I travelled to a wedding and got a babysitter for the Kids (my only kids are a cat and dog) and then went to the wedding and there were kids there..

Went to a wedding before and was sitting with others who were in this boat and they were saying the same that why wasn't the option given. I think in for a penny in for a pound..either have kids or dont

stickybookmark

kildareash wrote: »

Where we are getting stuck is people we wld have been friendlier with a few years ago but barely see anymore.
There is one couple we were at their wedding and him and OH were really good friends about 10 years ago but we've seen them twice in the last 3 years. I'd be inclined to leave them off but OH feels we shld invite them

In our case with these kind of people, we invited them. I nearly think weddings are more about old friends than new friends in some ways, they're like a reunion/this is your life type thing

stickybookmark

Milly33 wrote: »

See that would annoying me then, I get inviting because they are family etc but it would annoy me if I travelled to a wedding and got a babysitter for the Kids (my only kids are a cat and dog) and then went to the wedding and there were kids there..

Went to a wedding before and was sitting with others who were in this boat and they were saying the same that why wasn't the option given. I think in for a penny in for a pound..either have kids or dont

I disagree, I think it will be obvious to everyone that the nieces and nephews of the bride and groom had to be invited and I can't see anyone taking offence. But I agree that it should be a blanket ban on kids than OTHER than the nieces/nephews/kids of the bride and groom. Obviously if there are other - like friends or cousin's kids there - and you were told yours couldn't come that's not fair.

Pistachios & cream

Milly33 wrote: »

See that would annoying me then, I get inviting because they are family etc but it would annoy me if I travelled to a wedding and got a babysitter for the Kids (my only kids are a cat and dog) and then went to the wedding and there were kids there..

Went to a wedding before and was sitting with others who were in this boat and they were saying the same that why wasn't the option given. I think in for a penny in for a pound..either have kids or dont

I don't agree it all depends on numbers. If we invited all our friends kids we would have over 50 children there. That is ridiculous. Alternatively my nieces and nephews are immediate family so of course I want them there.

I agree it's annoying if non family children have been invited and yours haven't but at the end of the day it's up to the bride and groom to invite who they want to their wedding.

stickybookmark

rainbow kirby wrote: »

My niece isn't coming to mine - she will be 10 months old at the time of the wedding though so the wedding is a bit of a break for my bro and his GF!

Is that coz they don't want to bring her or coz you decided not to invite her? I wonder in a few years when you have kids yourself and you look back on that how you will feel about it! :rolleyes:

rainbow kirby

They don't want to bring her (his GF's mother is minding her) and we also aren't having any kids at it - the youngest person we have invited is a teenager.

Neyite

Milly33 wrote: »

See that would annoying me then, I get inviting because they are family etc but it would annoy me if I travelled to a wedding and got a babysitter for the Kids (my only kids are a cat and dog) and then went to the wedding and there were kids there..

Went to a wedding before and was sitting with others who were in this boat and they were saying the same that why wasn't the option given. I think in for a penny in for a pound..either have kids or dont

Are you saying that because your cat and dog are your 'kids' you'd be annoyed if you saw non-family children at the wedding because your pets were not invited? I'm reading this wrong, surely? :P

stickybookmark

My OH and I would be very similar when it comes to things like this, in both of our families it would be sacrilege to not invite your nieces & nephews to your wedding!

Milly33

haha jes I am not that bad yet Neyite.. No I don't have kids, the cat and dog are the kids, it was just a joke..

I was saying I would find it annoying if you went to a wedding and their was other kids there, after you being told not to bring them.. We all have our things that would bug us...

I just looked up corkcicles there and it is scary now as all the adds popping up on boards are from their site.. Its weird the way the computer can track you

Robyn_14

Faith wrote: »

We're not doing "waves". If we don't think someone is important enough to be invited in the first round, then they're not important enough to be invited at all, IMO. We're inviting about 150, and anyone who can't come will just be an empty place. Budget-wise, we've extended ourselves as much as we can with 150 guests so we're happy to save a bit, too.

Totally agree here,think it's quite crass to organise a guest list like this,after all people generally give at least 100 euro as gifts and to think they are only there because the first more preferential round couldn't attend...kinda defeats the notion of a wedding in general

tread_softly

Got my nails done last night for the first time! Absolutely delighted with them, they look gorgeous!

Picking up my Maid of Honour's shoes this evening, got them dyed so I'm hoping they turned out ok

Getting waxed tomorrow with my mate who made my bridesmaid dresses so I'll collect them from her then too. Then mammy is bringing me shopping to buy something to wear the day after the wedding as a treat.

I've finalised all the times for hair/make up/cars etc. and I'm just fretting now wondering if there's anything else I'm forgetting.

Starting to get nervous, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

fits

Robyn_14 wrote: »

Totally agree here,think it's quite crass to organise a guest list like this,after all people generally give at least 100 euro as gifts and to think they are only there because the first more preferential round couldn't attend...kinda defeats the notion of a wedding in general

We had dribbles rather than waves. Two massive families and venue has capacity of 100. So its been extremely tight. I work abroad and my oh did too in a different country. So more than 50% of our invited non family guests are from abroad. And very hard to tell if they could come or not. It looks like its going to work out fine. Phew. In retrospect it would have been easier to have venue with larger capacity but at same time we think 100 is plenty.

Milly33

See it is some ones thing and not anothers. What did you get done with the nails tread softly? Shellac, im debating with mine I don't fancy the gel or shellac but one lady told me you can get like the shellac polish done ontop of regular polish just to make it last..

I hate when nails chip so this is all I want non chip polish..

Oh on the other hand I done my first try out with well it was Bronzer Crème from Palmers..

I would say it does give a nice hue, but id say it is more suited to someone who has a bit of colour already. One coat is fine too if you are pale.. I don't normally use anything like this and I must say looking at it im like it is just asking for trouble..

You have the whole hand issues, I was walking outside and said I would look at it in the light and my arm is different to my hand.. Im a hand washer too, so I can imagine that over the day ill just wash it all off...I will say I don't think it comes off on white so far.. Going to try the old Dove one next and leave it at that then

stickybookmark

the hands are the big problem alright with fake tan.
That's what fake tan Mitts are for!
you use the mit to do each hand at the end and then make sure to let it dry before washing your hands, but it's hard to get them right. practice makes perfect really.

tread_softly

Milly, I got French gel done, I've never had it before and was a bit apprehensive.

But she cut them to a shortish length for me and gave them a round/oval shape, I love them! Everyone in work today thought they were natural and I just got Shellac done so I was delighted.

I'm having fun tip-tapping away at my keyboard

I did tan once, only once when I was in my teens and it was a disaster so I'm definitely not going near the stuff for the wedding. Knowing my luck it would turn out horrific!

Milly33

Tan Mits for the hands I thought you just got that big pink one for putting it on your body..

Yeah I thought the idea of maybe not being so pale was nice but id say tisnt for me.... Ill experiment with dove and see but that's it.. Or was thinking if you applied it for a week as such and then done nothing for the next week would it just give you a nice glow perhaps... I shall see, I wouldn't have the patience now me thinks for standing in the bathroom trying to air dry myself while the tan dries.....

Sounds great with the nails!! French gel I take is the French manicure in shellac style, is it? There is nothing like the sounds of the nails tapping, isn't it so nice...

stickybookmark

No the point of the tan mitt (yes the pink one u refer to) is so u don't get tan on the palms of your hands. And u don't have to wash ur hands after then.
It's my rsvp date today so am contacting all those that haven't gotten back...
You'd actually be touched at some that are making the effort e.g. one friend who will be 7mo preg & lives in the UK, and aanother who will have a very newborn (obvs I told her she can bring bubs along coz she'll be bf'ing) and then you'd be a tad disappointed at others...like a friend I've been friends with since the 1st wk of 1st yr in school who send me a big story abt how they're invited to her oh's friends wedding on the same day, although the invite hasn't arrived yet (!) ...I'm like ok grand you're not coming u could have spared me the shpeel!

Milly33

I see I see, do you not end up then with different coloured hands.. haha I really don't think it is for me haha my effort is making sure I put it on so I don't think id be much good at it..

Yeah with the RSVPS I hope you get loads back..And shame on your friend, did she not have the date already so she would have know? She could always go to two things... Would surprise you indeed with friends I know my what I would have called best friend to be honest I don't even want to send and invite because fine we get along but she never makes an effort ever, as in even if she is down the road from me in the park with her kids she would not call for five mins. The same excuse always the kids this and that.. One of the lads I am well surprised at too with himself they have mad excuses about going on the stag which is a shame...

stickybookmark

no you use the mitt on one hand to do one side of your body, swap it onto the other hand to do the other side, so both hands get equally orange :-)

that's crap about your friend Milly. we aren't having hen and stag. i couldn't handle all that 'should i invite her or not/oh she's not making the effort to go on the hen' etc....it's bad enough going through it with the wedding rsvps! :-)

actually just started watching Say Yes to the Dress-bridesmaids this week, i had low expectations but omg it's even better than the normal one - the dramas!!

tread_softly your nails sound lovely! Got my first ever manicure done there last month after i got the engagement ring, it's lovely but boy are they expensive! :-o