A non-guidey guide from a 'Soon-to-be Bride' Part 13

We've been on Steph's wedding planning journey for a year now, and we've loved her story and loved sharing it with you - and it's especially relevant to so many of you as her wedding plans have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic meaning her original plans have had to change significantly...and not just once, she's now onto her 3rd wedding date!

In Steph's last blog, she reflected on how important it is to choose the right bridesmaids because engagements can last for years and you need to know they've got your back every step of the way.  Thankfully Steph's Bridesmaids have been an endless support to her right from day one.

Steph finishes this year reflecting back over her wedding planning journey over the last 12 months.

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Well happy Christmas everyone! 

What a topsy-turvy backwards year it has been, I started the year with 142 days to go till our wedding and I’m ending this year with 182 days to go! The end of the year usually brings a reflection time on the year that has passed, and this year is no different for me. I have found myself reading my blogs from this time last year and have had to have a little ironic giggle at some of the things I said! I started my December 2019 blog by saying ‘I can’t believe I’m already on part four of my planning blog,’ well I really can’t believe I am currently writing part 13 and am still a ‘Bride to be’, let’s hope I’m not writing part 24 this time next year!

I also stated that I had planned to get all of my DIY projects completed by last Christmas and I had failed, well, I have failed to get them all completed by this Christmas as well!! This both made me laugh and feel a bit sad because instead of finishing up my wedding DIY projects, we were trying to reorganise suppliers to new dates, deciding what numbers we would be happy cutting to and thinking about scrapping our pretty favours to buy individual hand sanitisers instead!

On the opposite side of the coin though, what a lot we’ve learned this year! It will be a year we will all talk about forever, the good bits and the bad! Try to focus on the good where you can though, slowing down, taking stock, appreciating the little things in life, maybe getting some projects done you wouldn’t have otherwise!
I feel like there are always positives to be found in any situation, I am sat here cuddling my handsome puppy while I’m writing this which was definitely unexpected this year and we are certainly grateful that there is still a wedding to plan! Today also marks 2 years to the day since I bought my wedding dress and fortunately I am still in love with it so that’s a relief too!

This year hasn’t been anything like what it should have been, and who knows what the next 12 months will bring. But reading through my previous blogs before all this reminded me of the excitement and anticipation I was feeling for the year ahead and I will try my hardest to take this into 2021. So here’s to making it through 2020, we all deserve a pat on the back, or a very big glass of gin! Hopefully next year we will be able to bring back a little bit of the excitement and magic that planning a wedding should be.

In the meantime, stay safe look after your loved ones and try to enjoy a merry Christmas!

Your bride-to-be

Steph x"