A non-guidey guide from a soon-to- be bride part two

We'd like to introduce a lovely new blogger to you all. Meet Leigh (and her fiance Matt), a bride to be who we've got to know over the last few months as a member of our couples panel.

We'll be following Leigh until her big day and can't wait to hear the rest of her journey from Miss to Mrs...If you missed her last instalment check it out here.

Now I don't know about you but for me this summer is flying by, but as the saying goes; time flies when you're having fun! And let me tell you this - time also flies when you're getting married. Fact.

So this month Matt & I enjoyed a two week break from work, with eight of those glorious sunshine filled days spent on a working farm in the stunning north Cornwall countryside. Mornings comprised of visits from Wilf the dog accompanied by coffee and a slow preparation for the day, with evenings featuring uninterrupted sunsets, cider, and a few more visits from the gorgeous Wilf. At the height of planning madness- that was exactly what the doctor ordered (minus the mozzie bites).

Returning home full of rejuvenation and calm, we were invited to friends for dinner and the conversation naturally arrived at how our wedding plans were coming together. On the matter of groomsmen attire, our friend said 'you haven't sorted that yet?!' And bang - back to planning reality we were! In my last blog I expressed the joy of passing the '6 months to go' milestone, however this has now evolved to 'oh sugar' (insert own expletive) I’m getting married soon!

Over the last few days with my mind settled back into wedding mode I have often found myself amongst new contemplations, to include (but by no means limited to) whether there is really any need of a seating plan - I mean we're all friends anyway, right?! And will our guests really mind if there isn't any rosé wine on the table?! Despite these sporadic distractions - often arriving mid conversation of an entirely different subject matter or during unmentionable hours of the night - I welcome these random questions to self. They come when they come and they go when they go, and every now and then they result in a small moment of satisfaction by me when another small detail is sorted. (So, um, if any of my guests are reading this I hope you haven’t been looking forward to a glass of rosé).

Moving on I haven't forgot my promise to delve into the world of wedding fairs, and what a subject matter it is.

Rewind to last year and I couldn't have told you what kind of wedding I wanted. I’m a self-confessed romanticist, a creative soul with a generous dose of indecisiveness. I was bursting at the seams with so many different ideas that it's a wonder I didn't explode. A beach wedding on the coast sounded so pretty and dreamy, with a vision of canapés being served in scallop shells and those lovely coastal sunsets. But then what could be better than a good ol' festival style knees up with an acoustic band playing behind a scene of sizzling barbecues and fire pits after dark? The list was endless and inspiration wasn’t lacking. Eventually we made decisions and after that it soon dawned on me - I now need to find my team of people to make it happen! So a few convincing conversations with Matt and we attended our first fair at the beautiful Westonbirt School (which impressed us so much that it soon became our chosen wedding venue)!

Choose a reputable fair, and it'll be busy! The tried and the trusted, the traditional and the quirky will be there to meet and greet you with fantastic smiles and pleasantries - be prepared to answer the same questions a fair few times but do the rounds and you'll soon be in the swing of it! Even for a couple of generally unsociable so n' so's we didn't do too badly. If you go for one reason then let it be this - being able to put a face and most importantly a personality to a name. It's SO important to like your supplier! You'll be dealing with that person for months and in some cases on one of THE most important days of your life.

So if you have a willing husband or wife-to-be then go! Take the samples, the brochures, the cards and the freebies. Meet the photographers, the florists, the jewellers, the bakers and the stationary makers. You'll end up with a dry mouth from the non-stop chat, a whirring head from information overload and enough pieces of literature to sink a battleship but if you should meet one of your wedding team then it's definitely worth your time.

Am I glad I did the rounds? Yep! Above all, I'm truly thankful that it was at our last fair that despite resistance from my fiancé, the guy on the door insisted that Matt wear his 'I'm getting married!' sticker in the most prominent position possible, I think after that one we were done…

PS If you’re wondering, we can’t wait to celebrate amongst imposing marble fireplaces, rich golden ceilings and a party hall grand enough that Mr Gatsby himself wouldn't look out of place...

Written by Leigh Messenger: 163 days to go and counting…