Engagement Sexism?

So we've been engaged now for just over 3 weeks and its been lovely, lots of cards, gifts and happy messages from Friends, Family and Work Colleagues.

I get the pleasure of working with Danny my H2B, and something I noticed was a little sexism between the celebratory comments,

We or I received lots of congratulations... he on the other hand received well done, or comments relating to earning potential.

So size of the ring doesn't just matter to girls, it matters to men in the most primal way.  He how can afford the biggest, obviously is the best!  Before now I always felt pressure that it was just a girl wanting a big sparkly diamond.

Our Engagement

We're engaged!  My boyfriend of two year proposed the day after our 2 year anniversary (Sunday 14th Sept)... The day before he had asked my father for permission at a family birthday party, apparently they had quite a moment :-)

How did it happen?  Well I kind of ruined it for him a little.  Sunday morning we were lazing about on the couch and Danny asked where the cats were?  I assumed outside doing cat stuff.

Shortly after he got up and let Mark Francis back in, so both cats were with me in the lounge.
Getting up I thought Danny was in the bathroom and tried to sneak into the bedroom with an anniversary card I was yet to give him.  On entering the bedroom Danny was stood in the door way and questioned 'what are you doing'?  Confused I asked what he was doing!

He then turned to face me and asked me to marry him.  I said yes.  We hugged.

Turned out he had a whole plan with the cats involved... but I had gotten up to soon and walked in on him preparing his proposal! Ha, typical me,

Antique brilliant cut 1.83 carat / 0.10 on the side platinum band.

From Maria Krailing @ http://www.tyrrellblois.com/

We didn't announce our engagement for a few days, using the above pics from our Scotland trip.

Cluck cluck... its a Hen Party!

Several girls in the office are engaged and one is now only 6 weeks away from the big day!!  We are a close little office, so we've decided on a work hen do.

www.beautyrepublicasalon.co.uk

8 girls, high tea, hair and nails.  What could be worse?

We'll be trying to maintain an air of class with this outing... high tea and prosecco, with a blow dry and nail paint at UR Cheeky.  Our favorite place to go for a cheap nail paint.

www.frostsgardencentres.co.uk

We've also bought the bride the obligatory 'Bride to Be' sash and badges for the hen party :-))

Wedding Venue Review - Hartsfield Manor

Hartsfield Manor is part of the De Vere Venues group - with lovely venues all over the UK!  We spent a night at their Surrey venue over Christmas.

The house and grounds itself are lovely, would make a great backdrop to anyone's big day.  The only disappointment would if you are staying in the rooms they built at the side of the house... looks like a cheap prefab school building, the rooms are good but badly proportioned!

They do offer great value on some of the Wedding Packages - check them out here

http://www.deverevenues.co.uk/en/venues/hartsfield-manor/

2013 - Top Five blog Post

So the festive season is fully upon us, only 5 days to go!  Here at Your Wedding Support aka Bride2Bride we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...

Congratulations to all those getting married over the next few weeks, and here to those getting married in 2014 and those exciting proposals this December.

Here are our top five blogs for 2013!

Floral Cakes

Love

Easter

Bonfire Night

Game of Thrones

What will be there top trends for 2014 and new ideas for 2015?

Engagement Ring shopping... yay or nay?

So do you think it is appropriate to take your boyfriend to look at engagement rings before he's even proposed... maybe months before he does?

When you are with the right person, and you plan to spend the rest of your lives together these conversations do come up, the prospect of marriage, children, houses etc. maybe way before you are ready to take those seteps... but with the knowledge that one day you will be proposed to (finger crossed nothing goes wrong) is it not okay to give them an idea of what kind of ring you would be happy to have on your finger for the rest of your lives?

I certainly think so, in fact when I was previously engaged, I had taken my partner to see the ring I had picked out - he hadn't even prosed!

Now I am in another serious relationship, we've been together a year, living together for 3 months, and the conversations of engagements, weddings, babies, houses are all starting to arise...  should I let him know my taste now or does that just make the man feel pressured, not that I am asking for it now now now?

www.etsy.com

I just want to party!

So after my last attempt at getting married and my recent experience of weddings and I am fortunate enough to get engaged again I will be having a 'run away' wedding... and then a party at the local pub later for all the friends and family who weren't invited...

No dress code, no first dance, no cake, no limit on plus ones, no seating plan, no wedding list.

I am seeing a local pub, spring or summer time, a couple of drinks then a pay bar, some food but nothing specific, a late afternoon evening 'do' - come as you please, bring who you please.  Get drunk and celebrate.

If people want to leave a message in a guest book I am not against that, be good if we had a instant camera and I am more than happy to accept gifts not that we'll expect it!

thelicenseplatesite.com 

Proposal Kittens

So I've decided that the best way to ever be proposed to would be, for me with a kitten in a basket with a diamond tied on with a cute little bow.  Who could say no to that?

I really want a second cat, but I'll wait until after Christmas... maybe if I am lucky I'll get a proposal kitten (black and white fluffy with the little bib and booties), blue bow in a basket... :-)

www.andieday.com

lovemeow.com

www.catsparella.com

www.kulfoto.com

Happy New Year! 2013 Trends.

Hello everyone, and welcome back... Happy New Year for 2013... If you've recently got engaged, or proposed and planning a wedding, here are the trends for 2013!

mrs2be.ie

Rainbow Décor

delovelyaffair.blogspot.com

bestbridalprices.com

magnifiqueboutique.blogspot.com

Blue or red wedding dresses

jerseypearl.com

alwaysalexandrasweddings.com

dressesmall.com.au

Mint or Peppermint Greens (It's going to be BIG)

linda via Your Wedding Company

creativeweddings.ca

engagedbirmingham.com

weddingsonthefrenchriviera.com

weddingsonthefrenchriviera.com

Vintage Chic

southboundbride.com

goldenpalacefresno.wordpress.com

belleamour.co.uk

weddingelation.com

weddingsonthefrenchriviera.com

london-bride.com

Happy Engagement Day!

So finally after over 7 years together my brother proposed to his long suffering girlfriend... (23 Sep 12)

How it went down: They were away for the weekend, had spent the day at the zoo... then as Leila sadly went for a shower after expecting the proposal to come during the day Ben showed her a video he'd made - with the proposal included : ))

So very cute, I want to see the video so much - maybe they'll let me add it to the blog?  The ring is vintage, bought earlier in the year... pictures to come in a few weeks.

Just under a carat diamond, with platinum flowers and a thin gold band!!

someecards.com

etsy.com

GET THE LOOK: Rio Themed Wedding

As we are all embracing the London 2012 Olympics... woooaaa go Team GB!!  How about a Rio themed wedding in honour of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

For those of us not yet engaged or planning a wedding a long way off, or if you just like the theme.

rocknrollbride.com

blog.amyatlas.com

bridezilla.com

the-weddingvendors.com

aweddingcakeblog.com

whatafy.com

cakeandpictures.com

Engagements!

I have had some wonderful news today and would love to share with the world because I am so happy for them but I have been sworn to secrecy!

So instead I decided lets look at the most unusual places/ways to get engaged (be proposed to)!

1.  While skydiving, pop the question in the air.

2.  Place your words on a billboard in Piccadilly Circus

3.  Hire a plane and have it trail a banner with you words as it flies. Make sure you and your Lady are walking so you will see it together.

4.  Write it in the sand at the beach.

5.  Announce it over the loud speaker at a local football game or ask the pilot on a flight

6.  Buy two tickets to a concert and request an announcement be made on your behalf.

7. Have her go on a scavenger hunt with the end being a note of proposal.

8. Write it in alphabet spaghetti

9. Bake a cake with "Will you marry me" on the top. Bring it where she works.

10. Buy a tee shirt and print your message on it with magic markers. Wear it until she reads and responds.

11. Make a video with your proposal to her and play it like it is a movie from Block Buster.

12. Shave "Will you marry me" into your back hair.

In lights?

Victorian sewer proposal

In Scrabble letter

http://www.bridepop.com/

Engagement!

We had been away for along weekend to the Kent coast, and a week before hand I had shown my H2B the ring I wanted... so all a long I was hoping for the proposal to come.  When we returned home and nothing had happen I continued as usual.  The following Saturday came, we were at home cooking dinner in our 'comfy' weekend clothes when he appeared behind me and pulled a box from his pocket...

'You still want the ring?' and there it was, THE ring!!  Of course I said yes.

Turned out the day I had taken H2B to see the ring he had gone back and bought it then spent two weeks walking around with it trying to find the right time.

Making me dinner in our home was the right time for us, it was so personal to who we are.

My engagement ring is a old cut, 1.1 carat diamond from 1880, with 3 diamonds = 0.4 carat either side on a platinum band, bought from Aurum at Grey's Antique Market on Bond Street, London.  http://www.greysantiques.com/