Next Week

We're getting married next week. Ahhh! This time next week we'll be in New York, marriage license in hand just waiting for our big day.  We're so excited, I can't even tell you!  This weekend we were gifted some new suitcases and that was the moment when it became real - when we started packing.  We have arrangements all week with family and friends who want to see us off - starting with dinner tonight with Michael's Dad and his partner Agata.  I'm worried with all these dinners I won't fit into my dress - salad please...

Speaking of which, I had alterations made on my dress at the very last minute as it was too big in places (woohoo) and I finally found a gorgeous cashmere coat that I'm happy with, shoes that I love and jewellery that I really cannot wait to wear.  Both of our outfits are completely sorted and it feels so good each time we tick something off our list.  There isn't too much left to do now at all, thankfully.

Michael and I spent yesterday together in Belfast making final preparations for next week.  We went to the Malone Lodge Hotel for a really lovely lunch and coffee (the coffee is amazing there!) before meeting with our Co-Ordinator Jenna who talked us through all the final details and we paid our final bill.  So glad to have that done and out of the way with nothing else to worry about until we get back from America. We went shopping for final bits and pieces and when we got home we also our sent final song requests and information to our DJ's and decided on a reading for our ceremony and sent it to Marley (our Celebrant) which we're really pleased with.  We're going to print our chosen reading out and have it framed at the Reception.  We also smashed open our money pots and counted our savings - not as much as we had expected but still, it will be much more when converted to dollars!

Michael and I went to the Christmas Market last night for a beer in the German Beer Tent just like we did on our very first date.  It was so strange to think back to our first little dates at the market before I went travelling, knowing that we're now getting married in just a few days.  We're so exited to start our new chapter and new family.

We've been checking the weather in New York and Vegas religiously and so far so good, though New York is much warmer than Vegas is at the moment.  We finally chose a party for New Years Eve and changed our hotel to suit - we'll be staying in the New York New York Hotel and attending The 2015 Bridge Bash which was expensive, but looks pretty great and has excellent reviews.  Should be fun!  We've had lots of gifts being purchased from our gift list by our very kind and thoughtful friends and family - unfortunately each gift takes over 10 days to process and to reach our account so we won't be able to get any more gifts until after we come back which entirely defeats the purpose but ah well.  We've been blown away by people's generosity.  We're two very lucky ducks.

Michael bought a new laptop so that we're able to Skype home and upload photographs from the Nikon etc, and I may be able to put a couple blog posts up while we're in airports waiting around.  We're also going to load it up with movies to keep us entertained in the airport (and so that we can watch Home Alone 2 on Christmas morning!)  We bought a few decorations and have some fairy lights we're going to bring with us to decorate our hotel room - it wouldn't be Christmas Day without a tree would it?!