Seven days...

I'm tanning up for the photos

FYI, Pure Gym tanning beds are £3 for 6mins. Winner. 

Yes, I'm aware of ageing/cancer/death risks. Calm your tits.

3 weeks (ish) to go and shit is going down, yo.

Mood: Happy but feeling the pressure
N/P: Chocolate - The 1975
Highlight of the week: Got a little acting role and film some scenes with a British legend next week. Amaze.
Thought for the day: In 4 weeks time I'll be on honeymoon. That thought is keeping me warm.

'iya.

I have learnt that everything happens at once with wedmin. We've had endless calls and emails from various companies and people to confirm final numbers/choices/designs over the past week. The "1 month to go" mark seems to be a biggun. So, here's how things lay at the moment:

Firstly, thank you!

Already had a few folk buying gifts from the John Lewis list and some donations to the Trailfinders pot. HUGE thank you to everyone. I will lick your faces in appreciation when I see you.
If that's what you're into.
Which invariably you wont be.

Stag do's
My stag do was a few weekends ago and it was epic. 20-odd of us took over a house in Ipswich and got on it for a few days. We had a superhero themed costume party, made a surprise visit to a beer festival and played laser-tag. Highllight of this was seeing my mates/family and spending time with everyone. Plus my friend Jon dressed as a drag-queen superhero called "The Sugar-Bum-Fairy" with a giant blond beehive and 12" dildo of justice. I have submitted the concept for Marvel and DC. I suspect they will be in touch any day now.

SIDE NOTE: I am THE BOLLOCKS at laser-tag. I won each game and got the highest player for the month, winning a free session. I have now added this achievement to my CV and am seeking employment in roles that involve running around in the dark, sweating and shooting my friends. You have been warned.

Neil's stag do is next. I have been given a few details and it sounds awesome!

Cake
This Friday we have a meeting to discuss the design of a large cake. I feel this is the only time in my life I will get to say that so here it is again:

This Friday we have a meeting to discuss the design of a large cake.

It should be pretty cool, can't wait for everyone to see it.

Meal
Testing wedding food and wine was one of the most enjoyable parts of this process for me (possibly because I'm dieting and I got to eat proper food). Me, Neil and most of our parental units ate, drank and had a good laugh at the venue for a few hours. It was relatively easy to make our choices. Hope you all like liver and onions.

JUST JOKING!

It's tripe and sprouts. Bon appetit, mother fuckers.

Diet
I'm on week 6 of the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet. Five days of the week I eat 2000 - 2500 calories, go to the gym and live normally. Two days of the week I eat 600 calories, collapse into bed at 8:30pm and cry uncontrollably when I see someone eating chips.

It's actually a manageable diet and I have lost a ton of weight and fit into my suit now. Specifically I have dropped 2% body fat and about 4.5kg so far. Nice.

Table plan
Neil, clever little monkey he is, has designed a brilliant table seating plan. It's pretty special, not seen one like it before and we will be keeping it for personal use post-wedding. Make of that what you will. Can't wait for you all to see it! All credit to Neil, I had very little involvement.

Ceremony
Ceremony is now planned in terms of readings and what not. Everything is coming together and, whilst I am really confident that it will be very memorable and special, I'm feeling the nerves. And I have a tendency to say inappropriate things when I'm nervous. So when I'm standing there, putting my finger in a ring, I am concerned as to what might slip out. As it were.

The last horse crosses the finish line...with style.

Loved this from my mate Rob, thought I'd share...

Time's up!

I've stopped chasing replies to invites now. If you didn't respond, we love you dearly but...

We're getting there!

We've had chats with our florist and DJ this week. A pleasure dealing with them as they are both mates of ours! Currently feeling very lucky and excited that they'll be sharing their mad skillz with us. I feel like dancing

Bye bye cupcakes

So, we had decided for sure that we were going to make our own cupcakes. Decision made. Locked down. Nothing was going to change that.

This weekend we made a demo batch of 25. It took us so long and was such a ball-ache that the idea was rapidly abandoned. We've called in the professionals. It will still be something pretty unique and special so will keep it quiet until the day.

I can now share with you the design we had chosen;

Red velvet cakes with torched Italian meringue frosting.

Two more possibilities considered were:

Red velvet with cream cheese icing & dark chocolate Lego men and coloured shards

k

11 weeks to go...

Mood: OK with a hint of the belly-wobbles.

Thought for the day: Broadchurch was amazing and Olivia Colman is phenomenal.

N/P: Nowt, I’m at work. Clearly being very diligent.

I have the fear. And not in a cheeky Lily Allen way. Time is ticking away and whilst I’m sure we’re hitting all the marks and doing exactly what we should I’m still left with a soufflé-in-a-cupboard sinking feeling. We’ve both been discussing and organising things flat out for the past few weeks but it always feels like more could/should be underway and its getting my stylish yet affordable knickers in a twist. I fear this is how bridezillas are born.

Aside from that, lots of fun things going on at the moment:

• Firstly we’ve booked a menu tasting session with parents at The Belle Epoque. Anyone that knows me knows that I’m an absolute gannet (as I proved with the hor d'oeuvre at our friends wedding a few weeks ago) and I can’t wait. One of the big selling points of the venue is that, whilst they are a boutique hotel, they are primarily a restaurant with phenomenal food. I look forward to a food induced coma in May.

• Our invites have been mostly returned now. The RSVP date has lapsed and so it’s time to send menacing glares to those who have yet to reply. Here are a few pics of them, all designed by Neil as he’s a little genius. I bloody love them:

• We have two gifting options for people wishing to give us something on the day, one with John Lewis and one with Trailfinders. On Sunday we went to John Lewis, were given a handheld scanning device and were set lose to browse and make up our list. I had visions of us running around like kids in a sweet shop, zapping everything in site, diving and spinning through the air in a Bond style display of well targeted laser tagging. It wasn’t. We spent twenty minutes choosing the most attractive hoover, I threw a bitch-fit when I couldn't find a gravy boat and we nearly came to blows over kitchen clocks. If you ever are in the same position I suggest giving yourselves more than 2 hours to take on this task and possibly split a Valium before picking up the zapper.

In other news I’ve managed to sprain a tendon in my knee.

Was it by falling? No.

Was it by some sporting mishap? No.

Was it perhaps by running for a tram to make sure I’m on time for work as I’m fastidiously reliable? Don’t be daft.

I was knee-skidding to pick up an inflatable guitar at the aforementioned friends wedding.

Don’t look at me like that.

What else is a 29 year old man supposed to do in the guitar-solo of Queen’s "Don’t stop me now" when the opportunity arises? All seems to be healing well, crutches are gone and hopefully I’ll be back to dancing like an octopus having a seizure by the stag do.

My method of arranging table seating plans

We tried doing this on a pad but had to scribble things out so often and wasted so much paper that it was becoming daft. So I give you my cocktail-stick-name-place-turnip-hedgehog! I shall get some blue-tac, some cardboard tables and readjust place names until perfected.

BOOM! I'm the daddy of root vegetable based wedding administration.

Blog posts are like buses

Mood: 'cited
NP: "Memphis soul stew"
Highlight of the week: Cracking hen party for my mate Jo last weekend
Thought of the day: Why does everyone assume humpty-dumpty was an egg?

No posts for epic amounts of time as, essentially, bugger all has been happening. Between July last year and January of this year there has been very little to do except save money and think. However on New Years Eve weekend we went shopping with my brother and sister-in-law and bought our wedding suits. To my utter shock we have decided to go for matching suits which I never thought we'd do. However, after looking at a few, we had a simultaneous sword-in-the-stone moment when we both pulled the outfit from the rail and, well, that was that really. Wont post a photo of them here, will keep it secret until the big day but they are gorgeous little Ted Baker numbers that we look HOT in. Obviously.

Rings have also been purchased and arrived safely this week. Again, was very surprised that we DIDN'T opt for matching rings but have chosen very different styles from each other. And no pics of them either. I would never flaunt my ring on the internet.

These are the other things that have happened since I last posted, I hope you enjoy the GIFs that illustrate my feelings (yes, I do GIFs now):

• Invites have been made and are being posted tomorrow (will do another post about this tomorrow)

 

• Wedding cupcakes have been designed and trialled 

• To make the cupcakes affordable we're going to have to make them ourselves 

• Our registration district are being awkward about our ceremony by refusing to provide any content info so I need to have a "meeting" with them

• We are now dedicating every Sunday for the next 4 months to getting the wedding sorted

In other news I have now started officiating weddings in Manchester so I know my way around a ceremony or two. I have also been asked to marry my cousin and his fiancé later in the year which is a huge honour, very excited.

So from nothing happening we now have EVERYTHING happening. Lots more decisions to be made over the coming weeks and I will be posting a lot more. I hope.

Big gay FAQ

What will you be doing the night before? Fancy a pint? 

Thanks for the offer but I doubt we’ll have much time to see many mates on the Friday as we’ll be too busy shaking like shitting dogs. Which is time consuming. 

How do I get to the venue? 

The postcode for sat-navs/Googlemaps is WA16 6DT. See the invite for a map, full address and list of car parks. It’s very easy to find. Scouts honour. 

What time should I arrive at The Belle Époque? 

The ceremony starts at 2pm (i.e. one/both of us will be walking down the aisle at 2pm). Aim to arrive at about 1:30pm to be safe. I’d expect guests to be called through to take seats in the ceremony room at about 1:50pm. 

What happens if I arrive late? 

The Belle Époque staff will let you know what to do. If you’re too late you may miss the ceremony so try to be early. 

I want to throw things at your head. What’s the situation with confetti? 

The venue has a charge for cleaning if we allow confetti. At the moment we’re not sure if we’re going to go with it or ban confetti. Check back here a few weeks before the day. 

Can I bring a plus one? 

A few invites state “Name and guest”. If yours doesn’t then I’m afraid not. As with all weddings we’re on a budget and can only afford to host a certain number of guests. Should anyone drop out we’ll let people know so they can bring a partner. 

Would you prefer me to get you something from the John Lewis list or a donation to your Trailfinders account? 

I can’t make this clear enough: no one is expected to get us anything at all. We are very genuinely happy just with the fact that you’ll be there. 

Seriously? 

Yep. 

For realsies? So you won’t mind if I get you a sauce-pan? 

Honestly. If you do wish to gift anything we have no preference over either account. Everything on the John Lewis list is something we need for the new house and the Trailfinders list is essentially a savings account for our big honeymoon. 

I intend to GET ON IT in the evening and am liable to need extra cash for Jägerbombs. Is there a cash point near by? 

There is. Come out of the venue, turn left and walk for about 2-3mins.  

What time will the reception end? 

The bar closes at 12:30am and last carriages are at 1am – all guests not staying over in the hotel will be asked to leave at this time. 

Can I book a room in The Belle Époque? 

Nope, super-soz. There are only seven rooms at the venue and they’re for us, our parents and a few people who have helped us out with their skills on the day. 

What hotels are in the area? 

The Rose & Crown - http://www.roseandcrownknutsford.net/ 

The Cross Keys - http://www.crosskeysknutsford.com/ 

Premiere Inn - http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/KNUKIL/knutsford-mere 

The Mere - http://www.themereresort.co.uk/ 

Cottons - http://www.cottonshotel.com/ 

Are there any taxi firms nearby? 

Have a look at: http://www.yell.com/s/taxis+and+private+hire+vehicles-knutsford.html 

Is anyone going back into Manchester that might want to share a taxi? 

Very good question. Send me an email if this might apply to you and I’ll try and put together a group. Not in a Louis Walsh way. I wont make you sing “You raise me up”. 

Do you have any plans for the Sunday? 

Breakfast with family and then trying to see as many people as possible before they go their separate ways. If you’re going to be around Sunday afternoon or evening and want to try and catch up, let us know and we’ll try and make it happen. 

Let us know if you have any other questions, but for now...

One year to go!

At 2pm today it will be a year exactly until our big day.

I've been engaged for 15 months and that has flown by so incredibly quickly that I'm actually a bit nervous about how much of a blur the next 12 months will be. It's easy to panic and feel that nothing has happened but, when I think about it logically, we're well ahead of ourselves. For now. Venue is booked, best people are chosen, date is set, funds are being gathered, save-the-dates are out and even some of the minor details (table favours and decorations) are decided on. What a good pair of gays we are!

So judging by our productivity over the past year it'll all be a breeze from here on, right? It'll all feel like a montage scene from an 80's rom-com, won't it? A jaunty track (Semi Charmed Life, natch) playing over intercut scenes of Neil and I fastidiously writing out invites, laughing heartily as we have a cake fight whist trying samples, giving frowny-faces or thumbs up to our girls cat-walking as they try on frocks etc.

That's how it will be, yeah? Good.

Coz' for a moment I thought it would be Neil pulling his hair out trying to find an affordable DJ, the pair of us coming to blows over button-down-point collars and me sitting, quietly sobbing into a glass of wine, as I try to choose between two near identical shades of mauve.

365 days; the count down begins...

Save the date 'tellers posted today

Mood: Tip-top, although exhausted from some hard core swimming this morning.
Now playing: Insidious (film)
Highlight of the week: Either the fact that its a 2 day week for me (God bless the Queen and her Jubblies) or the weekends picnic and beer festival double whammy.
Thought for the day:  The phrase "You've got another think coming" is grammatically incorrect. Shouldn't it be "You've got another thought coming"?

I posted our save-the-date paper fortune tellers today. They look a bit squashed but these little puppies are on their way to a few folks now (mainly the people we see on a day-to-day basis). First official confirmation to guests! Its finally starting to feel like things are happening which is ace.

OMFG! I know how I want to spend my stag do!

Beer bath in Prague anyone?

http://www.beerbath.eu/

Just a quickie...

Local elections

Mood: Grumpy and sleep deprived
Now playing: Titanium (the...erm...Tulisa verion. Sorry.)
Thought for the day: My kingdom for a burger (week 5 of fat loss gym plan)

Helped out as a vote counter at the local elections last night, I covered Didsbury West. Lib Dem were strong but Labour clawed their ground back. Only a 27.9% turnout for our ward so counting was fairly rapid and I was home by 3:30am, wound down and got to bed just after 4am...only to be woken at 8am by the sound of drilling somewhere in the building. Someone is going to burn for this.

This has little to do with the CP except the fact that I got paid a decent amount for a few hours work and this will be going to the wedding funds. I reckon it should at least cover the table centre pieces. Fingers crossed!

First dances - the top 10 of 2012

Apparently, these are the top 10 most popular first dance songs of 2012 so far. This is according to a company who teach people how to dance to their first song. Surely its just a case of "move your feet and wear a pained grin of awkwardness"?

1) ‘Everything’ by Michael fucking Bublé*
2) ‘Let’s stay together’ by Al Green
3) ‘At Last’ by Etta James
4) ‘Amazed’ by Lonestar
5) ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Adele
6) ‘Greatest Day’ by Take That
7) ‘(I've had) the time of my life’ (from Dirty Dancing)
8) ‘One Day Like This’ by Elbow
9) ‘Better together’ by Jack Johnson
10) ‘You're the first, the last, my everything’ by Barry White

I did groan with each title I read. Fingers crossed we can come up with something a bit more original. I'll let you know if I convince Neil to go with The Timewarp.

* I added the "Fucking" myself. But I bet even his mother utters this when his moon face comes on the telly.

Finally, things are happening! What a beautiful era.

I would apologise for my lack of posts but, basically, nothing has been happening! However over the last few weeks there have been big developments so I felt compelled to take to the blog...

Now, when last I left you we were pretty set on a marquee wedding in Preston next July. We got as far as costing this and once you include marquee hire, flooring, tables & chairs, linen, a dance floor, decorations, lighting, a generator, toilets etc., we would have stood little to no chance of affording decent food, rings, entertainment, outfits or honeymoon. The thought of the latter left Neil and I laying in a darkened room with frozen veg on our temples. 

So we took to t'interwebs and booked viewings at venues that we might love as much as the marquee idea. Our parents came along for the ride on 21st April and we went to see some amazing places including The Inn at Whitewell, The Browshole Hall Tithe Barn and The Shireburn Arms. As it turns out we loved two venues as much as (or more than) the marquee. After 2 days of wailing and banging our skulls on things careful deliberation, we reached a decision.
We have gone for a rather quirky little hotel in Knutsford that is chic, unique and boutique. Not only is it flamin' gorgeous and just the right size but it has plenty of nearby accommodation for friends and family.

Ladies and gentlefolk, I give you the venue for our civil partnership:

The marquee is dead! Long live THE BELLE EPOQUE!

http://www.thebelleepoque.com/

Have a look at our friend Neil Redfern's website for pics -
http://www.neilredfern.com/blog/belle-epoque-wedding-photographs-caroline-david/
http://www.neilredfern.com/blog/belle-epoque-wedding-photographs-nikki-will/
http://www.neilredfern.com/blog/belle-epoque-wedding-photographs-kim-james/
http://www.neilredfern.com/blog/belle-epoque-wedding-photographs-victoria-howard/

Deposit is paid. Registrar is booked. This shit just got real kids.

Got to love Paperchase

I very cheekily emailed Paperchase to ask for a discount for some of their quirky, fancy cake stands (did I mention I'm gay?), not really expecting a reply.

I just received a call from a lovely lady called Gabriella who said that whilst they can't offer a discount on the number I need they have made some enquiries and are doing what they can to find me a discount in store to help! Very sweet of them and, as they say, every little helps.

Follow them on Twitter: @FromPaperchase

Have you missed me? I missed you too. Not as much though.

Mood: Fresh and peachy keen.
Thought for the day: A hot water bottle on the thighs is bliss
Highlight of the week: Getting shit-hot feedback from an important casting team for my performace in a play
Now playing: Bugger all. I'm in work.

What?

WHAT?!

Look, i've been busy! In all honesty not a huge amount has happened wedding-wise in the past few months except for the following;

• We are about 90% set on a marquee wedding
• It is likely to be in early July 2013
• We will have a mild theme to play with in terms of decor
• Table favours are just about complete
• It is seeming more and more likely that we wont have a traditional wedding cake

Our social lives have come to a grinding halt as we tighten the purse strings to help us save for the big event. Saving is still a bitch, but its not all bad. I'm finding new, cost free ways to entertain myself. For example, Did you know that if you take a bottle of ketchup, a 2 table spoons of mustard and smear it thinly over electrical equipment, they ask you to leave Sainsburys? They care not for experimentation.

But back to the subject in hand; weddings and civil partnerships. The oppertunity arose last year to become a part-time registrar and I now marry folk at weekends. Its really nice to see people on their big days from a new perspective and of course I get to see what works (and doesn't) for ceremonies.

I am pretty sure that I now would like to break up our service with a couple of short readings/poems, to be presented by some of our special people* but can't find anything that really takes my fancy. Some are done to death (Captain Corelli's Mandolin 'Love is' speech, On your wedding day, The Owl and The Pussycat believe it or not) and I want to find something unusal and fun. Please send any suggestions my way.

In other news my brother and sister have gotten engaged too! No, no you sick little moo-cows, not to each other. Darren and Felicity are getting hitched later this year and my sister and her man Nathan have just decided to take the plunge (engagement party this weekend should be a belter). Very exciting times all round.

I shall stop now and leave on the promise to myself that I will try to post something on here at least once a week from now on.


*I mean our maids of honour/usher. I know that "special people" makes them sound like they are taking a break from licking windows but I can't bring myself to actually call them "groomsmaids".

6 months of nowt!

More posts coming soon. But for now:

In your weddingz, stealin' your plans...

Mood: Grumpy - off work sick. 

Through for the day - Judge Judy & a pot of tea cures all ailments!

Now playing - Pumped up kicks, Foster the People

Being on the wrong side of 25 has few upsides – hair is receding, my face is getting craggy and I think a shop assistant winced when I tried on some carrot trousers the other day. My only hope is to ride it out, pray to Kylie that I grown into myself and wake up one morning transformed into Jason Statham. On the upside though a decent proportion of my mates are getting (or have gotten) married, giving me a load of inspiration for my own C.P. . I have been to two in the past month and this post is about the first;

Natalie and John are friends of Neil’s, who went to uni with the former. They married on 21^st May 2011 and we were lucky enough to be invited to the whole day. It was BEAUTIFUL. A traditional church wedding followed by meal and reception at a very swanky hotel with bags of charm (and a lamp that would have made a 1960's Robertson's jam employee raise an eyebrow, regard;). 

During the meal and speeches the bride and groom wore traditional Indonesian attire, a nod to Natalie's fathers heritage which was unique and elegant. Champaign and canapés when we arrived, wine at the table and a free bar in the evening ensure that we all had a brilliant day. It also ensured that I hit the dance floor like a possessed epileptic and swung Natalie around the dance floor, possibly to her horror. A killer buffet including end-of-the-night bacon butties soaked up the excess booze (but not enough to stop my friends Jo and Phil entering comas on the back seat of the car - I have decided for the safety of my testicles not to post those pics). Amazing day! 

Ideas I might want to steal: a table filled with sweets, video camera set up for guests to record messages and treating guests to a free bar! Though the latter might not be possible/sensible knowing our mates ;o)

Remember when I said "Never trust a rugby player"?

This has been suggested for my stag do.

http://myworldpopulationme.com/2009/02/02/blowing-up-cows-with-bazookas-in-cambodia/

DO. NOT. WANT.

Just a quickie...

En-GAY-gement party

Mood: Knackered! Just got in from t'gym
Now playing: Shirley Ellis - The Clapping Song
Highlight of the week: Seeing Glee live at the MEN arena. Gayest, most shameful 2 hours of my life to date. And I've been to Vauxhall.

Last Saturday night was the engagement party and I think now, 1 week on, we're just about fully recovered. It was an incredible night, although due to trying to speak to everyone, I can barely remember a single conversation.

We had told the venue, Rain Bar, a few weeks prior to the event that we were expecting about 40 people and the manager scheduled one staff member to cover our bar. At the peak there were almost 90 people there! Had to make guilt flavoured apology cupcakes for the staff the next day (I think someone had to stay late to help out).

Thanks to everyone who came, helped with decorations or baked for us. All greatly appreciated. Also, we had requested that no one give us any gifts but instead donated to The Wood Street Mission (http://www.woodstreetmission.org.uk/) and it seems we raised in-excess of £200 for them! Aces.

In other news I have now chosen and asked all of my best people/grooms maids to be part of the wedding party. Regard;

Sarah Evans (chief grooms-maid for team Bacon)


Met: In a mosh-pit of a metal gig when we were at college. She thought my name was Extacy for a week.

Best memory with: My first festival (V2001) and the infamous boob-train.

Bringing to the party: Flamboyance. I you can't have a gay wedding without this living, breathing, singing rainbow.





Antony Harvey


Met: In infant school in our first week. My oldest friend by a good decade.

Random memory: Harvey thinking crushed chilli flakes in Pizza Hut were potpourri, taking a big whiff and spending the rest of his 8th birthday covered in tears and snot.


Bringing to the party: Stag do stamina. He has gotten me into more alcohol fuelled capers in the last 20-odd years than I can remember. Never trust a rugby player.


Rae Boswell (the one not wearing a hat)


Met: In Mrs Bland's maths class in year 7. Rae's name is apparently very hard to say when you've had a stroke and caused the teacher to spit and dribble. Bless her slanty-face. We were inseparable for years and I miss her loads now I'm all northern.

Random memory: Filling her mum's back yard with hand painting garden gnomes whilst they were on holiday. That and having to come out to her twice. Blondes.


Bringing to the party: A lot. She's not only bags of fun but I trust her with my life.


Nikki Bacon


Met: In a hospital after she came out of our mum.

Random memory: Being about 10, holding her wrists, spinning on the spot and releasing her to glide screaming into a hedge. I must have done it 10 times. Silly cow.

Bringing to the party: Chuckles. No one makes me laugh so much in the world. x

Gay fish and financial woes

Been an age since I posted on this so about time for an update.

The past month has pretty much involved me pulling my hair out over money. That’s my excuse for the receding hairline and I’m sticking to it. I want the big day to be memorable, fun and as hassle free for our guests as possible and the average post for a CP, meal, party, honey-moon etc. seems to be at about £12-14k or so. This seems steep to a man such as myself who can usually be found in the discount fridge section of Tesco (“OMFG! Rainbow trout for £1.89!! It expires today but I must buy all seventeen!”). However when compared to the cost of the average straight wedding, which was reported to be £18,605 as of May 2011, I get the urge to wave my rainbow trout flag aloft and squeal in delight at saving a few quid for being a bummer.

Still, it means a lot of saving is to be done. I have had a budget set for me by my more financially astute fiancé, new accounts have been applied for with the best rates of interest and, though it almost made me weep, I have been dropping CV’s off for part time bar work. I have already been subjected to a totally fruitless interview for a door host position at a new restaurant in town. Well, I say "interview". I sat there for ten minutes whilst two beige human beings fingered my CV and questioned my ability to put on a tie and write down names and numbers. I should probably be more concerned that I didn’t get the job.

I did win £4.40 on the euromillions on Friday though so, y’know, swings and roundabouts.

Just a quickie...

Saw this today and love it:

Plotting and planning

Mood: Remorseful (too much vodka last night)
Thought for the day: Have you seen those pics of The Moldy Peaches guy in the buff? Grim. Oh, and good about Bin Laden getting all shot and that, innit?
Proud moment of the day: I figured out how to add a counter on here. GO TEAM BACON!
Now playing: Audio Bullys - Only Man

THE UPHILL STRUGGLE IS OVER! We will be celebrating our engagement party on the 18th June. Not everyone can make it but its the only date all the family can do (and you're never too old to live in fear of your mother). I'm actually a bit worried about filling the space now. We should get a pretty decent turn out but I went for a few (too many) drinks at the venue last night and its pretty big. I might have to invite some very fat people and strategically place them about the bar to fill it out a bit. Just not too near the buffet.

Now for the fun of building a Spotify playlist of top tunes! I want "When a man loves a woman" on repeat but its not the done thing. Apparently. If you have any suggestions then please leave them in the comments section.

We also had a chat with my fiancé's parents this weekend about the possibility of using the grounds of their beautiful home for our reception. Of course its just an idea at the moment but they seemed very happy about the prospect so we're very grateful and excited about that! It'd be perfect.

In other news we went to a Lego exhibition with my other half's nephews and nieces yesterday. There are no words to describe how amazing it was! I may have got SLIGHTLY overwhelmed. I bought a Lego ostrich. Isn't he a handsome beast?

Inbreds in fancy hats

Mood: Incredulous
Thought for the day: I don't think I should say
Now playing: The Smiths - The Queen is dead


William & Kate are now married. Bully for them. 


If I don't get the same turn out shit is going to kick off. 


Just sayin'...

Celebrating the news

MOOD: Still chuffed
N/P: Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel

So family and friends all know now, champagne has been quaffed, congratulatory helium balloons are already looking a bit limp and, most official of all, my Facebook profile now says "Engaged".


People liked it and ev'ryfin'.

We have agreed that an engagement party wouldn't be too self indulgent so now the first bit of work and organisation begins. We have had a trawl about Manchester to look at bars we might be able to use for our bash and have some possible dates. Dare I say, it's actually quite a fun thing to arrange. Apart from finding a date when everyone is free. That's like walking up hill. Through treacle. With two Vanessa Feltz's hanging on to your stylish yet affordable chinos.

There are some fantastic bars in this city. Some fancy, some basic. Some with cocktails, some with just beer. Some with outdoor space, projector screens & sound systems, some with disgruntled staff and a bucket. We're both leaning towards the bar that first popped into our heads. Maybe we are going with gut instinct...or maybe it's because the barman there was a pint of smouldering honey.

When ever and where ever we do it it's going to be bloody lovely I'm sure. I intend to be so shit faced by 9pm that I'm chatting up my own reflection in a urinal.

The story so far...

Mood: Chuffed
Thought for the day: I might turn straight for the chance of a 3-way with Brittany & Santana
Proud moment for the day: Still going to the gym with a raging cold. MAN POINTS.
Now playing: Radiohead - High and dry

Welcome to my blog. This is my first time so, y'know, be nice and that. Or I'll tell my big brother.

A week and a half ago I officially got engaged and my aim here is to cover all the major happenings from proposal to the big day. Mostly this is for posterity but also to help me make sense of all the ball-baggery flying about my noggin.

There is a lot to consider with any standard wedding; guests, vows, colour schemes, venues, costs, music, best men, bridesmaids, food, honeymoon...the list is genuinely quite dauntingly endless. The main difference with a civil partnership is that the standard rules don't need to apply. It feels rather like a blank canvas for us to decorate with our imaginations; an idea that is both exciting and terrifying.

There are a load of questions that we've already been asked:

Joint or separate stag do's?
Do you have best men when most of your close friends are female?
Where can you/do you have the ceremony?
Are flowers too faggy to have at the reception?
Do you get engagement rings?
Are there any appropriate first dance songs?
Who proposes to who?

The last one I can answer; me. I proposed.

About us (I): We became rather inseparable from date one and things have gotten better and better. He is the best person I have ever met in every respect. I can't imagine my life without him and wanted to spend the rest of it with him. So on our anniversary in a crowded train station in Edinburgh, I proposed. I didn't want to leave that place without being engaged to him.

About us (II): In the beginning there was the word. And the word was Gaydar. Thats how we met. Now let us never speak of it again. Before we left for Edinburgh on our 5th anniversary weekend he had told me he had booked a very fancy hotel, a day in a posh spa and in the evening a meal in a gorgeous French restaurant.

Well...you would expect to be proposed to too, huh? Did it happen? Did it buggery! ALL SODDING WEEKEND I WAS EXPECTING IT! ALL SODDING WEEKEND! By the time we got to that station to come home I took the hint that he wouldn't be dropping to one knee so I took matters into my own hands.

But I did mean it. Now who asked who seems rather academic.