DF and i first met back in january 2007, one of the guys i flatted with had grown up with him so he used too come round too our flat quite often, noted he was quite cute and mentioned it too our other flattie who seemed too pass the message along! So at a party one night he asked flattie (oooh who is now my bm and other flattie - friend of his is a gm) for my cell phone number so he could text me. being the overprotective friend that she is she told him no that he couldnt have my number because i was just coming out of a very messy relationship and didnt need anyone else on the scene right now. well after a telling off from me the next day she text him my number and we spent the rest of the night on the phone talking.

on our first date he took me too the beach were he and his family spent their xmas holidays every year and it was on that trip i knew i had someone very special there with me. he was 22 then and i was 19 (now 25 and 22), i was the first gf that hed had were as i had had two long term relationships before him. as can be imagined there were a few learning curves in it for him the poor soul lol.

DF's family background is one of a very messy divorce (making wedding planning quite difficult) and wasnt entirely sure that he wanted too get married as he had associated marriage with the messy divorce he saw his parents going through.

My situation is a bit different, my mum died when i was only 6 months old and dad remarried when i was 3, i have no memories of my birth mother and consider my step mum too be my mother, i know it would break her heart if i ever referred to her as my step mum and although things havent always been peachy for them they are still married.

so fast forward 18 months after the first date, we moved in together and started talking marriage and babies!

we had been discussing getting married for a while and i had told him i wanted too choose my ring as its something thats going too be with me for the rest of my life and i want too admire it every day, so after many trials and tribulations we bought the ring!!

we were set too go on holiday about two months after we bought the ring and i had a feeling that he was going too propose then but nothing was confirmed! after a week of holiday and no proposal i had convinced myself that it wasnt gonna happen and i just tried too enjoy the time we were spending together.

then the 23rd march 2009 came along, we were staying at Franz Josef glacier and DF wanted too get up early too go and see the sun rise over the glacier, so i agreed, he said i wouldnt need my boots as there were tracks up too were he wanted too go so i slipped on the sandshoes (relevant later) and off we went. in hindsight he was acting weirdly and was walking way up ahead of me and i was getting really peeved off as what was the point in coming all this way not too even walk together. then we reached this sectioning that advised us unless we were experienced trampers and had good quality gear we were not allowed past that section. so point blank i refused too go any further (there had been a slip the night before) and told DF too shove it and that i was going back too the car. sooooo off i stormed lol.

when he got back too the car he said he just wanted too go for a little walk down too the pond and i had too come cause it was really beautiful so i agreed and off we go, again he was walking ahead of me and i was getting more and more frustrated so i sat down on the bench and told him i wasnt going any further until he snapped out of it....

at that point he took my hand dropped down on one knee (while i stood in shock crying) told me he loved me etc etc etc and will i marry him? i screamed yes and we ended up on the ground crying and hugging lol

he later told me he had wanted too propose too me at the bottom of the glacier but i had ruined those plans lol.

i had my 21st birthday on the 1 may 09 and so we made that a joint bday/engagement party :D

I knew i liked this design from the moment i saw it and it was meant too be! we were buying it through an auctioneer house and the first time we bid on it we lost out on it as it went over our budget, while i was very disappointed i knew that i would find something else. anway about a month went by and i was on the auctioneers site and came across the ring again! the previous buyer and pulled out and it was back up for sale, we made a private offer and here she is :D

not the best pic

there is a matching wedding band which we bought with it which has 10 small diamons in a channel setting.

DFs ring is just a plain gold band as hes not a jewellrey sort of person but he likes the one he chose :)

After working out our budget we knew that we didnt have alot of money too spend on a dress and while i was disappointed at first i knew that i had too make the most of it. so off i went trawling the internet and found this amazing website www.dhgate.com.

As am a very predominant pear shape i knew that i had too work out what would suit so off too the bridal shops i went and had it figured that i needed an a-line gown too hide the bumps!

im not a girly girl so was looking for something classic but still really elegant and here she is :)

so i know its a total risk buying online but they have a really good return policy and the dress only cost me $140 so i figure if anything needs adjusting i have a good $300 too pay for that.

4/9 - dress has been ordered and should be in in the next few weeks, will upload pics when i get it :D

well the above dress i got and although its sensational i decided that it wasnt really for me. with 2 months till we get married i was getting desperate so off we popped to the local bridal salon where i fell in love with this dress

i know i know so totally different right?! but looks so much better and im so much more comfortable in it without the massive train that the otherone has :) so im off this morning too collect and pay... $600new zealand dollars which i didnt think was bad at all :)

so many choices and decisions, i wanted the cake too be really simple and then changed my mind and decided something a little bit funky would be better!

ideas and inspiration:

am thinking will go with the first picture, have too order it soon!!

really wanted some lovely photos of FI and i before we got married, love how these photos turned out :)

I DIY'd my bouquets... was very nervous about doing this as am not artistic in any way shape or form but am pleasantly surprised at how they came out!!

Darling FI got too choose his suit, surprised me with a very clean cut suit that i love :) black waistcoat with a white shirt, pink tie and pink hankie (this from the man who swore black and blue he would never wear pink ;))

I changed my mind about a 100 times on these dresses then when i met the dressmaker for the last time i had too make a decision....!

This is the inspiration ^^^ will post actual photos when we go for the final fitting!

their jewellrey, bracelets and earrings i made myself as i couldnt find something simple enough in the right colours, they wont be having necklaces as their is already alot of detail in the dresses on the top!!

I want a similar look for myself and my bridesmaids 

me:

bridesmaids:

im not sure how too quote sources but its got this at the bottom of the page.

 margaret

INTRODUCTION:

Friends and family of Nathan and Shannon, welcome. We have gathered here today to witness and share in the marriage of these two people. Marriage marks the most important and sacred commitment that two people can make.

Nathan and Shannon are here today to make that commitment based on their mutual love and understanding. Marriage means making a commitment to developing and maintaining co-operation, friendship and above all mutual respect. A marriage encompasses trust, understanding, honesty and patience, humour and encouragement. Marriage demands courage of each partner – the courage to be open, the courage to grow and change and the courage to sort out the tasks of everyday living. Marriage requires closeness and distance – closeness for the couple to grow together and enough distance for each partner to be an individual.

READINGS:

I would now like to invite Peter and Bronwyn too read a passage. Michael and Kelly would you please read yours.

DECLARATION OF INTENT:

G: Nathan do you love and trust Shannon and want to give yourself to be her husband to live together sharing all things?

N: I will

G: Will you stand by her, respecting her individuality, understanding her needs, accepting her and enjoying her love forever?

N: I will.

G: Shannon do you love and trust Nathan and want to give yourself to be his wife to love together sharing all things?

S: I will

G: Will you stand by him, respecting his individuality, understanding his needs, accepting him and enjoying his love forever?

S: I will

VOWS:

N: I call upon all present to witness that I Nathan take you Shannon to be my lawful wedded wife. I will love you, trust you, believe in you as you are, be honest with you, encourage you, support you in your endeavours, care for you and above all respect you as a person of equal worth with equal rights and responsibilities. Through sickness and in health, for better or worse, through all of our lives together I make this promise to you.

S: I call upon all present to witness that I Shannon take you Nathan to be my lawful wedded husband. I will love you, trust you, believe in you as you are, be honest with you, encourage you, support you in your endeavours, care for you and above all respect you as a person of equal worth with equal rights and responsibilities. Through sickness and in health, for better or worse, through all of our lives together I make this promise to you.

RINGS:

G: Wedding rings serve as a symbol of the vows you have just made. They are the outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible love which binds your lives together. As they are of the earth’s finest materials, so your love is of the richest of human values. As rings are without edge or seam, have no beginning and no end, so they symbolise the perfection of love which knows no end.

*Nathan takes ring from Liam*

N: Shannon, I give you this ring as a token of my love, and as evidence of the vow we have made together. May it ever be a symbol of the unbroken bond of our love and all that we share together.

*Shannon takes ring from Liam*

S: Nathan, I give you this ring as a token of my love, and as evidence of the vow we have made together. May it ever be a symbol of the unbroken bond of our love and all that we share together.

PRONOUNCEMENT:

G: Nathan and Shannon, you are fulfilling the formalities required by custom and law to establish a relationship of marriage. You have expressed the love and affection you have for each other and signified your intentions for your future. Nathan and Shannon, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.

i love the chignon style hair do as im not going to be having a veil i wanted something quite intricate for my hair!

 <<< source

we DIY'd a few things so just have a couple photos below to show you :)

INVITATIONS:

I swear after this diy project FI reconsidered getting married!!! this took us about 3 days straight to do, we cut the card, painted it, folded it, glued it, stuck ribbon on, cut the invites out, stuffed the invites into envelopes and addresses them. 

i miscalculated though and we made up 160 pockets and we only needed 120 :S my bad!!!!

BOUQUETS:

this i chose to do myself with fake flowers because a) FI gets bad hayfever and b) it was cheaper!!

bridal:

not the best photos but look better in reality

bridesmaids:

again not the greatest pics but look pretty :)