Seven months ago, on a cold dark evening in February I entered Love My Dress’ become a blogging bride competition. Back in those crisp winter days of fingerless gloves and endless hot chocolates my wedding date seemed to stretch and swell, yet here I am with exactly three weeks to go – an unbelievably excited and happy bride-to-be!
I have had an incredible engagement; in spring Tim and I added Baxter, a miniature schnauzer puppy to our little family. He joined George, our rescue tabby cat, and, after a somewhat cautious start, the two of them now regularly curl up on the sofa together and have a little snooze.
Photo taken via Madeleine’s iPhone
Not only that, but last month Tim and I finally picked up the keys to our first flat together after enduring 4 months of buying-a-house madness. Having rented in Hove, London and Folkestone over the past two years, we have at last, a beautiful seafront pad in Sandgate that we can call home, and I am grateful every day to live there with my boys.
Stationery by Emmy Designs
Tim and I have had an amazing summer; we spent a lazy week in June in Tunisia holding hands on sun-loungers sipping frosty cocktails and playing Uno until the wee hours. In July we spent a long weekend at Latitude festival, lying on scorched fields as our ribs ached from the comedy tents before experiencing the rush of Crystal Fighters playing one of our favourite songs (You and I). We attended the beautiful wedding of some of our dearest friends, our fingers entwined as a carousel of people told us ‘you’re next’.
And last weekend was spent in the Isle of Wight celebrating one of my best friends 30th birthday to the buzz of desert island disco, OutKast and slightly tepid Malibu.
Photos taken via Madeleine’s iPhone
I wanted to write this because I want to thank Tim for giving me a glorious summer and a glorious life. One that I could never have imagined could be so good until I met him. From our first date on Hampstead Heath I want to thank him for all that he’s done for me, for all our adventures – great or small; for all the love that he has shown me, and for being the greatest man I know. He is the man I will love, always; and I cannot wait to be his wife.
From top left clockwise: Refinery 29, Pinterest, Tumblr, Fox & Velvet
So in three weeks that I know will pass in the blink of an eye – we will be saying I Do. It will just be me and Tim and City Hall and New York. It will be clammy hands and beating hearts. My grandmother’s ring box pressed up against Tim’s chest pocket. Purple tulips and plump orange pumpkins on a New York City sidewalk. It will be a 6am and it will be Brooklyn.
Image sources from top left: Ruffled, Ruffled, Pinterest, Ruffled, Tumblr, Ruffled
It will be a whirl of black coffee, honking horns, and a steaming river. It will be coconut cake, sequins, confetti and Yazoo. It will be Tim’s blue eyes and my white dress. It will be a burst of love with the very best of friends; the clatter of heels on the rooftop, the hum of a yellow cab. It will be happy, spinning, clapping, laughing and dancing. It will be no one else, nothing else but us.And I truly cannot wait.
Image sources from top left: Cafe Colette, Tumblr, Photo Philosophies, Tumblr
Thank you Love My Dress, for giving me the opportunity to share some of my wedding journey with your splendid readers. It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to see my words on this beautiful blog and thank you to every person who took the time to give me some kind words of advice or support; it really was appreciated.
Until New York, Madeleine x
