The Lovettes (Hayley) – 8 Months To Go

So, 34 weeks, 3 days, 3 hours and 10 minutes until the day. Don’t you love a wedding countdown app? All of a sudden, when I think about getting married, I get butterflies! Not about the day, not about all the people that will be looking at me or making sure the day runs smoothly, but simply about becoming a wife.

I get so excited to think that I’ll be ‘Mrs Rider’. As time has passed and I’ve become older, I’ve felt a strong urge to be not just ‘in’ a relationship but to be one half of a partnership. I’m sure they’ll be embarrassed about this, but my lovely sister and brother in law have always had the marriage that other people long for, that I longed for. Not only husband and wife but truly, the best of friends. I remember thinking how amazing it would be to have the same. And now, I have it! After five years of single life and meeting my fair share of class clowns, I realise how lucky I am.

Matt has had to reign me in a bit lately with my wedding suggestions, which have included ‘what do you think of having three live acts throughout the day?’ – which didn’t receive the best response. Bearing in mind too that I live with a man who thinks ‘Mumford and Sons’ is a hardware shop, I think I may have to accept defeat on my visions of our very own ‘Glastonbury’.

Our colour scheme has been finally chosen too, and all of a sudden my Pinterest wedding is looking beautiful. I’m hoping my bank account allows the Pinterest wedding to turn into reality!

In my last post for Love My Dress, I reported how my search for a white bouncy castle in Devon was not going all too successfully. I was trying not to be a diva or ‘bridezilla’, but I wasn’t keen on having a giant big red or yellow bouncy castle with equally giant Elsas or Annas bearing down each side of us! So, between my sister and ourselves, we decided to well, buy one! I know, a little over the top. But surely if I want one, other people will too. Right? So in amidst the crazy wedding planning, I’ve now gone and established a new bouncy castle hire company!

So onto the rings. Let me ask you – how much ‘say’ exactly, ought a wife have over her husbands choice of wedding ring? Because Matt ended up liking one that actually hurt my eyes and I had to mention it! So we continue the hunt for the perfect ring. I’m pretty sure however that he’ll return to the one I liked in the first place. Hehe!

We’ve also started to talk about the more personal aspects of the day, like our vows and speeches – both of which make us feel qutie emotional. Some of the gentleman will be speaking, as well as a couple of my close friends. I’m just hoping they keep it clean.

Given that I manage a bridal boutique, I suppose I’m used to hearing from brides who want their days to be entirely ‘unique’ – and now it’s my turn, I’m chuckling at my own personal desire for everything to be completely original. So when a client enters our shop and mentions that she’s having the exact same colour bridesmaids dresses, part of me winces. That said, I absolutely love chatting with our brides to be and feed off their excitement, especially when they come to collect their gowns.

The best part of planning everything so far has been observing my daughter Maisie’s excitement. I love that she refers to it as ‘our wedding’, ie, the whole family’s wedding. I absolutely love that she’s adopted this outlook so naturally and for me it means it’s all going in the right direction. Except, that is, when I remind her she’s wearing a dress. ‘Can I not wear my Minion onesie Mummy?’ is her reply.

Love Hayley x

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Hayley Jayne Towle is due to marry Matthew Rider on 9th July 2016. Prior to meeting Matthew, Hayley was a single mother to her daughter Maisie. Matthew also has has a daughter, Harriet, from a previous relationship.
Younger Photography of Devon will be taking their wedding photographs. You can find Hayley via Twitter and Instagram. You can also read her other Lovettes features here.