pretty and local(ish)

I was just going through the latest edition of Engaged and greatly enjoyed the section on vintage inspired gowns. Very pretty! So far, I have to say that I have been a tad disappointed by the range of bridalwear designers in NZ (to be fair, I have only looked online.... there may be many more excellent options lurking in the yellow pages). Some seem really couture-y (which in my mind = pricey) and others seem to design quite "Bridey" dresses and nothing too out of the ordinary (if your experience is different please feel free to enlighten me!). But in engaged today, there was a lovely selection of gowns all made by local designers.

I especially liked this one, by Vinka Brides

(Other)homeward bound!

Great news - today I received an email saying that my visa has been approved and my passport is now on it's way back to me! I am more relieved than I can say, not least because Dave has told me that we are going to Holland for Christmas, and also Frankfurt, Cologne, and Brussels, and I would have been GUTTED to miss it! Of course, being the contrary person that I am, I am now really really sad to be leaving again - especially having met and fallen in love with JP (a.k.a. perfect nephew) - but the excitement of picking up my travels where I left off goes some way to making up for it! Also, Dave has booked for us 6 days in Northern Italy at the end of Jan. So that's something else to {really} look forward to.

In world news - thank goodness lovely Helena is going to be getting on a flight out of Thailand on Friday!!

And in wedding news - I got an email from the Maggie Sottero NZ stockist today telling me the cost of getting Vienna shipped out to NZ is $X (= far too much), so that puts paid to that. Now on to finding a dressmaker that will do a copy of it justice! (it's all in the boning, baby). Also - the bridesmaids have been asked, and have said YES and they are... dum de dum dum: My big sister Nic (surprise surprise) is Chiefy, and the other is Katie; one of my best buds from high school, uni, and since. We've gone with two on each side, as Dave is just having his two brothers and we wanted to keep things simple and small (although I think JP will be a wee cutie pageboy in a tux or possibly a spiderman outfit). Nic was asked over a seafood chowder and nachos (didn't really need to be asked, but I like to stand on ceremony), and Katie over tapas and a wine at a restaurant in Napier (attended upon by a goatee'd sommelier who Katie greatly impressed having just been to the NZ Wine Awards two nights previously).

So that's all a bit exciting! hopefully I'll be meeting with the photographer this week to pay the deposit, and then that will be about it in the way of proper planning for a while! so it's back to pipe-dreaming and internet inspiration...

Can't wait for Christmas with my boy again!!!!