The “alternative bride” I’m referring to here is myself!  I got engaged last February to my gorgeous boyfriend of four years! I have been debating whether or not to write about this.  After all this isn’t a personal blog per say and wondering to myself “Is it that interesting? Does anyone want to hear about another bride-to-be obsessing over every last detail?”  Then over the last month or so, having been busy doing my own research online, chatting to people and pouring over wedding magazines, I discovered that I actually really enjoy reading and listening to other peoples stories, how they planned their big day, what mattered to them and all the personal little touches!

I would describe myself as a more “unconventional” bride.  I believe a wedding should be personal to the couple and shouldn’t follow a set of rules because “that’s the way it’s done.”  So my hope is that sharing my experiences will inspire others like-minded brides to do the same!

I like to follow my own path and just like my fashion style my wedding style needs to represent me (and my Fiancé!)  That’s not to say I don’t like tradition.  I am also a hopeless romantic and lover of all things pretty, elegant and ethereal so I am certainly excited about the planning!  I’ve been told this is the fun part and to enjoy every minute of it so in order to embrace this creative process I picked up a wedding planner book.

Apart the cute vintage photos and pink theme (it had me at that) what really useful is all the comprehensive “to do” lists covering every possible thing you might need.  It’s all beautifully divided up into sections  and there’s also space to insert your own ideas, cut outs etc.

So far we have the venue, the photographer and the band sorted (our top priorities).  We chose the beautiful Ballintaggart House in Dingle for our wedding and reception venue.  The venue was so important to me as I think it really sets the atmosphere and style of the wedding.   The location is just gorgeous and the house itself, a 300 year old manor house, has an elegant yet rustic charm, exactly what I was hoping for.  My Fiancé  actually found this place online so I can’t take the credit!  With those things sorted, now we can get down to the fun stuff, dress shopping has begun (surprisingly hard even for a pro) and yes I have an ever growing Pinterest board!   Until next time. J x