By this point, I had left retail after 7 long, long years. I really did love working with new people every day, but I also got a thrill from office work. How geeky does that sound?! Growing up with MSN, MySpace and Bebo – and then ultimately going on to complete a media degree does this to some people – we grow fascinated with computer programmes and making them work, making them go fast and making them go BETTER. After retail, I found myself my first full-time job – Head Receptionist in a 5-a-side football centre. And it sucked. I worked long hours, worked functions every weekend and had to deal with sweaty, arrogant footballers on an hourly basis. So, I left. For the first time in my life, I actually put myself and my happiness as top priority. I took a step back, took a deep breath, and quit.
Shit. I have a wedding to plan! We have no money! Well, we had a little bit to tie us over. And it quickly disappeared as I spent three weeks being unemployed, trawling eBay and other such bargain sites for budget-friendly, pretty, stylish wedding things. I say things, because I was just collecting random crap along the way that I thought I’d use. This is a big no-no, and when I write about my regrets later on – this will be sure to make the cut! I bought 4 massive polystyrene balls thinking I’d fashion sweet trees out of them, and sure enough – they’re still in the packets now. Umpteen metres of ribbon, all in various shades of champagne, peach and dusky pink… Which OF COURSE are all different, I swear!
I pride myself on the fact that I own nice things, but paid cheap money for them. I own Kurt Geiger shoes, but you can bet your ass I bought them in the sale from £120 down to £29. (I bought them in two colours, naturally, for that price.) The wedding would be no different. I wanted the most beautiful wedding we could afford without breaking the bank. And for what we had, I’d say we did pretty damn good. I refused point-blank to have a registry office wedding and then a quick pint down the pub after – yes, I wanted the marriage more than the wedding, but I do have standards.
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| I meticulously listed every expense we had to pay for, so we didn't stray too far from the budget! |
We did a lot of shopping around for our honeymoon. We visited Virgin, Thomson, Thomas Cook etc… all to discuss the option of a once-in-a-lifetime trip that would be our honeymoon. J and I had always been modest with our luxuries. Our car has never been younger than 10 years old, and we only holiday once every few years. We do like a Sunday morning breakfast out though, that’s our treat. A quick game of pool doesn’t go amiss either. (He’s been winning since 2012…) But then I stumbled upon Charter Travel holidays. We desperately wanted a twin-centre honeymoon, and grabbed an absolute stunner of a trip to Las Vegas and Mexico all for £2,900 all-inclusive in the middle of August 2015 – compared to the high street agents that were offering shorter trips, worse flights and less luxury – all for an average of £5k. Yeah baby! Booked it right there and then. We had flights from London to Las Vegas via Virgin Atlantic airways, and then 5 action-packed nights in the New York New York hotel (get your mind out of the gutter when I say action-packed nights… It was our honeymoon after all, so I’ll let you make your own assumptions!)
As it turns out, being unemployed for three weeks was the best thing that could've happened to me at that point! I had a chance to sit down and breathe, and could focus solely on booking the major aspects of our wedding. And it was the wedding that gave me the kick up the ass that I needed to get a new job! Suffice to say, I was invited back to an office that I had originally been rejected for - but they liked me so much they actually created a position for me! I've been there ever since, and they're like an extension of my family now!
However, if you do find yourself unemployed, penniless and still wanting your dream wedding - you may need to rethink your priorities! I do not endorse quitting your job just to plan a wedding... unless you become a professional wedding planner!!
KEB x
KEB x
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