Hello everyone! Claire here with my last planning post for the wedding. (There will probably be some updates next week!)
Let’s face it: I haven’t been very fair in my Real Bride Diaries. While I’ve done my best to avoid using the word “I,” my opinions on the venue, catering, and music are pretty biased.
But our wedding planner isn’t.
Marko is as involved (if not even more in some areas) in all aspects of planning as I am. In the last few months, Marko has picked up where I left off in terms of chasing down vendors and planning logistics.
As I type, he is flattening my veil to fit into our suitcase.
When I hear a bride talking about her wedding as if she was the only person involved, it makes me incredibly angry. Today, you won’t hear from me. Instead, it will be all about Marko.
I sat with my soon-to-be mister for a Q&A before the wedding. I was pleasantly surprised by what he said.
July 21st – One Week and One day to go!
My obsession right now is fitting everything into our suitcases.
Marko is obsessed with Trello’s list of things to do. He tries to put as many items as possible in the “Done” tab.
This is the week that we are mostly Flying to Ireland to get married!
Was it as easy or difficult as you expected to plan a wedding?
Yes and no. Yes, I was aware that it would take a lot to organize. No, I did not anticipate that there would be so many things.
There are many things to consider, including the vendors, venue, and guests. But there are also the smaller details, such as the gifts, on-the-day logistics, where people will be when timings, or other little things.
What has been your favorite aspect of planning?
I think it’s cool that we worked on this day for more than a year and a half.
It’s not a small undertaking. We’ve completed most of it.
What was your least favorite thing about it?
Money. Money. There will always be unforeseen events, no matter how simple the wedding is.
And running errands.
What will you wear on your wedding?
The perfect combination of a blue blazer with navy slacks and tan leather boots. My mother was frantic because she thought that she had damaged the shoes and tried to remove them. They’re supposed to be this way.
I had a hard time choosing what to wear because I didn’t want to wear a two- or three-piece suit, and I also didn’t know exactly what I wanted. I had an idea of what would look good, but it didn’t. It could be a seasonal thing, but the majority of items in the store were similar. I had to choose which one I liked.
It’s going to look amazing. Oh, and I also have a navy dickie with origami Kingfishers. I wanted to wear a Game of Thrones tie but was told no. (Claire, it was me who talked her down.
What would you say I am wearing?
A dress
What does marriage mean to you?
This is just a way to celebrate us as we are.
It’s not a formality. We already live the way we like. This will make it official.
Which part of your day do you look forward to the most?
I look forward to The ceremony, but what I most look forward to is when we are not the focus of attention and can chat and enjoy the bants.
I’m looking forward to getting ready with my friends, as we will all be going together.
Why don’t you have the best man in your life?
We both agreed from the start that we didn’t like this. (Have a wedding party) So I have never imagined my wedding in any other way. I feel I am not missing anything.
This is just what we wanted and a departure from the traditional formal ceremonies.
How was your bachelor party?
It was really chilled, and the stag party aspect of it was as far away as possible. We took a boat trip along the Shannon, which we do every year. It felt like any other weekend.
The event was casual, and I felt that the focus was not on me. It was a group of friends having a great time.
What was the food like at your wedding?
The menu is a feast for the senses. We’ll have ice cream on arrival. Then we’ll serve fish and chips cones with bacon butties as canapes. And then the beef brisket will be the main. I’m excited.
We wanted to have a barbecue but wanted something more than just burgers for the wedding dinner.
What was your choice of venue?
The venue was easy to choose once we had seen it. It was the last one we had seen, and there was a lot of back-and-forth between platforms.
Kilruddery was perfect for our wedding. It has a large, rustic interior that is relaxed and not like a hotel room where you can tell you are at a wedding.
How will you entertain your guests?
We have 18 hours of music on Spotify that we will try to listen to.
Before we had even discussed getting married, we knew we would get Attention Bebe. There was no discussion; we just knew. It’s going to be fun.
Claire has a lot more balloons than she needs for the dance floor.
How will you decorate the venue?
The decor is minimal. It’s hard for me to say what I think since Claire uses words such as ‘Tuscan.’ But the focus of the table is herb pots and lots of candles.
Do you feel involved as a groom in wedding planning?
I am as excited about the wedding as Claire.
We have different approaches, even though we are on the same page. Claire is always thinking about weddings because she works in the industry. But I’m not apathetic.
Claire may have had some ideas, but together, we decided everything.
