Thank You!

Thanks for the comments and emails you've sent since I made that post about wedding stuff yesterday! We've had offers of help, offers to embaress, and general congratulatory messages.

Me and Jo have been engaged a long time. Sorry, make that a long time. We started dating in 1996, and on her 18th birthday (April 1997) I proposed to her. My manly charms and obvious prowess made her say yes. We decided to wait a while before making plans, and in August 1997 got our first place together and both went to work. 1998 saw the arrival of Jaysen, and then we kinda puttered along. 1999-2000 was just shite (putting it bluntly) with death, destruction and mayhem all around. 2001 saw the arrival of Bethy, and we've never really had much of a break since then really.

We've been to several weddings since we got engaged, and every time people have said "Ahhh you two will be next". Like hell. Every wedding has seen various kinds of stress and generic crap that made us think "We can wait". And suddenly, we're in our 11th year together.

I'd be free by now if I'd killed her.

Minge, in response to your first comment about the large-screen speech. Hell no! Despite only talking to friends and family, I am not a Get-Up-And-Talk-Look-At-Me! kind of person. I hate photos, and I KNOW I will piss something up! As for the cake - that's a secret ;)

To all the hens making their evil plottings and plans, well, I'm sure I can "forget" to send our your invites. No Hens = No Nasty Suprises.

As to the other questions - no, certainly not a church as we'd feel it was all a big lie, saying our vows to one another in front of something we don't believe in. Sorry, but that's how it is. It'll be a registry office, either Brentwood (which is a very nice little town not far from here) or Basildon, assuming the new office will be opened by then. We're then looking at one of three resturant in the local area which we frequent - we considered a chinese wedding meal just to be different, but aren't sure if there are any resturants around here big enough - but we'll see. Evening do will be a buffet affair in a hall with a bar - maybe even the one across the road from us. For those that have asked, there are several hotels around here - from little motel-type things, to a large holiday inn. Not sure why Basildon has hotels, it's not really a tourist spot ;)

The dress - well, I'm pretty sure that's remaining a secret till the day. Suffice to say, Jo, Tam and her Maid of Honor will be in Burgandy with Ivory, and Jaysen, Best Man and myself will be in something similar. Assuming I have a best man by then. I think her colour choice has something to do with masking blood...

Actually, I am kinda surprised so many people are showing an interest in this... hehe I kinda though it'd be one of those things that would come and go and that'd be that, but you know, I am actually looking forward to it!

Maybe I should throw a spanner in the works and have us take on a completely random surname. Goldfishbreath. Mr and Mrs Goldfishbreath. Daniel John Goldfishbreath.

Hmmmm....

[Edit: There is currently some discussion between me and Jo as to when I proposed, ie, which birthday/which year. Either my version is correct, or her version - 17th Birthday/1996 - is correct. So I'm going to have to dig out my diary and figure it out! Either way, it's been a while!]