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...after a lovely week off the coast of Southern Brittany with Mum, Dad and my youngest sister. Was slightly strange thought that it would be my last family holiday as a 'single' woman. M did not join us so it really was a family trip except for the fact that my other sister currently lives in Australia and did not join us. We spent a lovely week pottering around the harbours, marinas, islands and beaches in the Bay of Quiberon, sunbathing, sailing, reading, reminiscing. Dad kept remembering occasions when I had done something funny aged 2 or 3 and he kept regaling them to shrieks of laughter and pleaded requests not to use them in his speech next summer. At each one he merely smiled and remarked "I think it will go down rather well, actually".

So I flew back to England last Sunday and despite a gorgeous sunny flight over the solent and the south of England with a patchwork of fields ready for harvest, the sun has not showed its warmth or light since. It has been hard to muster the energy to get involved with wedding planning again, I have to say. We received an engagement present and despite opening it 3 days ago the nearest I have come to writing the thank you card is to dig out the box of notelets.

I feel rather bogged down in all the details. On Sunday we are visiting the venue again and shall take the photographs to show to Mum & Dad to enable us all to decide on which lawn we should place the marquee. The licence application form has arrived from the Archbishops Office which must be completed and then forwarded to the Chaplain for him to add his pleadings. Quite why the Archbishop of Canterbury should care why we wish to hold our wedding in a chapel and then have some kind of ability to prevent this is beyond my grasp but as it is a 'non parish church' it is permission we must have. That and part with £145 for his blessing. I mean, the chapel holds services every Sunday in term time - it's not as if we want to get married in a fire station.

Final decisions need to be made on the guest list so we can send the save the date cards. Save the date cards have not yet been made. Bookings will have to be finalised before the cards can be made as I am not re-writing 120 cards. I can so see why people have wedding planners...

Back presently with something more interesting and inspirational soon I hope.

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