Flowers By Darlene at North Shore Fruits Baskets in Salem MA

Today I went to Flowers By Darlene at North Shore Fruit Baskets on the recommendation of a coworker.  It didn’t start out well. Traffic was TERRIBLE.  Salem in October is awful.  So I get there, and the neighborhood is, well, on the edge of town.  I walked in the shop and it wasn’t as fancy as the other wedding flower shops I’d been in.  But I looked carefully at the actual flowers around and there was nothing wrong with them.  No wilting.  Nice, full blossoms.

So I met Darlene, the owner, sat and showed her the bridal bouquet I liked.  She had a form and wrote down prices for everything like the manager I met at Rennie’s, except it was all on a single page, nice and clear.  And I got to keep it at the end, unlike the other.

She didn't get into as much detail about the design of the wedding flower arrangements. She seemed to understand that the scale of the bouquet I like is modest.  I mean, I want everything to look gorgeous, but with only 12 guests in a small home I don’t feel like I need to fill the place with as many flowers as if it was a huge hall.  So instead of going big with the bridal bouquets and then leaving out the cymbidium orchids from everything else, she said our table arrangements would be the same as our bouquets.  And instead of talking about wax flowers (gag) or hydrangeas (eh) she talked about white roses and/or roses for the moms’ corsages and all the boutonnieres.  And she suggested long stem white orchids for the alter pieces.  All flowers I like, which she understood from the photo; no further discussion needed.  I was in and out in about 15 minutes.

And the cost was LESS than I was originally hoping!!

Right away I was shocked and elated because while the other florists said my bouquet alone would be $250 and $150 respectively, the first thing Darlene told me after I showed her what I wanted for my bridal bouquet was that it would be $85.  YES!  I told her I'd think about it because I wondered, "Is this too good to be true?"  But I trust my coworker because she's very particular about decor like I am, plus I looked around online and this place got good reviews.

Darlene told me I could come to the shop prior to 10 am on Saturday and see their floral arrangements for weddings; I’d love to do that because it would be nice to see for sure how well put together they are.  The only trouble is the traffic this weekend will pretty much close off the entire city.  Hopefully I can do it next week.  And although the traffic in Salem is a detriment in October, the distance from this place to my venue is a LOT better than Rennie’s in North Andover.  I’ll be a lot better off with such a nearby florist in the winter.

So I'm psyched; I had this number in my head for what I wanted to pay for wedding flowers.  I really didn't want to pay more for a bunch of plants that are going to die in a week.  I might actually also ask my coworker if I could see pictures of her wedding flowers from Flowers by Darlene, just to be sure they really do look okay.  I mean, it's a HUGE price difference between this place and the other two.  I guess when you're not paying to update your shop to look all fancy, you don't have to charge so much on the flowers!  And since my wedding won’t be held at the flower shop, and the flowers looked just as good as the other shops, it looks like I’ve found my florist.  I decided not to call the other wedding florist I was considering.

Wedding Florist MA: Rennie’s Flower Shoppe, North Andover

Today I had an appointment with the florist at Rennie’s Flower Shoppe in North Andover.  And although I liked both places, and found both wedding florists ma de good first impressions by being eager to please yet realistic, and have good design ideas about floral arrangements for weddings, this was a very different experience than my one at Evan’s.

I met with the manager, who started out by taking down a lot of information, and continued to work on that form once I showed her the bouquet I wanted.  She had a designer come join us to determine the types and costs of the flowers involved before moving on to come up with ideas for all the other floral arrangements was going to need.

As we worked, her priority seemed to be to get me the best possible price on my flowers.  The only exception was the bridal bouquet.  She said that should be my priority, and she did not try to talk me out of any part of it.  But after that, she kept to a fairly narrow range of options.  Since the red cymbidium orchids featured in my bridal bouquet are really pricy, there would be no more orchids in any of the other flower arrangements or bouquets.  But I wasn’t too bothered with that since the cream colored roses and red berries would be a consistent theme throughout.

The floral designer who she brought in seemed to be more on the same wavelength as me in terms of color (sticking with mostly white with touches of red, but no other arrangements would need peach) as well as in texture (hydrangeas would be a good texture to introduce into the table arrangements, and stick with cedar as opposed to introducing other greens).  The wedding florist ma de me feel at ease; I feel confident in his eye for design.

As the designer and I hashed out the flowers and colors, the manager wrote furiously on what was probably a 10 page document, and once we’d finished she tallied everything for me (although once again I had my spreadsheet open and entered in all totals as we talked).  It was clear the manager was a businesswoman first, but had a good floral designer on staff for the artistic part.  I liked that about this place.  Both aspects are important when planning a wedding, and one person is not usually good at both.

So when it came to the very bottom line, the difference in price for my wedding flowers (including tax and delivery) between Rennie’s Flower Shoppe and Evans Flowers was just over $100.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.  I’m going to have to look at some reviews online for Rennie’s (Evan’s has won awards from The Knot so I’m sure they’re a safe bet) before I let price dictate.  But I was satisfied with the planning process, and of course $100 is a decent savings.

Oh, and not only did the flowers and prices talk go well; she also said chocolate brown would be a great choice for my maid of honor’s dress.  Better than black, anyway.  YES.

I still plan to look at two more wedding florists.  Unfortunately Rennie’s is a little bit farther away than I’d have liked (so it’s weird that their delivery charge is less than someone a couple miles away).  And like I said, the floral design process is FUN.  I got two very different takes on altar flower arrangements from each florist I visited.  I’d love to get two more florists’ opinions.  But I have a pretty good feeling at this point that Rennie’s might be my florist for my wedding.

The cost is still more than I was hoping, though I now know it’s fair.  I mean, after getting rough estimates of 6 different florists in Massachusetts that had some arrangements with prices posted online, they had the lowest prices, just like Marcia claimed.  So my plan is once I see what the others have to say, I’ll go back to Rennie’s, book her, and see if I can’t get that bottom line just a little bit lower.  I looked online for winter wedding flowers so I know what’s seasonal (and hopefully cheaper) so I have some ideas in mind already for floral substitutions that might bring down the price.  Hopefully within the next week or two I’ll have selected the best wedding florist in MA for my needs.

Visiting Evan’s Flowers for Wedding Flowers in MA

After collecting business cards from 2 years worth of bridal shows and Googling “Wedding flowers, MA” I met with a florist at Evan’s Flowers this afternoon.  I almost didn’t get in because they told me their wedding person had the day off.  But today was the only day I had this week to go in, so although I said I could call back for next week, they made it work.

The flower shop was nice; I didn’t have much of a wait even though they saw an impromptu-last-minute-bride-to-be right before me.

The first thing the florist asked me was if I had done any research or talked to anyone else so far, and I let her know she’s the first florist I saw, but I had looked at plenty of floral arrangements for weddings online, and I brought those in.  On my netbook, hehe.  Along with pictures of the wedding ceremony and reception site.  And a spreadsheet preformatted with the quantities of my all my floral needs.  Yeah, I did my research, hehe.

I had narrowed my search to 9 photos of flower arrangements for weddings that I like, with one that, if she could replicate for me exactly I’d be happy (The image is copyrighted but you can view it here).  I wasn’t 100% sure it was an orchid (because it looked huge).  She said it was not a true red, and, well, that was obvious, hehe.  But as she started referring to it as being on the pink side, I worried a little.  She said closer to the time we'd need to look at precisely what color I have in mind.  She mentioned the greenery too, echoing my own thoughts EXACTLY.  It’s wintery, but not so literally Christmassy that it looks tacky for late February.  Said she LOVES it.  And that overall the floral arrangement has great texture and would be fun for her to do.  I agree; it’s pretty cool!

Then we talked about my maid of honor’s dress.  I told her I was actually hoping she could give me advice on that!  She told me we don’t need to match the house, we just need to look okay in it, hehe.  Which I knew.  But then I told her that my sister didn’t want to wear red.  And It was clear that this was a ridiculous request in her mind, though she stayed professional.  She told me that the dress choice is MINE.  She doesn’t realize that my sister would probably just not show up if I tried to dictate what she wears if she’s not on board.

I could understand her concern, however.  The bouquet has red and white.  If she doesn’t wear red, that leaves white.  And that’s obviously unacceptable for a maid of honor dress!  So I mentioned that I like chocolate brown…and she told me that would look too fall-like.

That broke my heart.  I mean, obviously I need to do what I want.  But she said exactly what I feared.  I like fall colors, but my wedding’s not in the fall.

Next we talked about scale.  I let her know I thought the flower table arrangements should be on the small side because the room is small and the tables will seat 4, so they’ll be small, and she agreed.  I said I want my “altar” flower arrangements to be larger, and she agreed.  She mentioned using branches (thin, curly sort of branches), which I’m not certain about.  Once upon a time I liked the natural look, but I think I’ve outgrown it.

She also talked a bit about the containers.  Just as I thought, she recommended that I do NOT go with the standard glass cubes, and I should get my own somewhere.  I was a little disappointed they didn’t have options for me, but she was helpful in suggesting Micheals or A.C. Moore as a cost effective way to go.

She talked about boutonnieres, and agreed with me that cream colored roses for the men would be best, and red not so much, haha.  And for the mothers of the bride and groom, I was a little unsure.  She told me probably cream for them too, since we don’t know what color their dresses are.  She suggested an orchid that I wasn’t familiar with, so she went and got me one.  It had thinner petals than some orchids, which I was okay with.  And I told her I like that idea because when I go to visit Adam’s family, his mum always puts an orchid in my room.  So that sort of settled that!

When it came down to flower prices, it was higher than I HOPED, but it wasn’t on the high end either.  Really fell right in the middle in terms of price.  So it went okay!  Design-wise we were on the same page 80% of the time!  That made me feel good.  I’m almost glad we weren’t 100% because I don’t want to be patronized; I do want to hear the professional’s ideas, and I got to.

So it went well!  I might hire her.  But this is probably the most artistic I get to be in the wedding planning process.  I don’t want it to end yet!  I’m going to keep playing with the designers for a little longer, and see a couple more wedding florists before I put this to rest, hehe. 

Selecting a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts

I really wasn’t looking forward to trying to find a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts.  I hate calling people.  There’s no price shopping.  I feel like there’s this pressure to “find someone you click with.”  Really?  I’m hiring a stranger to talk for 20 minutes.  How am I going to find out if I “click with him?”  I know they do consultations to “get to know the couple.”  But I’ll be on my own until January so it’s all on me to make small talk with a Massachusetts marriage officiant over coffee or whatever.  Ugh.

But it had to be done, so I started in.  The first Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts I called had a really impressive looking website.  I mean, that doesn’t mean he’s a great speaker, it just means he invested in a good webmaster, I’m thinking.  But still, it shows some commitment to the profession.  And it helped me learn a lot about what to expect from him.  It said he doesn’t charge extra fees other than a rehearsal, which I don’t feel like I need.  And the website details how he will direct guests and other professionals (such as cueing the musicians and helping the photographer if I so choose).  He even said he’s willing to videoconference for long distance couples!  This guy sounded like he’s just what Adam and I need in a justice of peace for our wedding ceremony.

So my plan was to call, ask about his availability for my day, explain that I had my program completed (though I’m open to suggestions) and secretly assess his voice!  I mean, other than being licensed to make our marriage ceremony legal, the second most important thing to consider, I’m thinking, is is this a voice people are going to be able to take for 20 minutes nonstop?  I wanted a wedding officiate who was articulate, had a nice tone, and sounded at somewhat animated.

That first Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts I called was Rick Perry.  (No, not the governor from Texas and vice presidential candidate.)  He told me, “Let me tell you a little bit about the process and then I’d be happy to answer your questions.”  Right away I was impressed with his professionalism.  He took charge, yet was prepared to listen as well.  He agreed to look over my wedding program and said he would check his Email tomorrow.  I was pretty satisfied, and sent it along before calling the next guy.

The second JP told me he charges $200 for a ceremony, and that includes a consultation.  He seemed, well, a little bored.  I just wasn’t impressed.  And I thought requiring a consultation in the price was shady way of getting around the legal fee he could charge for the ceremony.  He was a no.

The third guy’s phone was disconnected and the fourth guy wasn’t home.

The fifth Massachusetts wedding officiant, John Ford out of Peabody, was also pretty impressive.  I really liked his voice.  He was also willing to use my program, didn't charge extra fees and agreed I didn't really need a rehearsal.  And when I told him we’d have about 15 people for the ceremony and it would be seated and formal, just small, he said, “That sounds right up my alley.”  So I liked him just fine too.  I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to choose for my wedding ceremony.

But then that night, Perry Emailed me back to say my program looks great.  Except it was missing one thing, which legally needed to be in there, haha.  Well, I was pretty much sold on this guy by this point.  Not only did he get back to me within a few hours, sooner than he had said, he had something positive to say about the work I did, AND he let me know in a straightforward way what was required.

After a few days of phone tag I let him know he’s hired and he’s sending me a contract, yay : )  I’ve got myself a Justice of the Peace for my wedding: Check one more thing off the to do list! 

Picking a Bridal Hair Tiara

Choosing just one bridal hair tiara was kind of hard!  On the one hand, I didn't want to spend a lot on it (there's just SO many other elements that go into paying for this wedding, I didn't want accessories to eat up a huge proportion of my wedding budget).  On the other hand, it's closer to my face than say, my shoes, so it's going to be in all the photographs; it had better be a good looking cheap bridal tiara.
 
I decided that a "bridal headband tiara style" would be preferable to a comb.  Since I'm probably going to have my hair down and curled, I need something that's going to stay in well without having a bun to stick out of.  Plus I'm definitely going for the formal, "princess" look, so I wanted something that's reminiscent of a crown.  I wanted it to wrap around more fully than a comb.

That didn't narrow my options too much!

So next I looked at different bridal hair tiaras that would mimic the lines of the beading on the bodice of my wedding dress.  It would need to be a beaded, rhinestone, or crystal bridal tiara.  This was definitely the most fun part!  

If I was going to get a peaked tiara, I’d have gotten this one.  The lines have pretty scrolls; it's tight enough to look nice and detailed without being too cluttered to notice from far away.  And the center forms almost a heart shape.  If I had a rounder face and could pull off a tall peak like that I would have gotten this classic looking rhinestone bridal tiara.    

I like this one because it’s so classic looking. It has nice detail that matches the beading in my dress probably better than any of the above examples. I just think the peak is a little too high for me. If only it didn't have that fleur de lis at the top I probably could have pulled it off. 

The only problem was, I wasn't sure what they would look like on me.

I went back to a photo taken of me when I tried on my wedding dress.  I loved the dress, and the way it fit my body type, but something wasn't exactly right. I assumed it was my short haircut at the time.  But I wondered if the tall, pointy bridal hair tiara wasn't helping.  So I looked online for advice on how to choose a tiara to suit my face shape.  And to sum up, a "taller" tiara will elongate your face.  A "shorter" one will have the opposite effect.  Since I believe I have an oval face that is longer than it is wide, I think I'm better off with a squattier one.  So I had to rule out the above tiaras. 

But that's okay!  There's plenty of gorgeous tiaras that don't have a tall point.

This one has the best of both worlds: a little peak in the very center, but it’s not angled up too high. In fact, the rounded lines along the top make it look a lot like a crown, would would make me look like a princess, I'm sure.  This rhinestone bridal tiara was a real contender.   


I like this tiara because it doesn’t come to a peak. And the fact that it archs out a little makes it unique.  The lines of the scroll work are very pretty, and I like how close it looks to a crown without being over the top. Really elegant for a cheap wedding tiara!




I really like the shape of this tiara a lot. There’s no peak, and it’s very rounded. It also said it had beading, like my dress, as opposed to all the other rhinestone bridal tiaras I'd seen so far. If they had taken the plastic off so I could get a better look at it I probably would have picked it!  




I like this one a lot because it doesn’t have a peak. It’s pretty unique, and has nice detail.  The lines are very ornate for a tiara at this price point.


I like this one because it’s streamlined and gently tapers away from the center.  The center forms a heart, which is sweet.  And it's a good value.




I like the shape of this one a lot, because it has a gentle peak. But there’s no way to enlarge the picture so I can’t see the detail well enough to make a decision.
 

The headband style is understated, so I do like it. This style is really hot this year.  It would look great if I wasn't wearing a veil and was going with a more casual spring or summer outdoor wedding dress style. Or even if I was planning on an up-do.  But I'm not going for either of those looks, so I didn’t go with it.



This has a nice compact design, and it has a peak.  I feel like this design wouldn't be too distracting.  It's simple and elegant.

But the winner was...

This!  I like the way it gently tapers away from the center.  I think it strikes a nice balance, not being too streamlined but not being too ornate.  I think that the detail of the design won't be lost in photographs. And I like the line of the design; how it looks a lot like hearts without being too literal.  I think the lines mirror the beading in my wedding dress's bodice pretty well.  And finally I think it's the best value I've seen.  

It was a lot of fun looking at all those cheap wedding tiaras.  I found my perfect bridal hair tiara and didn't spent too much on it.  I can't wait to see how it looks. 

When Simple Wedding Ceremony Vows Make Life Easier

Today I realized that I can't ask Adam to do the reading I put into the wedding program.  And in the same moment, instead of getting upset, I realized that’s okay.

Adam was clear from the start that he doesn't want to do a speech and he wants to say as little as possible in the ceremony.  So when I looked at sample wedding ceremonies and saw that readings by the couple is customary, I knew all along that it was going to be a problem.

My first thought was if we stuck with someone else’s wedding ceremony wording instead of writing our own vows, that would be easier.  But it’s not just the writing that is the issue; it’s speaking in front of people.  So my next worry was that if he did it, he'd be more nervous the whole wedding ceremony.  So to soften the blow I worked really hard to find something meaningful that was only 4 lines long.  I wrote our wedding program over a year ago, and I’ve been very proud of it all this time.  But a couple weeks ago I realized that it doesn't matter how short that reading is; if I ask him to do it he's still going to say no.

I thought I’d try to ease him into it, so in the week since he asked me to find a Justice of the Peace, I've been sharing bits of the program with him.  It’s been tough going so slowly through it with him, but I tried very hard to be patient because I didn’t want to get into a fight over the readings issue.

So tonight after doing 2 parts, I continued my efforts to be patient and respect the fact that he didn’t want to talk about wedding stuff for a half hour.  So I said, "Do you want to look at one more part, of leave it for the night?"  But instead of saying, “Yeah, I’ve had enough,” he said “Let’s look at one more.”

But I couldn't do it.

I skipped over it to look at a part I felt like he'd be more open to.  And he was!  He liked the rose ceremony better than the idea of a sand ceremony.  That part of the wedding talk went well.  And that's when I realized there's never going to be a good time to bring this up.  He doesn't want to do it and it doesn't matter if he's in a good mood, he's not going to suddenly "forget" that he doesn't want to.  And do I REALLY want to try and force him to say some loving words that he doesn't want to say?

No.

It would be better if he could just relax and enjoy our wedding ceremony and at the end say, "This really was nice; I'm glad we did it."  Or something else sweet that he says that day, in his own words, just off the cuff some time after the ceremony once he's feeling relaxed and having a nice time.  That would be much more meaningful and unforgettable than forcing him to say a few lines that I picked out for him in front of people.  Like he said, he's already marrying me, and saying the vows in front of people.  For someone with social anxiety, that's plenty.  We have nothing to prove.  People aren't going to be thinking, "What?!  They didn't do any readings?!  What a huge oversight!"  Nah, they'll be happy that it's nearly time to eat, haha.

So I'm okay with it now.  This WAS important to me, and suddenly it's not anymore. Maybe it's because we've gone over almost the whole wedding program script at this point and I'm happy that he's been fine with everything I've picked out so far; so I realized it was time for me to compromise.  Or maybe it's because I am feeling more confident that this wedding will be beautiful so there's no reason to over complicate it.  And this would have made things really complicated, created animosity, and I just don't need it.  I would much rather keep Adam happy than have 100% of the prescribed wedding ceremony.  So much so that I even went through the other readings and took out a few lines so that it would be even a little bit shorter.  Not much.  But Adam started to question the length of the ceremony so again, so why not.  I kept all the sentiments I wanted, I just cut out the verbiage. I want to make this work for both of us.  

I Try to Choose a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts

With the weight of the venue selection off my shoulders I felt a huge sense of, “Phew!  Done!”  And the fact that Adam booked his one-way ticket (and then changed his ticket to come even earlier, but that’s another story) well, I just felt like I was all set.

Of course there’s still PLENTY to do. 

But I told Adam I’m not sure where I want to start?  Flowers?  Hair and makeup?  He suggested finding a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts.  Always practical!  But I figured why not; it needs to be done. 

The thing is, usually a justice of the peace wants to meet before wedding ceremony.  So while Adam picked the most necessary detail for me to tackle, it’s a tricky one.  I can’t just show Adam a picture and say, “That’s pretty, right?” like I can with the flowers.   And I can’t exactly price shop since the state sets the rates they charge (it looks like the cost of justice of the peace in Massachusetts is $100, but then can tack on another $50 for travel expenses.  Plus a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts can get around the fixed price by adding on rehearsals, meetings, and so on).  It’s really just a question of their public speaking ability, personality, and professionalism, which is not as easy for me to judge on my own. 

So I looked up “Massachusetts Justice of the Peace” online and got together a list.  It was really nice when they had a complete website with prices and biographies and even sound clips.

Then I looked up tips for choosing a Justice of the Peace.  There were some great tips that were mainly just empowering.  It basically says that the couple should be making the decisions; the wedding officiate shouldn’t insist on his/her way.  That’s important to me since I’ve already got our wedding program completed!  I don’t want someone who has a set repertoire that I need to choose from.  Not after I put in all the work of finding meaningful components.  The site also explains a good wedding JP should also work with the other professionals, and not act like his/her role is more important.  It’s a shame he’s out of Connecticut because I thought he sounded very professional. 

The next site that was helpful for me provided a list of questions to ask a Justice of the Peace.  I especially liked the one that asked for examples of how he has worked with the other vendors.  To me, that’s nice and open ended, and you can really stop and anylize how comfortable or uptight he or she is.  If s/he gets defensive at this question, it speaks volumes.  If he or she gets nervous or vague, it tells me he lacks experience.  If his/her tone is even and calm, s/he’s probably going to act professionally on the big day. 

And lastly I made note of this site which explains how to officiate a wedding ceremony with your OWN JP.  It says that for $35, anyone can become justice of the peace for a day in Massachusetts and marry us.  Which is nice and cost effective, but I can’t think of someone who is so important to Adam and I that I would give them that role who isn’t already on the guest list.  I want all the important people in our lives to be witnesses not working the event.  It is a cool idea though.

So once I got a sizeable list of names and annotated them, I realized that when I start calling and asking questions and answering questions about the kind of wedding we want, I’m going to need to do the talking for Adam AND I.  Which doesn’t seem right.  I really want Adam to be aware of what he’s going to be agreeing to when he says, “I do,” because I know he’ll be too nervous to hear it on our actual wedding day. 

So before I actually call anyone, I decided I need some input from Adam on our ceremony.  So we started going through the program a little bit at a time.

We Have Our Perfect Wedding Venue!

I’m so proud I could burst. I saw the house, loved it, and put down the deposit! I have a house to marry Adam in. A house where his family can spend the week when they visit from England for the first time, that's close enough for me to get to easily even in winter.

When I arrived the owner was just as sweet as she was on the phone, and the house looked just as nice, with a few nice surprises!

We went through the living room that I plan to use for the ceremony. I loved the way the double windows framed the room, and I figured Adam and I could stand in front of the dresser.  But when I got there, I saw THIS:

And I thought the place didn’t have a fireplace!!  It doesn’t…but it has a mantle, which is just as weddingy!  Now I’m a little torn over which spot will work better. The windows look dramatic, but might put us in silhouette. The mantle looks great, but doesn’t “feel” like the front of the room.  Plus I might need to cover the mirror.  And I have the wedding arch that I can put in between the windows, so it’s fine.  Maybe I can put the guest book near the mantle!  It can be easily decorated.

My second surprise was upstairs.  I had seen from the street view photo that there was an interesting bay window jutting out of the front, but didn’t see the room in the house with it on the website.  Well, here it is:

It’s just a little sitting room.  But it will be PERFECT for our formal photos!  So two of the things I thought I was going to have to give up with this place is (at least kind of) there!  This place really was meant to be.

And then I got a third surprise.  Something I didn't even think about (it just wasn't at the top of my list of things to worry about).  The photographer (yeah, I already booked one, but that's another story) wanted to know where the bridal prep area would be, so I figured it would just be in one of the bedrooms occupied by Adam's family; no big deal.  The bedrooms were pictured on the website and looked fine, even nice.  Nice and neutral.  But then she pointed out a framed piece on the wall not pictured online:

It just happens to be a piece from an ethnic bridal costume.  Um, I think I just found my bridal prep room.

I knew the place had been part of a commercial tour of historic homes in the area at Christmastime 2 years ago.  The owner said, "You should have seen how they decorated it."  I said I'd love to, and she promised to Email me photos!  So I'll have ideas on how to decorate!!  Maybe not the colors, but the scale for sure. 

The house was as small as you’d expect in Salem.  But there is going to be such a small amount of guests that I think we’ll be fine.  I took measurements of the dining room, then looked online to see how many square feet you need per person and it checked out.  Barely!  But it checked out.  This place is going to work beautifully.  The owner even told me I was free to use whatever flatware and silverware that I wanted; there would be plenty for 12 people.  I could Email her with questions.  And she'd send me photos of the fourth bedroom that I didn't get to see.  I can't wait.  I've found our venue.  I can start booking the rest of the vendors.  And I can finally officially say, when someone asks me if we've set a date: "Yes.  February 21."  :) 

Massachusetts Wedding Venue Search: Things Are Looking Up

9/22

The wedding venue search is just not going the way I hoped.  I looked at places a YEAR ago so that I'd be ready when Adam was, but nothing is coming together.  I went to look at one in Rockport yesterday and it didn't go well.  And when I tried to tell Adam and mom they were all about starting over instead of "we'll make it work."

There's problems, but I LIKE the place.  When I started to tell them my worries, I just wanted a sounding board.  I just wanted to tell them how it went.  I didn't want to hear how it can't happen (even though I knew in my heart it couldn’t). 

I'm so frustrated that I can’t have my summer wedding like I wanted.  Cold winter weather is going to ruin everything.  It could even cause us all our vendors to cancel on us that day.  If the JP doesn’t show up there IS no wedding.  These venue troubles are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems that lie ahead, so if I can’t even work this out I feel like we’re just doomed.  

9/26

I’m still hoping to hear back from the expensive home in Marblehead (the other place in Rockport never even bothered to reply to my inquiry).  I called today, but still no answer.  Frustrating, but I'm guessing it's not meant to be.  In a way I'm happy because it's a lot of money, but of course I'm feeling slightly desperate. 

I got an Email on the 21^st from the “white home” in Marblehead saying, “The house is currently available then but I am considering a long term rental.  I will get back to you over the next week.  I hope that works for your schedule.”  So I Emailed back today saying I was looking forward to a reply.

In the meantime, I feel like I have no other choice than to broaden my search.  Like it or not, the wedding MUST be this winter unless I want to start the whole visa process over once this one expires.  And I’m 100% sure that Adam would rather break up with me than start the paperwork over.  So my new priority HAS to be proximity and not fireplaces or balconies.  I just would not be able to entertain his family that week otherwise.  And although it is my wedding and I should be able to have what I like; I need to be able to do that.  They’ve never been to America, never seen my home, and they’ve always taken me in for the summer and made me feel welcome.  They deserve to see where Adam will be living. 

So I found a place right in my hometown, with the right number of bedrooms and really nice décor.  It’s not “palatial.”  It doesn’t even have a fireplace.  I don’t know where we’d have our formal photos.  But the living room is very pretty.  I can imagine having a ceremony there, even if we might be a little crowded.  The dining room might not be big enough, and I don’t know how all our vendors will park what with only one space, but I’m desperate now. 

9/27

She called me back already.  And she could not have been nicer. 

This place might not be as big, or on the coast, or have really high ceilings, but I feel this is the place for me.  I started out asking her about parking, and she told me on street is fine, the next door museum is fine, she will probably have a plow guy, plus she lives 3 houses away and could help out. 

Unlike the place in Rockport, with the woman who didn’t let me see inside, I even admitted to her that I'm having a wedding there because I've seen on her website she's hosted some (I’m always afraid to say the word “wedding” because vendors tend to jack up the prices as soon as you do).  I told her I was worried about the caterer, photographer, etc having a parking space and she told me there was street parking, a nearby lot, and a museum with free parking.  She just wanted to confirm that there will be 3 people and possibly one more couple sleeping there, and I told her 12 for the reception, mostly over the age of 50, haha. 

I asked if it was possible if I could come see it and she said she's happy to do that; she usually gives tours and can answer any wedding type questions so I could come on Saturday morning.  That even gives "white Marblehead house" this whole week to get back to me.  That is plenty of time, and if they can't then they clearly don’t want my business.  Besides, I have a pretty good feeling about this Salem one now.  Like I said, it's not the grandest looking, but there's not going to be 30 people, I guess practically speaking we need a close house more than we need a big house.  When I go, if it goes well I have to pay half the (nonrefundable) deposit and I'll sign the contract.  Yay :)

I feel so much happier :)

9/28

The woman from Rockport has been leaving me messages asking if I drove by the house and if so could I give her some feedback.  The feedback I wanted to give her was, “Since you didn’t let me look inside I don’t really want to work with you,” which is true, but not fair because it’s not the MAIN reason I couldn’t go for that house.  There’s nothing she can do to change the location (or my wedding date).  So I wrote, “I did drive by the house, thank you.  I will be touring another vacation home on Saturday, so if yours is still available then I will let you know my decision next week.”  

It's nice to have TWO options instead of hearing, "no, sorry" all the time.

Finding a Small Massachusetts Wedding Venue

9/16

When I found out that a third house I wanted for my small, Massachusetts wedding venue was being sold, I was crushed.

At first I was looking for homes that would work for my small wedding venue on HomeAway, but this time I started looking on VRBO and actually found TONS of homes on the North Shore of Massachusetts.  I’m not sure why there's so many more on VRBO than on HomeAway.  It must be cheaper to list there because the site is nowhere near as clean and user friendly.

9/17

I found a really amazing house in Rockport.  This place has EVERYTHING I want in a wedding venue.  Something that's not just for my vision of a grand wedding, but I want somewhere that Adam’s family is going to walk in to stay for their first visit to America and say, "Wow."  Also for wedding photos I'm determined to have a fireplace in the living room, stairs somewhere (preferably on the wall opposite the fireplace for my bride-y entrance) and a dining room with decor that's just as nice and neutral as the living room.  Plus it has the bonus of a GIANT wall of windows!  The natural light coming in will be AMAZING.  And it has a view of the ocean (from the second floor, at least) with the twin lighthouses. So after I got Adam’s okay I sent an inquiry about this house and then closed the browser window.  I wasn’t letting myself fall in love with anything AGAIN since I'm a little jaded.  I created a one page list of other possible wedding venues, though I really hope I get this one.

If this place doesn’t pan out there are 2 others that I like, but if those don't work out I'll be really just scraping by with "attractive" instead of PALATIAL (I think it's the high ceilings that really do it for me).  I sent them inquiries as well because I feel like I can’t book anything else that’s wedding related until I know that a vacation home is going to let us do the Thursday arrival/Wednesday departure thing.  So I really want to try and get our wedding venue sorted out quickly.

The second house I Emailed about is in Marblehead, which is very close by.  Probably 15-20 minutes away instead of a solid 30.  The only thing I’m unsure about is it is SO white.  I couldn't live in a house like that for fear of staining everything ever, haha.  But white is pretty weddingy, has the fireplace and a nice staircase/ceremony layout so I think it could work! 

The third is in Rockport just like the first.  I was confused about the pricing and availability, but it had all of the above that I wanted plus gorgeous views outdoors and the decor is just SO pretty inside that I just had to ask.  It has a fireplace, high ceilings, an INDOOR WATERFALL.  But, well, it's blue.  Which is SO not usually me, but I dunno, it just really spoke to me!  So I’d have to rethink my wedding color scheme completely (for the third time) but hey, who’s counting?  *eyetwitch*

9/20

My number one choice got back to me, and the house IS available!

The rate IS reasonable!

They can’t let me look inside because someone is staying there, but they’ll let me drive by tomorrow afternoon since there won’t be anyone arriving until the following day.

I’m SO happy.  I’ve finally found a beautiful venue that’s completely affordable.

9/21

No I didn’t.

I started to get cold feet about this place yesterday.  At first it was little things, like could we move the sectional couches out of the “ceremony area.”  Then it was, “How will I block off the view into the loft before I descend the staircase?”  And finally, I was a little bothered by the fact that I wasn’t going to be allowed to look inside the house. 

Today did nothing to ease my concerns.

First of all, it took a lot longer to get to than I was expecting.  The drive there was NOT smooth sailing (I hate Route 128 anyway, so for it to come to a sudden end with rotaries was weird). 

Second, I got lost.  At first I didn’t even mind; it’s THAT beautiful up there.  I could see the ocean to my right, the homes were amazing, the sun was shining, it was just the sort of day that makes you feel life is GOOD.

Until a half hour of being lost went by.  And my GPS gave up.  I didn’t even get a “Turn around when possible.”  It just went quiet.  I had to stop at a Bed and Breakfast to ask for directions. 

And couldn’t help thinking that although it’s picture perfect now, that is no indication of what it’s going to look like in February.  And even worse, what was the DRIVE going to be like in February?  If it took me a solid 40 minutes to get there on dry roads, it was going to be more like an hour and a half on ice.  Every day, round trip for a week so I can pick up his family and take them out to dinner and sight-see in my hometown 40 minutes away.  While I’m working and finalizing plans for my wedding.

I couldn’t do it.

I took some pictures.  I tried to estimate indoor measurements by counting my paces around the perimeter of the house.  I wracked my brains that night trying to figure out how I could make this work.

I can’t.

The Search Continues for Small Wedding Venues in Massachusetts. AGAIN.

It happened to me AGAIN.

Before going to visit Adam this summer I looked through all the vacation homes in the Northeastern Massachusetts area again, in hopes that Adam would get an interview in August.  I thought I’d be able to book the vacation home before I even left England.  There were two rental homes I really loved.  One house was in Salem, and the other home was in Rockport.  

Once I got back home, the one Adam liked more, the one rental home in Rockport was no longer available.  He wasn’t so bothered, but I got nervous that instead of having a plan A and plan B it was all or nothing.  I really tried to make sure I had a backup in all things, and since the wedding venue was the first thing to secure, I didn’t like having only one vacation home on my list that I really loved.

So Adam had his interview on September 8 and the visa arrived on Monday and on Tuesday he told me, “Get calling!”  So on Wednesday I sent out that Email for the vacation home. 

I had it all planned out.  This New England vacation home had the neutral décor with a fireplace in the living room, the tall ceilings, a nice little dining room that would make a good spot for cocktail hour, a big great room with ANOTHER fireplace that could become a dining room, and a game room with a pool table!  My brother plays.  I’m not great but I like to try.  And not only is this rental place beautiful, but it’s right down the street from me.  It would be so easy to go back and forth to my condo.  So so happy.  This was going to be perfect.  The limo could bring us from the venue to a hotel in Boston in less than an hour EASILY. 

Friday came and I still hadn’t received a call.  So I phoned them.  And they informed me that the house is on the market.

Deja vu :(  Same reason and everything.  Only this time I was actually ready, on paper, legally, visa in hand, ready to book this vacation home for our wedding.  “Oh, but you can call us in December to see what our situation is.”  No.  No I can’t. 

Back to the drawing board.  AGAIN. 

Hiring a Limo for the Wedding

I am really not sure why, of all things, the next thing I started thinking about was the limo.  Maybe it was because I noticed it’s one of the few hard copy folders I have that I didn’t also research online.  So I decided to fix that.

I have mixed feelings about the whole limo thing.  On the one hand, I didn’t have one for my prom, and always regretted it.  I think the only time I rode in a limo in my life was when I was a child and it was for a funeral.  So if I don’t ride in a limo on my wedding day, then when will I?

On the other hand, I didn’t understand the logistics.  I don’t want Adam and I to see each other the morning before the wedding.  So which one of us gets to ride in the limo to go to the venue?  And then the driver does what?  Sits there and waits 5 hours while we have the ceremony and photos and reception and then Adam and I have to leave at a certain time even if we’re enjoying ourselves and want to stay longer?  In my head, I thought it was going to have to go something like this:

Plan A

I sleep over mom’s.  I leave my car there.  She takes me to get my hair and makeup done.

The limo picks up Adam at the condo because he slept there overnight and brings him to the vacation house.

Mom brings me to my condo in her car.  My sister meets us there at the condo in her car.

My brother drives to the vacation house where the driver has just dropped Adam.  The limo driver brings my brother to pick my mom, sister and me up.  And my whole family goes together to the vacation house. That way my brother’s car stays at the vacation house.  Mom and my sister’s cars are at my condo.  My car is still at mom’s. 

After the reception, the limo brings Adam and I to Boston (after the mini-moon we take the train to mom’s so she can pick us up from the train station and I’ll drive us home.  This is a better parking solution than the last time we took the train to Boston from my house).

My brother drives my mom and sister to my condo for their cars.  Although one of them might want to go back to spend the night with Adam’s family for transportation to the airport the next day.  There’s plenty of bedrooms for that, unless they just want to drive home and back in the morning.

That…seems slightly convoluted just to make sure Adam and everyone in my family gets a ride in the limo that morning.  I mean, Adam could sleep at the vacation house overnight, and my brother could just drive from his house to the reception site and skip the limo ride entirely to make it easier, but then even fewer people get to enjoy it, and I'm paying for a full day of it just sitting there.

So I found an article online here that explained what “the done thing” is, which got me thinking about what I really want.  It’s easier to break the rules once you know the rules are.  And it seems the reason people hire limos for their wedding day is because they need to get from the ceremony site to the reception site.

Ohhhhhhhhh.

Yeah, see, I’m planning on ours being in the same spot.  Now I get why that makes sense for the masses but not for our small wedding.  So I definitely need to break the mold here. Because it should really be about me and Adam on that day; I want us both to ride the limo TOGETHER.  And we’re only going to need transportation together at the end.

That’s it!

Plan B

That’s what I really want.  A limo for AFTER the reception, that can bring us straight to the hotel in Boston for our mini-moon!  Pick us up, drop us off, be able to enjoy every minute that we’re paying for that limo and not have the driver waiting around.  How could it take me so long to get to such a simple solution?! 

So what that means is I’ll be enlisting my family to drive us there.  That’s okay, I think.  Honestly, they all have nice looking cars.  And I’m going to be arriving in regular clothes and changing on-site anyway.  Easier for the photographer that way, less chance of wrinkled dresses that way.  So really the only downside is no “bride getting out of the limo shot.”  For the money being saved, I think it’s going to be worth it.  We can bring our own champagne, ice bucket and glasses for the ride to Boston : )

My Must Have Wedding Shots List

Once I did all I could in terms of the big picture, I realized the most important thing to me right now is the photographer.  So I went through the 5 different “must have wedding photos” lists I’ve found on the internet, and a few of my own ideas that are really personal to Adam and I, and created a single list.

The list of “must have wedding shots” that seemed to have the best organization, in my mind, was organized by the timeline and then sub-categorized where warranted.  So I followed this format, took the ideas from each list that I wanted and omitted what I didn’t care about.  Then I starred the ones that are the MOST important to me, as in, I’d be upset if I didn’t get those.  I hope this is helpful for the photographer!

My Wedding Shots List

Getting Ready

-  Bride's gown hanging nicely
-  Still-life shots of the bride's jewelry, etc.

-  Groom getting ready with his groomsmen
-  Groom and groomsmen putting on boutonnieres
-  Groom's mother helping with the boutonniere
-  Groom looking into mirror adjusting tie

-  Groom's father fixing groom’s tie *
-  Candid of bride and mom getting ready
-  Candid of bride and sister getting ready
-  Putting on earrings, necklace*
-  Bride looking into mirror
-  Hairstyle
-  The shoes (meh)
-  Bride either in doorway or something else so you get a silhouette
-  Bride with bouquet  

Pre Ceremony

-  Items (at the ceremony site)

-  Wedding invitation, program, directions cards
-  Detailed shots of the bride's bouquet
-  Detailed shots of the bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets
-  Groom's boutonniere
-  “Artsy” shot of 2 wedding rings (on the invitation/program, on a flower)
-  3 rings
-  Groom’s ring in a book so the shadow makes a heart *
-  Close up of aisle runner, pomanders, arch and altar arrangement
-  Specific ceremony décor?
-  Limo ?

Spaces: (please take pictures with no one in them)

-  Groom’s dressing room
-  Brides’ dressing room
-  Reception room *
-  Candid aerial of reception (how does that even work?)
-  Exterior of the house  *
-  Picture down the aisle of aisle runner, pomanders, and altar arrangement

Other

-  Decorations
-  Table décor
-  Close up of a table centerpiece
-  Escort cards ?
-  Wedding favors *
-  Guest book and pen set-up
-  Cake and cake table set-up *
-  Cake toppers *
-  Food set-up
-  Card Table
-  Program basket
-  Cheese and fruit table
-  Guests arriving and signing the guest book

Ceremony

-  Exterior and interior of the ceremony site before guests arrive
-  Mothers being seated
-  Groom entering with groomsmen
-  Musicians
-  Bridal party walking down the aisle *
-  Wedding party awaiting bride at front
-  Close-up of groom's expression while waiting for the bride *
-  Bride before walking down the aisle
-  Close-up of bride just before she makes her entrance
-  Groom's face when he first see bride walking down the aisle *
-  Bride walking down the aisle front view *
-  Bride walking down aisle, back view of train (so I’ll walk slow since it’s not a long aisle!) *
-  Bride squeezing groom’s hand at the altar
-  Bride and groom at the altar *
-  Candid during ceremony of the couple and the JP
-  Both sets of parents watching the ceremony
-  Wide shot of the altar, from the guests' point of view (windows)
-  Wide shot of the audience, from the couple's point of view
-  Readers speaking at podium
-  Long lens/long range photo of reception (is the room big enough to need this?)
-  Sweeping shot of the ceremony (us under arch plus guests’ backs)
-  Close-up of bride and groom as they recite their vows *
-  Close-up of bride and groom's hands as they exchange rings *
-  The kiss *
-  Close-up of newlyweds RIGHT after announced married *
-  Pictures of families and bridal party walking back down the aisle (bubbles) *
-  Guests exiting ceremony area

Formals after ceremony:

Groom:

-          Alone *

-          With all groomsmen *

-          With each groomsman

-          With his parents (step parents if attending) *

-          With his brother

-          With his family *

-          With dad and brother *

-          With bride’s family

-          With his mother in law

-          With his father *

-          With his mother *

Bride:

-          Alone *

-          With bouquet near face

-          With maid of honor *

-          With her mom *

-          With her siblings

-          With groom's family

-          With her family *

-          With her mother in law

-          With mom and sister

Just the 2 moms

Just all the siblings

Bride & Groom

-          With entire Wedding Party *

-          With each set of parents *

-          With both sets of parents *

-          With both groups of siblings *

-          With both immediate families *

-          Signing the marriage license *

Bride & Groom:  Different location?  The first or last of the formals?

-          Alone together *

-          A couple tender "Just the 2 of us" pictures

-          Groom dips bride as if dancing

-          Hands displaying rings shot *

-          Bride kissing groom on the cheek *

-          Under arch *

-          Photos of bride and groom near the ???

-          Outside if weather permits

Go to:  Candids of guests enjoying cocktail hour, leave Adam and I behind

Gather all of us and our guests for a group photo (only about 15 people!) then we’ll go to reception for dinner

Reception

-          Plate of dinner *

-          Group pictures of guests at each table

-          Lots of candids of people mingling and enjoying food *

-          Slideshow, with bride and groom watching (This is actually a lot more ME than mingling.  I think it’s very Adam, too.  Maybe we should do this with our trip photos. In fact, I think Adam might enjoy this project. 

-          Bride and groom cutting the cake *

-          Group photo of our hardworking professionals

Too much?  Anything I missed?  Readers, what do you think?  What are YOUR favorite must-have wedding shots?

Planning My Wedding FOR REAL Finally: Getting Organized

Since Adam needed a break from visa/wedding stuff, I started to get myself organized.  No messing around now.  Very soon we'll set a date and I will be actually making appointments, making real choices (as opposed to just getting inspiration) and paying deposits.  So first, I went through my computer files and made sure everything was sorted correctly into folders: 

• Cake
• Catering, venues, and reception
• Ceremony
• Dress, hair, makeup, veil, shoes and jewelry
• Flowers, colors, and decorations
• Invitations and other paper
• Legal, financial, and clerical
• Music
• Photography and video
• Winter wedding ideas
• Reception tablescapes

Then I went through all the junk…I mean, information, I’ve received from 2 years worth of bridal shows.  I already have a folder of my top choices for most everything, along with receipts and contracts.  And for the rest, I actually did sort it once before, but subsequent shows needed resorting.  I threw out repeats, labeled the files similar to above, and weeded out things that I really don’t think I’m going to need to look at, like up-lighting and DJs.  I bought a file box dedicated to all the wedding information as opposed to keeping it in the shopping bags they came in at the bridal shows.  It’s a lot more manageable to look at than it was.

I know some people swear by “wedding planning books.”  I haven’t looked at one.  I don’t see the point.  Writing in a binder?  In this day in age?  No way; everything is on the computer for me.  The hard copy information I get can be filed, but I’m not writing anything.  Any hard copies that I want to pursue go onto the computer.  In each of the above folder categories I save pictures of visuals that I like.  I create a word documents containing links to websites that are annotated (such as excerpts with key info, location, prices, specifics I want from each, and my emotional response to items: lots of capitals is good, “meh” is not).  And finally, when I have some prices to compare I create an excel spreadsheet. 

Once Adam talks to his family about flights in February, my next step will be to call the venue and photographer.  So far, he’s the only pro that I have my heart set on, so I am willing to move the wedding a day or two if it means he’ll be available. 

Guest Blog: Interview at the American Embassy in London

Finally had my K1 fiancé(e) interview in London, and I got through unscathed, phew!

I knew the appointments were really done by the 'block', so even though it was for 9am I went on the train early in the morning and ended up at the embassy at 7. There was a queue of people even then! After getting something to eat and coming back at about 7:45 they were starting to let people in, so I joined the queue and got in the building not long later (it was scary seeing the police patrolling with guns. Living in a rural area we just don't see that). I was given my number, which started with I. I've read on these forums before how much more frequent N ones seem to be, and it's true - for every one I there were about twenty-five Ns called out. Not sure what that's about... Maybe I is for K1 rather than spouse, or maybe it's luck of the draw. Considering I'm kicking myself I didn't get married and then applied for a spouse visa, I hope that's not the reason .

Eventually my number came up on the screen and I went to the booth. The man was English but really hard to understand, what with the general hubbub and other factors. Asking him to repeat things four times was embarrassing and I ended up pretending I was a little deaf! Anyway he asked to see my embassy receipt and passport, and took the latter away for a few moments. When he came back he did a quick scan of some of my forms, asked if I'd ever been in the military, taken drugs, etc. I didn't hear him properly on a couple but he didn't question anything that I said so I guess I 'passed' that bit. He got me to do my fingerprints though it took a few attempts as apparently I had to push my fingers down with the other hand. He also wanted to see my police certificate, birth certificate, the affidavit of support, W2s and the latest IRS paperwork (just the one year). I brought SO MUCH in my folders but I barely needed 10% of it. I'm glad I did though, because it's better to be safe than sorry. Still, when I first went into the building I knew I'd overkilled based on everyone else, heh.

I'm really surprised he never questioned the online DS-156 duplicates. Mine had 'expired' in the top right corner even before the interview (I had no choice since it hadn't been updated until a month ago). Now, I knew that it didn't mean they were no good, but even so people on this forum have said before they were told they could re-write them out there and then with newer editions. Not one word was said with mine though, so I didn't need the re-done ones I had in my folder as back-up.

He handed me my fiancée's birth certificate. When she did the petition originally for some reason she sent the original [Amber:  the reason being Adam told me he read somewhere they would not accept copies so I HAD to.] and then complained she never got it back. Well, I've got it now! He also gave me an open white envelope which later I saw just contained a CD from my medical. I didn't hear him properly so am not exactly sure why I've got it or what's on it. He said it could be used as part of my US medical records or something, I'm not sure. Maybe it has a copy of the x-ray scans on? I've read before people are given back the actual scans when entering America, so maybe they're in the brown envelope you're given. Eh, whatever. Crossed fingers they weren't meant to be in the envelope I have now!

The man said to fill out the pink courier form and then wait for my number again, for the interview part. He wished me luck and I went back and did so and then waited... and waited. That took the longest - about forty-five minutes. Finally I went back up and this time had an American guy who was REALLY friendly. Seriously, I mean obviously as long as I didn't say anything out of place he was happy enough! He got me to sign that form you leave until a consular officer observes you (as you can tell I can't currently remember which one it is) and then asked how I met my fiancée. I thought he'd want dates and specifics, but nope. He then sifted through the forms and paperwork and smiled at the photos my fiancée had sent - one of them had us either side of a (fake) dolphin at the Boston aquarium, and he joked anybody that's in a photo with a dolphin gets free entry into the US. He even then went and showed his colleague it! Nice guy . After that I had more fingerprints taken, and then after handing back my original birth/police certificates (but obviously not my passport) he said the process was done and I'd passed or been accepted (whatever the term is) and to take my pink form to the courier desk to pay for it. He told me the passport would come in a white, plastic-y material but not to open the brown envelope as that's to take to America, which I knew.

The main waiting area was really busy by now (at a guess I'd say it was 11:20am) so I was pleased I was practically done and dusted. I went to the courier desk and she said it would take 7-10 days, and I'd need proof of identity like a bank statement, since I don't drive. I paid £36 for the early 6-8am time slot (there's also 8am-10am, and at a guess 10am-12 noon? Each is cheaper than the next) and was told they'd text me when it was going through.

That was it! I walked out feeling happy that for once there were no issues, and proud that I handled such a busy, bustling place with my Aspergers. Also exhausted since I'd slept little the night before and knowing my train wasn't going back home until 7pm, eek. I ended up sleeping in a pub, hah. Probably looked drunk!

Anyway, I came home from work tonight and saw on my phone a text was sent to me at 3:50pm. It was from the courier and it said I can expect the package at the specified time this Monday! Wow, I really didn't expect it so soon! I'm also pleased because it means there's no issue as the passport will have already been stamped and the brown envelope sealed.

Hope that was useful for anybody about to go through it. I know it's complete luck which people interview you but really if you have all the relevant forms and they're correct then you'll be fine - it's just all the waiting. When I left the building my parents were there to greet me and they said some guy that went in before me came out and told his partner he didn't get accepted "again" (!) because he lied on his form. Huh!