Tips To Ensure That You Pick The Right Engagement Ring

This article is published in partnership with Media Buzzer

Image Souce: Unsplash

If you are planning to pop that magical question in the near future, no doubt your thoughts will be focused on the ring, the symbol of your everlasting love, and it is vitally important that; a) she likes the ring and b) the ring actually fits. If you wanted to make the marriage proposal really special but you are finding it all a bit too much, here are a few tips to help you find the best engagement ring for your budget.

Know Her Style - Whatever her style in clothing and jewellery, you should take this into consideration when looking at a selection of engagement rings. For example, if she loves antiques, why not surprise her with an antique diamond engagement ring that is steeped in history? An online search will help you source the perfect antique diamond engagement ring and when you buy from a respected dealer, you can be sure that the item is genuine and fairly priced.

It Has To Be Diamonds - Unless she has a particular dislike for diamonds (anything is possible), the ring should contain diamonds, which are very much the symbol of romantic love. Check out the stunning Kalmar Antiques antique style engagement rings, which are genuine pieces that have been passed down through the generations.

Obtaining Her Ring Size - There are several ways to do this; you could 'borrow' one of her rings that she wears on the third finger of her left hand,or enlist the help of a good friend who can keep a secret. It is vital that you know her ring size if you are buying an antique ring, as they are very difficult, if not impossible, to resize.

Define Your Budget - If you don't decide on a maximum budget, you could easily end up overstretching yourself financially. Plus, it will help the jeweller if you give them a figure that you are happy to pay. There are a lot of expenses when getting engaged and then you have the wedding to prepare for, so make sure that your engagement ring budget is set before you look at rings. If you are not sure about your budget, this article should help you to decide on an engagement ring budget.

Involve Her In The Choice - If you are really worried that she might not like the ring, you can sacrifice the element of surprise and ask her to help you choose the ring. At least that way, you know she loves the design. You also know that the ring will fit like a glove.

Image Source: Freepik

Choosing the right engagement ring can be a challenge for any man, and we hope that the above advice will help you make the right decisions and end up with a ring that takes her breath away. You know her better than anyone else, so you should be able to choose a style that she will want to wear, and by checking out the online antique dealer, you are sure to see some stunning examples of antique and vintage diamond rings.

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Our Minimoon - 2 Nights In York

Last week I took a few days away from blogging as we had a little minimoon planned and to be honest I think a break was definitely needed. I've been letting a few things get to me recently but I'm back now and hoping to get back to my usual schedule. Anyway I was so excited to blog about our trip. We planned on going to York a while ago but it felt like it took forever for it to come around! This post is going to be full of photos so I hope you don't mind, I just have so many I want to share! I'm planning on doing a seperate little haul post of the things I bought too as this would just go on forever otherwise!

First of all the hotel we stayed in was stunning! We chose The Grand Hotel and Spa, definitely the fanciest we've ever stayed in but as it was a special occassion, it was totally worth it. It's Yorks only 5* hotel and I can totally see why. When we walked into our room we were greeted with a lovely card congratulating us on getting married recently and there was a plate of chocolates for us too which was such a lovely extra touch. Totally unexpected but made it even more special. I'm planning a proper York travel guide for some point in the future so I'll talk about the hotel more in that but the staff were incredibly friendly and I don't think we'd hesitate to stop there again.

The first place we went to in the city centre after stopping by at the hotel was Stonegate Teddy Bear Tea Rooms. I spotted this online about a week before we went and as I just love all things bears I though it would be a nice place to visit. There's a little shop downstairs selling just about every famous bear you could imagine along with many other cute bits, and upstairs is the tea room. I had a vanilla milkshake which ended up being absolutely huge, and the Victoria Sponge and George had a Nutcracker Hot Chocolate and the Raspberry Bakewell. Everything was delicious!

We then explored The Shambles and did a little bit of shopping. Even though it was quite rainy, it was still absolutely beautiful. The cobbled streets, the wonky houses, cosy shops, all of it was lovely. One shop we were desperate to visit was The Shop That Must Not Be Named. There are quite a few Harry Potter shops on the Shambles now, so of course we had to go in them all but this is kind of the main one. I got myself a little magnet to go on my desk and George got something aswell, it's actually not as expensive as you might think and totally worth paying a visit to. I'm really wanting to watch all of the films again now!

After a good few hours out exploring we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our meal that evening. After seeing Chloe's blog post a while ago about The Cosy Club I was desperate to go so we booked a few days before, and it totally exceeded any expectations I had! Surprisingly if the name didn't let on, inside it's incredibly cosy, so comfortable and welcoming and just a really beautiful place. The food is pretty incredible too. We had camembert to start and then we shared Tapas, something we never have so it was so enjoyable! We were both far too full for dessert but next time we're totally getting the dessert sharing plate.

The next day we started off at a place called The York Roast Company. We didn't end up leaving the hotel til gone 11 as everything is so closeby in York which is great as there's really no rush. This place was amazing. George had the Yorkshire Pudding Wrap and I had a Pork Sandwich, OMG both were so tasty. It's somewhere we'll definitely be going to again in the future. We then headed to York Minster which is incredible to see. It's absolutely stunning!

 As everything is really is only minutes away from one another we then went to see Clifford's Tower and then Merchant Adventurers Hall. Both a must see when visiting York I think. When walking around I was very aware that when I was younger I wouldn't have appreciated any of it but seeing it all now I was just fascinated by it all. These are places I'd seen online before so to actually be there and see how beautiful they are in real life was lovely.

The rest of our second day was pretty chilled out. After seeing the main attractions in the area we did a little more shopping along the Shambles, stopped off at numerous cafes, picked up some sweet treats from Bettys Tea Room (The Fondant Fancie is lush!) and then had a relaxing evening in the hotel. The bathroom was insane so I took full advantage of the luxurious bath! On our final day as we were in no rush to get home, we decided to go to the National Railway Museum. This was literally a 10 minute walk from the hotel so incredibly easy to get to and it's completely free aswell! Well they recommend you give a donation, which we did but if you're after free things to do in York, I think it's definitely one to consider. I remember going when I was younger, and again I'm sure I didn't find it as enjoyable then as I did now but I'm so glad we went. It was so interesting to see all of the different trains and to get to go and sit aboard them, and find out about the history of them all. We ended up spending about 2 hours there but there is so much to see and do that you could easily spend far longer there. 

After collecting our bags from the hotel we then made our way home, and even though we had such a brilliant time, I was definitely a little sad to leave. 2 nights there was perfect, the right amount of time to see everything and it gave us plenty of time to properly take it all in and just take it slow really. In the end we saw everything we set out to but I'd already love to go back. It's just a wonderful city, really beautiful in whatever weather and people are so friendly. I couldn't recommend York enough for a weekend break, a little 'minimoon' like us or even just a day out, it's stunning!

Look out for tomorrows blog post to see what I ended up buying while we were there!

Have you ever been to York?

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Travel Plans For 2018...

For years George and I have been saying 'this needs to be the year we go on holiday' but it's just never happened so this year we've said it, we really, really mean it, and we actually have proper plans in place which makes a change! As we have a few different little holidays planned I thought I'd do a blog post about them and explain why some of the places are at the top of our list!

York

I actually only did a blog post about York a few weeks ago which explained why I'm so keen to go there, so you can find that here, if you would like to have a read of it. We're actually going next week and I can't wait! I thought it was the perfect place to go as a little 'minimoon' as it's somewhere we've never been before and it just looks beautiful. I'm so excited to walk around the city, visit the cathedral, go to the Shambles and so much more. We've booked the most wonderful hotel which is definitely the fanciest we'll have ever been to, but as it's a special occassion it's totally worth it. I've already found some cosy little restaurants that I can't wait to visit and I'd love to go for afternoon tea at Bettys Tea Room! Oh, and York's Chocolate Story looks perfect for us, because we are actually a little addicted to it.

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Paris

For our proper honeymoon we were torn between Paris and Amsterdam, and it wasn't really until it came to actually sitting down and booking that we settled on Paris. I am incredibly excited! Paris has been on our list for ages but I didn't think we'd actually go any time soon, thinking about it now though is there anywhere else more perfect for a honeymoon? We're going for 3 nights in May and I just can't wait, it's going to be amazing to wander around and just see what we find, and of course eat as many croissants as we can. I could eat pain au chocolat everyday so I don't think there is another place more suited to me! I'm currently making a list of places we want to see so if you have any recommendations of things we should do or any food we should try, let me know!

London

Even though we've been to London many times now, I can't let a year go by where we don't go for at least a night. I'm usually so sad when we come home but after a night there in November, I actually felt okay and I was just so happy we went as it was such a last minute thing, but as time has gone on I've started getting that urge to go back again. We've done a lot there now so we don't really need more than one night there, but we're going to go the week after we come back from Paris. We're mainly going to see another show, this time Kinky Boots, which I can't wait for! but of course we'll also make a trip to places like Borough Market and Covent Garden, our absolute favourites. It already feels like such a long time since we last went so I'm counting down the days.

I just can't wait to get exploring this year and go on little adventures together. I am so looking forward to seeing some new places and having our first proper holiday abroad!

Have you got any travel plans for this year?

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An Interview With My Husband

A while ago I saw a post from the lovely Chloe, a fellow blogger, called 'an interview with my boyfriend' and I absolutely loved it! I thought at the time that it would be such a cool one to recreate at some point so after hitting a bit of a wall with blogging, I decided now was the time! I've mentioned George many times on my blog so I'm sure the majority of my readers know who he is but if you don't, he's my wonderful husband (still feels weird saying that) and we've been together almost 7 years! I've listed a few questions for him to answer that reflect us, but definitely make sure you give Chloe's post a read too. Also, if you do something similar to this also, let me know so I can have a read!

What was your first impression of Tiffany?
I knew Tiff was different the first time I saw her, there was just something about her. I obviously thought she was stunning, but something about her generally just drew me in. Then when I started talking to her we just clicked immediately, and I haven't looked back since.

What is your favourite thing about her?
Her sense of humour. She's hilarious but what's even better is that she finds herself hilarious. I find it incredibly cute that she isn't afraid to laugh at herself. There's little things she will say, off the cuff things, that just make me laugh. 

Favourite memory from the last (almost) 7 years together?

This is a really hard one. I think for the fact that it's a great example of how we are together I'd say our wedding day. It was so chilled out, just exactly how we wanted to do it, no pressure to please others. Coming back home just us two and eating Chinese and cake might not be how most people envision their wedding day, but it was perfect for us and I'm so glad we did it how we wanted to.

Favourite place you've been together and why?
So far, London. I don't know if I'd ever describe London as my favourite place in the world, but I love how much Tiff loves it. She's so much more relaxed and just so happy when we're there that everything we do there is even more fun and special.

Most annoying thing about Tiffany?
Hmm. There are occasions where she nearly deafens me, which I suppose could be described as annoying. She'll start talking about something she's passionate about, and without realising her voice will get louder and louder, and because I'm often sat next to her, she ends up basically shouting in my ear. It's hardly the worst thing in the world though, because I love it when she talks about things she loves.

One place you want to go to in future?
Disneyworld in Florida. I was lucky enough to go twice as a kid, one of those times as a teenager and it was just as amazing being a bit older, so I think Tiff would absolutely love it. We've spoken about it before so hopefully it won't be too long before we get to go together.

Who's the boss in the relationship?
There are definitely times when I would have said Tiff, but I think we balance each other out quite well and have gotten really good at dealing with things as a team, so I'd say we're both the boss or neither of us.

Who is the most romantic?
Again, I'd like to say we're pretty even on this score. Tiff is AMAZING at buying gifts for people, so she definitely wins on the gift front. But I think when it comes to romance we sort of plan things together and bounce ideas off each other, not super conventional but it works. I probably do need to be a little more romantic and spontaneous though.

Hopes and dreams for the future as a couple?

Just to carry on as we are, travel together, have a family (including many dogs) and be happy and healthy.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, I suppose it's more one for me to read back on in the future but I just loved the idea and thought it would be nice to share!

Similar Posts - 6 Things I've Learnt In 6 Years About Relationships!

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My Dream Honeymoon Destinations With Destination2*

It wasn't too long ago I did a post all about some of the places I would love to go on Honeymoon, but now we've been married for a few months and are kind of getting desperate for a beach holiday, I've not been able to stop looking for more. With the help of Destination2 I've found some incredible places that if money was no object, would be perfect!

Maldives

I think the ultimate honeymoon destination would have to be the Maldives. It's the place to go for ultimate relaxation. It has heavenly beaches for those who just want to sunbathe, but also stunning underwater adventures for those who want to experience everything that the Maldives has to offer. What I love about the possibility of the Maldives, is that every resort has its own private island and they are all a little bit different to one another. Some cater for families, others are more for divers, and some are for those on a smaller budget. A few things stay the same though regardless of where you are, wonderful beaches, coastlines and beautiful, warm waters. Though the Maldives is more about relaxation, there are opportunites to see the local culture and find out more about the fascinating country. From exploring the capital, to shopping in the markets, diving, and even getting the opportunity to be temporarily stranded on a deserted island leaving you to your own devices to explore. There are so many beautiful resorts but the one that has caught my eye is the Sheraton Full Moon Resort and Spa. The rooms look outstanding and I know it would just be the an incredible honeymoon.

Mauritius

Another place which I think would be pretty dreamy would be Mauritius. I think with all of the stress that comes with planning a wedding, a relaxing break afterwards is very much needed and deserved and I don't think there are many better options than somewhere like this where you can literally do nothing. There's something for all of the family, outdoor adventures, fresh local cuisine, shopping and so much more. One resort I am loving the look of is The Residence. Surrounded by powdery white sands in Belle Mare and turquoise lagoon, it just looks amazing for chilling out. You can also wander through the tropical gardens and get pampered at the spa (yes please), allowing you to do as much or as little as you like. It is sure to give you that unforgettable holiday you desire.

Thailand

I would never have thought Thailand would be on one of these lists, it's just never really appealed to me but the more research I've done recently and the more I've seen, I actually think it would be an incredible destination for a honeymoon. Thailand's Krabi province is the one that intrigues me and it's made up of a collection of small islands and coastal resorts. These include Ao Nang and Krabi Town. Krabi is a picturesque region of Thailand which is renowned for it's beautiful beaches, striking limestone cliffs and rainforests. It's perfect for those looking for a more chilled out holiday or honeymoon, to take you away from all of the stress of daily life. The resort that has caught my eye in Krabi is Amari Vogue, a haven of relaxation. Ideal for those on honeymoon it has romantic spa suites aswell as pampering treatments, outdoor jacuzzis and exquisite dining options. If this sounds perfect for you, click here to find out more!

Though it's unlikely we'll end up at any of these places for a honeymoon any time soon, I can dream! All 3 places look heavenly and I know they would all make for a pretty special holiday, time to laze around on the beaches, take a dip in the warm water and indulge in the most delicious fresh food, it would be wonderful. Though these are the places at the top of my list, there are so many other amazing places available on the Destination2 website so it's definitely worth having a look if you're in the market for a holiday or honeymoon this year. Destination2 are also running a competition at the moment where you can win yourself a Mauritius Honeymoon!

Where is your dream honeymoon destination?

*This post is sponsored by Destination2

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Planning A Small Wedding - How We Did It, Costs & More

Yep, another wedding post, I'm sorry! I will shut up about it one day. When I first posted about George and I getting married I mentioned that as it was a small wedding, if anyone would like a post all about how we went about it, the booking process, costs involved etc, then I was more than happy to do that and a few people said it was something they would love to read. When it came to researching for a small wedding and the things we needed to do and pay for, it actually wasn't that easy to find some proper information and a post like this would have been so useful at the time. Obviously I don't know everything but if you are engaged or planning a wedding, and just want a few tips then hopefully I can help in some way.

1. Think About Exactly What You Want

We both knew for a long time that we didn't want a fuss. No big church wedding with lots of people there, that just isn't us. For us the only options were either going abroad and getting married and having the honeymoon at the same time or just go for a registry office wedding. Obviously when I was working the first option seemed like the best one because we had the money to think about going somewhere really nice for it, but once I left my job that became a bit more difficult. It can be done but when you add everything up it doesn't work out the cheapest so for us a registry office wedding was the only option and really it worked out for the better. With a registry office wedding you have the option to just get married with 2 witnesses there which is what we did or you can book rooms out with more guests if you wish. There's no pressure to invite the whole family and all your friends, it really can be a straightforward thing if you want it to be and there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing it that way. Whatever you choose, just make sure it's exactly what you want because it's YOUR day.

2. Get In Touch With The Venue & Think About Wedding Rings

If you decide on a registry office wedding, it's a good idea to pop them an email or give them a ring so you can be clear on all the details and what exactly you need to do. As I said I struggled to find out much information online so I sent an email to my local registry office explaining what we wanted, asked for the prices and also the dates available that year. This was when we were told they only do weddings on the third wednesday of each month so that's something to consider when planning a registry office wedding. I'm not sure if this is the same in every single one, it all depends on your location but I imagine they stick to some sort of schedule like that. They get booked up fast so you might need to book a good while in advance. We booked in June 2017 and the only dates available left were one morning in November or 3 times available on the 20th December which is the one we went for, at 3.30pm. We were also told at the time that if we didn't want either of those, they were booked up pretty much from February for a few months because of Valentines so that's something else to think about. Once we booked the wedding, we started to look at wedding rings as we knew it was likely they would have to be ordered in. Within a week of George picking and trying one on, it arrived in store but mine ended up taking about 6 weeks. Obviously the sooner you can get these the better just in case they do need to be ordered in or be resized.

3. Deposits and Costs

Though a wedding is always going to cost money, it can be done on the cheaper side and a registry office wedding like ours really doesn't have to cost much. I think in the end it cost £25 to secure the room, £50 for the ceremony which includes £4 for the certificate and then £35 each for notice of marriage. Obviously if you want a bigger room with more guests then the prices go up. If we had gone for that option we would have been looking anywhere between £100 and £180 for the room and then the things I mentioned above, on top of that. As we just wanted it to be us, in the end the actual ceremony came to roughly £150.

4. Notice Of Marriage

 Before your wedding day, you and your partner will have to go and give notice of your marriage. This can be done up to a year before your wedding day and really doesn't take much time at all. I was definitely a little nervous beforehand because I had no idea what to expect but it was all quite simple. A registrar will talk to you and your partner individually first, checking your ID, asking you each basic questions about one another, so their birthday, occupation etc, and then they'll talk to you both and that's just to go over the details of the day and this is when they'll ask you what sorts of vows you want reading. It really is quite straightforward and nothing to worry about, and after that we were just on a bit of a high because it all finally felt real.

5. Outfits, Cake, Family Etc

 I wasn't sure how to round up this post but I felt like everything else could sort of go into one point. So if you're going down the same route as us, you're probably not going to be inviting everyone you know. If that's the case it's totally up to you when you tell everyone. If you feel comfortable tell them beforehand and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to celebrate with you afterwards. At the end of the day it's about you and your partner, nobody else, don't fall into the pressure of doing what everyone else wants you to do, if you want to go off and get married, telling people afterwards, go for it. As we really wanted it to be a very fuss free wedding, we both had quite casual outfits, no suits and dresses here! but again it's completely up to you. In the end George went for smart black jeans, smart boots and a white shirt, and I went for black skinny jeans, a lacy long sleeved top and some sparkly flats. It probably wasn't a very conventional wedding outfit but the most important thing was that we felt comfortable. When I think back now I can be happy with what I wore because I felt good! As I said in my wedding blog post we didn't get a cake made or anything fancy, we walked over to Patisserie Valerie afterwards and got the 4 cakes for £10 deal. Their cakes are beautiful so this still felt really special and now every anniversary we can go back and have more! If you want to go all out with a cake, then go for it, just because the actual ceremony is small doesn't mean anything else needs to be, if you want to celebrate afterwards then that's completely your choice, everyone is different!

I'm not sure just how helpful this post will be, I do feel I've rambled quite a bit but I just wanted to explain the process for us and how we went about it. In the end if you just want to be married, then a simple registry office is perfect and is just as special as any other wedding. It's all about what you and your partner want and feel comfortable with, and for us this was the perfect option! 

If you have any questions or need any more information, feel free to get in touch, I might not be the most help but I can try.

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The Makeup I Wore On My Wedding Day

It's no secret if you're a long time reader of my blog that I really don't experiment much with makeup! In fact a lot of the time now I don't even wear it as there's just no need, whereas I used to no matter whether I was leaving the house or not. I'm a lot more comfortable now with what my face looks like without makeup (though right now my skin is having a major tantrum) and it really does no good for my skin when I wear it all the time so it's pretty much just when people are coming round or I'm heading out, that I actually make the effort. Of course for our wedding I wanted to look nice so I started thinking a few months before of how I wanted my hair and makep and that also gave me plenty of time to add any new products in or pick up anything I needed to repurchase. In the end I pretty much stuck to my usual products but there were a few new additions that I'd got in past Birchboxes and also in Boots when we were last in London so I thought it might be nice to do a post about it as I know I'll want to read back on everything about the wedding one day! As always I went for quite a subtle, casual makeup look so if you're hoping to do the same sort of thing, some of these products might be worth considering.

Starting with the base I used my trusty Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation. I've not tried another foundation for absolutely ages because I'm worried none will ever live up to this one! It's quite high coverage so really does cover up any spots well and I find it lasts all day. Most of my makeup was applied using my new Real Techniques PowderBleu Brushes and also some of their classic ones, they are my go to brush brand. I then moved onto concealer and the one I picked up especially for my wedding day was the Maybelline Fit Me. This is another product that I can't live without. I've tried several concealers but this is the only one I find really works. It lightens under my eyes, covers spots and blends so easily, it's just the best. For contour and bronzing I stuck with my favourite Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit. This was something else I picked up recently as I had just ran out and knew it was one I would want to use on the day. I'm not massively into contouring and probably don't do it very well, but I find this gives some actual definition to my face and just makes me look a little bit better! I then added a bit of Benefit Hoola Bronzer all over which I find gives me a nice bit of colour and then I used my Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in the shade Pink Rose on the tops of my cheekbones. The final base products I used were the Manna Kadar 3-in-1 which I use as a highlighter (it's such a fab product, a little bit gives a lovely glow) and then to finish off my Maybelline Matte Maker Powder. I always dust some of this over my face to really blend everything in and just set it all so it stays in place a bit longer!

Moving onto eyes, I used a standard MUA black pencil eyeliner. Eyeliner is one of those products I can't not use now, it makes my eyes stand out so much and I really do love how it looks. Definitely one of my must have products. I then curled my eyelashes with a Superdrug Eyelash Curler and then added loads of Benefit Roller Lash Mascara. I have a love/hate relationship with this mascara, some days it works so well and makes my lashes look great, other days they just look a clumpy mess. Luckily on the day, it went well! One of the final steps of my makeup was to have a quick brush through of my eyebrows with my Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil.

The last thing I did was apply some of my favourite lipstick at the moment, the Max Factor Elixir in the shade Burnt Caramel. I've mentioned this a few times on my blog in the space of a month but it's just brilliant! I'm not a big fan of lipstick as I've just never found the right colour for me before really but this is just it. It's a subtle, pink nude colour and aswell as looking pretty, it also feels really moisturising. I'm so glad I got this and it looked okay because it was perfect for the day.

To say I did all of my makeup myself and just stuck to mainly drugstore brands, I think I looked okay! I'm usually quite hard on myself but I do think my makeup looked good and most importantly, I felt good. I'm so glad I stuck with my trusty favourites as they didn't let me down and it all stayed on so well throughout the day. I think I'll always be repurchasing these products now!

Have you tried any of these products before?

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We Got Married!

Finally! After literally years talking about it on my blog, me and George finally went and got married! I really wasn't sure what I was going to say and when I'd say it but today felt right and I couldn't keep something like this away from my blog for too long.

We got married on the 20th of December 2017, late afternoon and it was everything we had hoped for. Just us and two witnesses, that was all we wanted. We had known for a long time we didn't want a fuss, all we wanted was to be married and have the same last name and be a proper tiny little family of our own. It didn't matter about the venue, the clothes, a cake, anything like that, so we kept it really simple. We had a registry office wedding, both in quite casual clothes, though I did have some pretty stunning shoes (which wrecked my feet) and we got cake from Patisserie Valerie afterwards. 

I know to some people that might seem really random and not very weddingey (if that's a word) at all but we really didn't want a big thing and for us it really was perfect. I know we'll look back one day and be happy with how we did it because it was our way, we didn't fall into the pressure of inviting everyone and spending loads of money, and we had waited for it for such a long time. We booked it months ago and managed to keep it a secret so when the day finally arrived, it didn't even feel real! After being engaged for 3 years, it was just the right time and I'm so happy we're finally husband and wife. I can't stop looking at my wedding ring, it goes so well with my engagement one and they are just beautiful, exactly what I wanted. Of course planning a wedding no matter how small is stressful and there were definitely things in the run up to it that I couldn't stop thinking about but on the day it literally all went away, I don't think I'd ever felt so calm and relaxed. It just felt right. I still can't believe it's real!

I don't really think there is too much else to say at the moment, and I don't want this post to go on for ages, we're just really happy and so excited now for Chrismas! Maybe early next year I'll talk about how we planned it all and the makeup I wore, things like that, if anyone would be interested. I just wanted to get this post up now before Christmas as it's just such an exciting time and I couldn't keep it in any longer. I'm hoping to get back to blogging some time next week but for now I'm going to enjoy a well deserved break over Christmas and hopefully come back raring to go again soon! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and to those who have already said Congratulations and sent well wishes, thank you so much!

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A Little Wedding Wishlist - Shoes, Accessories & Beauty

So it's been a while since I last properly spoke about getting married and this post isn't going to be an update or anything, we're wanting to keep it very private until afterwards but I did want to share a little wishlist. As time goes on I'm getting increasingly aware of what I actually need to buy and I'm worried it's going to get to the week before and I'll have forgot loads! I'm going to keep my outfit quite simple, and even though I'm not fully decided on one yet I do know I need a few accessories and I also definitely need to get a bag and some shoes, aswell as a few beauty bits! I thought it might be nice to do a little post with just a few bits I've seen recently that I really want to try and get for the wedding as like I said it's been a while since I've posted anything about it. 

The first thing I wanted to include was shoes, because I just have no idea what to go for! I'm really not that good in walking in heels, I genuinely think the last time I wore them was my prom, or not long after, which was a good few years ago now! so I'm thinking I'll go for some nice flats, again it all depends on the outfit though. If I go for a dress I'm probably wanna go for heels but if I go for a more casual outfit, I think some pretty flats would be lovely. I just dont know, here are a few I'm liking at the moment though regardless! I know a lot of the heels look the same but I promise they are different.

New Look Velvet Shoes, Suede Metal Trim Shoes, Asos Heels, Asos Ankle Strap Flats, Asos Glitter Pointed Flats, Asos Lisbon Flats

I think any of the flats would look lovely with some nice new skinny jeans and some sort of white lacey top and I think the heels would all go well with a dress if I decided to go for that. I honestly have no idea what to go for. We're keeping it really casual, it isn't in a church or anything like that so I want to be comfortable. I'm gonna have do some serious thinking! The best thing about all of these aswell is regardless of what I go for I can wear them afterwards too!

Now onto beauty. I know I definitely want to repurchase my Essie Eternal Optimist nail polish. It's such a perfect nude colour and I've said right from the beginning that was going to be the one I wore on my wedding day. I'm getting to the end of the bottle I have now, thats how much I love it so I need to get another one of these. I also really want to get another of the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. I don't want to wake up on my wedding day with new spots but knowing my luck I will, so I really need this as it's the best concealer I've ever used. I also really want to get some sort of setting spray. I've never used them before but they are supposed to be brilliant for keeping your makeup in place. I've seen a good one by Rimmel but if anyone has any recommendations please let me know!

Starskin Hand Masks, Starskin Lip Masks, Rimmel Setting Spray, Essie, Fit Me Concealer.

I love the look of both the Starskin products, neither I've ever tried but I think both look really good. I want to have nice, fresh and soft hands so I think the nourishing hand masks are interesting! Also the plumping and hydrating lip masks are intriguing and as there are two I could try one a few weeks before and see if they make any sort of difference.

There are only a few accessories I need to get, the main one being a bag! I don't want to take much but I'm going to need something so I'm thinking a little plain clutch bag would be nice. Again the style I go for might change depending on the outfit but for now I'm liking these two simple ones from Asos. Also I have no idea what I'll be doing with my hair but I love these two headpieces. I just think they would look lovely and it's a little bit of sparkle but not too out there. Lastly I love this gold necklace. I don't wear much jewellery and I do already have a few necklaces I could wear but this is so pretty.

Flower band, Diamante Band, Gold Necklace, Curved Clutch Bag, Scallop Clutch Bag

I feel like I've probably repeated myself a lot in this post but I'm conscious of not giving too much away and also there are a lot of things I'm still pretty undecided on! I just thought it would be nice to do a wedding post like this, and there are some really lovely bits available at the moment.

Do you like anything on this wishlist? or have you tried any of the beauty bits?

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Manchester Christmas Market and The Trafford Centre

I have so many pictures of our first weekend away to Manchester and I was desperate to share them with you just because it was really the best weekend ever. On Friday night we headed to Manchester for 2 nights, our first time away together and I was completely unaware that George was planning on proposing at this point. At the time I just was excited anyway for a proper weekend away, I literally had no idea what he was planning. 

On the Saturday we started the weekend by a trip to The Trafford Centre and spent a little bit of money! I will do a separate post showing you the things I bought, I still haven't taken any pictures of it all yet but it was lovely to do a bit of shopping! The first place we went was Pancake Express. We went here last time we visited and it is just as good. We went for The Club which has chicken, bacon and cheese in and it was amazing. I definitely prefer savoury pancakes over sweet, I am not sure I could recreate this at home but it was so good that I would definitely give it a try. After this we went to Selfridge's and bought some personalised Nutella jars! I now have one with my name on it and we also bought a few as presents. Definitely something different and really not that expensive. We bought lots of nice food and nice presents for people aswell for Christmas and I just hope people love them as much as I do. I just can't wait to get everything out and have a proper look at what we got. I couldn't possibly name all the shops we went in, there was just too many.

The Trafford Centre and the hotel, sorry my pictures aren't great! 

After the Trafford Centre, we made our way back to the hotel to chill for a few hours. Just before we were about to leave for the Christmas market, this is where he proposed! He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was saying yes in my head but it took a few seconds for the words to come out so I think he was a bit worried but like I was ever going to say no. It was just perfect, he said some very nice things and made me feel very special and I can honestly say I am the happiest girl in the world. I don't think I have ever smiled as much as this, I seem to just find myself thinking about it and smiling to myself! I don't think it has sunk in properly. I can't wait to get started on planning the wedding, even though it probably won't be for a few years, I am desperate to get myself a wedding planning diary of some sort and start putting ideas down. 

Obviously nothing could have made the day any better, but the Christmas Market was pretty amazing. It was massive, there were so many stalls, German ones, Italian, French, just so many different types selling all sorts of things. As it was so busy we didn't get to buy much but it didn't even matter. We did get some pretty amazing chocolate cakes though. I just loved been there and it was definitely a place we'll go again in the future, to experience it on the opening weekend was amazing, it's definitely got me excited for Christmas! 

The Christmas Market. 

On the Sunday we went shopping round the city centre and went to Caffe Nero for some food, it was actually the first time we had been there for some reason but it was so nice. We ended up back home about 4ish, definitely straight back to reality but there is no other word to describe this weekend other than amazing! We will definitely be going back in the future and now we have even more reason as we got engaged there! I am now officially a fiancée! So exciting. 

Caffe Nero. 

I just thought I'd mention we were staying at the Premier Inn Portland Street and even though some people may look down on premier inns and think they aren't necessarily fancy hotels, you need to go to this one! It had just been renovated so we were in a new room which had just been done up, it was not what I was expecting. We had a huge bed, a flat screen TV on the wall opposite us, that was also huge, a sofa and a lovely bathroom with an amazing bath, I used one of my lush bath bombs too and it was so good. There was plenty of space in the bathroom for toiletries, a wardrobe, a fancy hair-dryer and mirror. I know this might sound boring that I am describing the hotel room but it was just so much better than we expected. I thoroughly recommend this hotel if you are visiting Manchester in the future.

Overall it was just the BEST weekend and I still can't believe what happened.

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I'm Engaged!!!

I don't even know how to start this blog post in any other way, but I am engaged! I can't put into words how happy I am, it has honestly been the best weekend.

I will do a separate post about the Christmas market in Manchester and the Trafford Centre showing what we bought over the next few days. I just couldn't wait to do a post to tell you all! It was very romantic and everything that I had hoped and more. We are both so happy, I don't even feel like it's real yet! I just can't stop looking at my hand, the ring is beautiful.

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