A Little Life Update

It's been all systems go behind the scenes over here at Life Unexpected, so here is a little life update to keep everything ticking along nicely!

In early December Luke and I set the date for our wedding! I was meant to do a whole post about how we got engaged a year ago on Christmas Eve, but unfortunately it is 13 months later and I never actually did *slaps hand* - I will get there!

We knew the exact venue that we wanted almost straight after we got engaged, in fact it was the only place we actually went to look around. We just knew it was where we wanted to have the day straight away. It's local to where we live which is perfect for friends and family within the local area, but it's also just far enough away to really make use of the beautiful rolling hillside of Bredon.

Bredon Hill is one of our favourite family walks, one we have walked many many times, and the venue of Deer Park Hall falls just below the hills peak in beautiful rolling hillside with a park full of deer!

We have a lot to sort out this year what with Luke's flat and the whole issue with the lease... We currently have 2 solicitors on the go trying to help us work this worm hole. One of the solicitors is pursuing a potential negligence claim with the solicitors Luke used to purchase the flat back in 2016. They never once advised against the lease or advised that the ground rent was onerous (which they would have been aware of and should have advised on!).

The second solicitor specialises in leases and lease extensions, and is helping us pursue an extension to reduce the ground rent to a peppercorn rent (as you can see it's been all systems go around here.... And this really is just the tip of the ice berg!).

We should have an update on the whole sorry scenario by the end of this month and know how to progress. 

Christmas has been and gone, and although it feels like a lifetime ago we all had a really lovely time. On the run up to the big day we spent lots of time together as a family and had a trip to the pantomime over at Malvern Theatre to watch Aladdin.

We popped over to Webbs of Wychbold for a spot of ice skating and even caught a showing of the Muppets Christmas Carol at our local cinema.

Unfortunately Luke had to work this year, but Father Christmas delivered in time for Leo to open his gifts while Luke was still at home.

We spent the day at my parents eating far too much food and playing with all of the wonderful new additions that had appeared under the Christmas Tree.

New Year was a quiet affair and was quite simply one for the 3 of us, we saw the New Year in together and then made our merry way to bed.

Right now we are in the final stages of planning a rather epic family trip for the February half term, on the 16th all 3 of us are flying out to New York for 3 days. We will be staying near Central Park at The Wellington Hotel, and we are all very excited for some amazing adventures.

We figured after all of the disappointment last year, what with the not buying a house thing, the miscarriage and just trying to keep looking on the bright side, we all deserved something to look forward to.

As it happens this trip actually ties together beautifully, we should have been having a baby this month, but instead we are going to head state side and make some amazing family memories and remember the little life that we never got to meet.

We have purchased the New York City Pass so that we can fill our boots with all of the attractions on offer, so everything that I couldn't do last time will be seen and experienced this time with both of my boys!

If that wasn't enough... When we get back from New York we will be staying a few days in London where we will be showing Leo everything that he has not yet experienced in our wonderful Capital City.

That isn't the end of our family trip though... For one final shabang we are jetting back off again, but this time to Venice! None of us have ever been to Venice or even Italy for that matter, so we are really excited to see what it is like.

Lux will be heading off to the kennels for 11 days, we have our ESTA's in place, up to date passports and all we need to do now is sort our insurance!

Aside from all of the travelling, I have just this past week had Leo's draft EHCP through. I have gone over the plan with Leo's school's SEN and together we have made some slight changes before we accept the plan.

It's simply a case of waiting now to see what comes back and hopefully just accepting the EHCP plan so that it is ready to go.

So for now we are just looking ahead and putting one foot in front of the other. There is light at the end of the tunnel and this trip and the wedding planning are going to keep that smile firmly on our faces.

It's all about the bride and groom...

Your wedding day should be memorable for all the right reasons, but all too often the focus is removed from the commitment the bride and groom make to one another in place of a glitzy venue and all manner of distractions, from show-stopping crystal-encrusted gowns to novel portable photo booths.

If you want to go back to basics and make sure your big day is all about you and your spouse-to-be, take a look at the following tips for inspiration.

A simple venue

To keep the focus of the big day on the bridge and groom, look for a simple venue that won't detract from the real meaning of the event. Somewhere with understated charm will help maintain attention on the proceedings, so take a look at simple venues like barns, which boast rustic appeal but are essentially blank enough canvases for you to add your own personal stamp in the way of decor.

You can browse a wide range of barn venues at Country House Wedding Venues, where you'll find traditionally-restored 18th century vaulted barns and stylish and contemporary options, many of which have won awards.

Common themes

When planning your wedding, come up with some themes you'd like to incorporate into proceedings; perhaps there's a specific place you and your partner think of fondly, or maybe you both have favourite colours you'd like to work into the celebrations. You could get married in your favourite location, or nod to it by making a map of the area and putting it up as a seating plan for your guests, for example. Try to work your themes around joint interests or likes that you and your partner bond over.

Personal favours

Instead of handing out sugared almonds to your wedding guests, choose favours that will reflect your personality or something you, as a couple, share. If you're a pair of bookworms, think about making bookmarks and giving one to each guest, while wine lovers could gift their guests a bottle stopper each.

If you enjoy travelling together, you might give your wedding guests luggage tags, while keen tea or coffee drinkers might want to give each person in attendance an engraved coffee spoon or a tea bag infuser.

Precious Pets

For many people, their pets are members of their family, so why not include beloved furry friends in your big day proceedings? You could invest in a special smart suit for your four-legged friend, or make some decorative items like a spangly bow tie for or a floral-detailed dress. You could even take things a step further and let your cherished pet bear the rings and bring them to the bride and groom as part of the ceremony!

Your own words

The commitment you make to one another on your wedding day will potentially be the most important words you say to anyone, ever, so consider making them your own. While sticking with traditional vows might have meaning for some couples, others might feel happier to express themselves using their own words and references. Your partner may have a favourite poem or lyric you might want to recite for them to make the ceremony extra-special, or you may have a way with words that you want to use to make sure your loved one knows just how special they are to you.

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