Happy Monday everyone! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the new week ahead. I had a really interesting week last week, as it was the start of my new job and working from home, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.

Although it’s not been as warm this week, I’ve been trying to make the most of the sunshine and getting out on walks in the morning and at lunchtime – plus only having cats as colleagues makes you feel the need to leave every so often!

Here’s everything I was loving last week.

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New Job

As I mentioned, I started a new job on Monday which I’m sure you’ll hear me talk about on social media and on here at some point. It’s very similar to what I was doing in my old role, but the company is much more suited to my beliefs and I’m really excited to be working on some big projects already – watch this space!

London

As I started a new job on Monday, I spent the next couple of days in London for introductions and some training. It was really lovely to get to know my wider team and put some faces to names (or email addresses at least…) I’ll be down in London every couple of weeks for big meetings, which I’m looking forward to as I love the big smoke!

Seeing Friends

When I was down in London, I met up with my friend Erin, who lives down there. We had a really lovely wander and drinks on one of the rooftop bars in Covent Garden, and then walked around Seven Dials, before heading for dinner at Wildwood and a walk to the Thames for the sunset. We also walked down the South Bank which has changed so much since the last time I was there about a year ago.

Ikea

After spending so much time in the week at home, I found a few cosmetic things that I wanted to change with the house, so Jordan and I went to Ikea on Friday evening to pick up a few bits. I’m going to start sharing more home bits on my blog and Instagram so make sure you keep an eye out for those!

Reilly Denholm

I was really lucky to be invited to have my cut and colour done at Reilly Denholm in Leigh. It’s been so long since I’ve had anything professional done to my hair, and I decided to refresh the colour with a bit of balayage and also had about 4 inches off it too! It was all done by Rachel, who was amazing and so patient with the whole process.

Blue Dot

After having my hair done, I went to Bluedot Festival at Jodrell Bank, which is a festival I’ve wanted to go for a couple of years. The location was amazing, and the festival itself wasn’t like anything I’ve even been to before. I’ll be writing a whole post on it soon.

Brunch

On Sunday morning, I went for brunch (the best meal of the whole week) at Gusto in Knutsford with a group of bloggers. My friend Missy was there with her boyfriend Chris, but I hadn’t met any of the others before and it was a great group of people. I went for the Nutella pancake and it was divine!

Family Sundays

It was also my cousin’s 8th birthday (and my uncle’s today) on Sunday so we headed to their house after brunch for a party. The sun came out just as we arrived and we got to meet their new Cavapoo puppy, Teddy, who was the sweetest thing ever and was very close to coming home with us! Sundays are definitely my favourite day for seeing family and chilling with everyone in the garden.

Wedding Update

Whilst I was at my uncle and aunties, I asked my twin cousins to be my flower girl and pageboy at the wedding next year. They both seemed really excited, and I think they are going to look adorable!

Leesa

This week we finally unboxed our Leesa mattress which has been taking refuge in the downstairs toilet for a few days now. We’ve only slept one night on it, but it is one of the comfiest mattresses I’ve ever slept up, and I’m already looking forward to going to bed tonight – I’ll be doing a full review with a discount code on it too!

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What have you been loving this week?

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There are a lot of aspects of your wedding where it’s a good idea to follow people’s advice and do things in a traditional way. I won’t lie, trying to find my own personal wedding style has been tough, and this has impacted other decisions to do with the big day such as flowers, colours and decorations. I had some help from Goldsmiths as well and found that my style is a mixture of timeless and modern and when looking at the mood boards, all the decisions we have made so far do fit within this, including the colours we have gone for and the makeup and hair that I’ve been looking at.

If you really want a wedding that stands out and provides you and your guests with amazing memories that you’ll cherish forever, then you need to find a way to set it apart whilst still being true to yourself and your taste. This means that one of the first things that you need to start thinking about when planning a wedding is what kind of style you’re going for.

Never forget though that your wedding day is a really true statement of you and your partner’s love and your style will come out in everything you have decided for your wedding. With that in mind, here are some ways in which you can start figuring out exactly what kind of style your wedding needs.

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What are your passions?

A wedding should be something that reflects the personalities of you and your partner, and there’s no better way to do that than by channelling the things that you’re passionate about. There are multiple levels that you could take this idea to from having subtle nods to a book that you both love to having the entire wedding themed after your favourite TV show to everything in between. The key is to think about what really expresses who you and your partner are and how you can incorporate that into the style of your wedding.

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What aesthetics do you like?

Everyone has their own style and aesthetic preferences, and you’re never going to have a wedding that you really like if you’re building it all around something that you’re not that invested in. Think about the styles that you and your partner like, what kinds of influences you take in your own styles.

When choosing things like wedding fashion jewellery, your own personal style is crucial to helping you find something you really love. If you can fit your aesthetic into your wedding as much as possible, it’s going to look that much more beautiful and represent you.

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What kind of budget are you working with?

Budget is a huge factor in weddings, and as soon as you use the ‘w’ word, the price shoots up. After all, solid crystal glasses and hanging chandeliers are always going to be more of a strain on your wallet than handmade centrepieces and a smaller, more intimate venue.

However, there are always things that you can do to work around a limited budget so don’t let discourage you from going after the wedding that you really want. There are plenty of ways to be thrifty and cut back on certain things in order to get the most out of your budget. We’re currently looking at making our own centrepieces by borrowing things from friends and picking things up here and there, and we saved money by sending a save the date out by email.

Pinterest will be your best friend if you are looking to be a bit crafty for the big day, and this is where I’ve f0und loads of inspiration that matches my personal style, and even though we’ve used bits from different themes throughout, I feel as though this represents our relationship more than sticking to just one.

Weddings are 100% personal to you and your partner and whatever you chose, it will be the best day of your life so don’t lose sight of that.

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What would your personal wedding style be?

It’s been over a year since I went to the White Isle, but it was one of the most fun weekends of my life and it definitely should be on your list for a girls trip or a holiday with your other half as it offers so much.

Ibiza has a reputation of being a bit of a party island, and although there are some of the world’s best super clubs housed across the place, it has so much more to offer and is definitely a destination that should be on your list to visit.

Today I’ve rounded up some of my reasons why Ibiza should be your go-to holiday destination.

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1. It Doesn’t Take Long To Get To

The great thing about Ibiza is that you can get to it from most UK airports and the flight time is somewhere in the region of 2h 30 minutes which gives you enough time to get a glass of fizz and relax.

When we flew there last year, the flight times were pretty good as well: we flew on a Friday evening and came back on a Monday evening so had three full days there, which was the perfect amount of time if you were after a weekend girls trip or a longer holiday.

2. Beach Clubs

What could be better than lying on a sunbed having sangria delivered to you? In my eyes, absolutely nothing.

The beaches in Ibiza are some of the most stunning I have ever seen so that in itself should be a reason to visit, but the fact that you can listen to great music, eat amazing food and get suitably tipsy as well is just even more of a bonus!

There are loads of beach clubs across the island ranging from slightly pricier options to ones for those on a budget. As we went slightly off-season, a lot of the bigger beach clubs weren’t open, but we did find Malibu Beach Club on Ses Salines beach, which was gorgeous and had such attentive staff: I’d highly recommend giving it a go.

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3. The Nightlife

If the party-style nightlife does appeal to you, Ibiza has some of the best clubs in the world. From Pacha to Amnesia and everything in between, there is definitely something for everyone.

We stayed in the old town, which was more bars and restaurants, but there are good transport links all over the island, as well as organised trips to other areas which you can organise before you arrive. The taxi service is also really good and reasonably priced so that’s another option too.

4. The Weather

Ibiza is notoriously known for its gorgeous weather, and it’s easy to see why. We visited in late April and it was around 23-25 degrees and sunny the whole time we were there.

There are loads of lovely squares and outside areas to soak up some rays and dabble in a bit of al-fresco dining and of course the glorious beaches. The water also is quite warm compared to other Spanish islands I’ve been to, and is so gorgeous and turquoise that you’ll want to dive straight in.

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5. Food

We actually had our best food recommendation from a local, who was in the lift with me and my friend Sophie at the time, and he was not wrong when he said it was the best pinchos in Spain – the restaurant was full of locals, eating and drinking to their heart’s content, and had a real Spanish feel about it, including the way you picked what you wanted off the counter and indulged in some delicious tapas.

We didn’t have a bad meal during our stay there, and there is definitely an abundance of restaurants, ranging from gorgeous, quaint tapas ones, to beautiful sushi and Thai places. There is a huge range of different cuisines, for all different price tags.

6. Old Town

The Old Town of Ibiza is such a beautiful and quaint little place, and if you don’t stay around there, it is definitely worth a visit. Take a walk up all of the winding roads to the castle and marvel at how stunning the views are.

There are also traditional Spanish shops in this area and it’s where you’ll find some of the best restaurants too. Definitely, one to visit if you like to see the traditional side of a destination.

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7. Not as expensive as you may think

One of the things I was worried about when I found out we were going to Ibiza was the cost of it. I’d heard previously that everything was super expensive over there, but from someone who has visited, I can assure you that it is really not that bad. Obviously, there are places which cost more than others, but you just have to have a look online or go to a few different places in order to get a fairly priced meal.

My advice would be to go off the beaten track and away from the tourists as this is usually where you’ll find the cheaper options and best deals and have a look online before you go to see if there are places you can book. If you are staying in an apartment too, I’d suggest getting some food in for breakfast and lunch so you don’t have to spend as much money out in the day and can save it for the evenings.

8. Excursions

On our first day there, was took a ferry out to the island of Formentera which took just under an hour. The island was absolutely stunning – think crystal blue waters, national parks and beautiful coves – and it was a lot less busy than mainland Ibiza. We took a taxi to a beach on the other side of the island and spent the afternoon in the sunshine, eating paella and drinking wine.

As Ibiza is an island, there are loads of different boat tours you can do, including hiring your own and going to secluded beaches, and what better way to spend a day than that?

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this post about all the different reasons to visit this diverse island!

Have you been to Ibiza? What did you think?

One of the questions I get asked most about our engagement is where did I say yes? And to be honest, it’s at the top of my list whenever anyone pops the question.

Was it in a restaurant, at home while enjoying a romantic home cooked meal together, was it at the top of a mountain after you both hiked up it for hours? Was it a surprise? Did you have an inkling? Or is your other half not great at keeping secrets?

Once your partner has got down on one knee as well and you’ve finally come to terms with it, who are the first people you want to tell? For us, we got engaged abroad and wanted to tell people face to face so waited until the end of our trip. For us, this was really nice as it allowed us to have time with just the two of us knowing about our engagement and it made it our own little secret for a couple of days which was lovely.

When we did get round to telling our family and friends about the good news, we weren’t sure how to go about it, but we did what felt natural to us. As there aren’t many customs on telling your nearest and dearest in the UK, we felt as though we owed it to these people to tell them face to face, and also keep it off social media for a few days. 

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First The Closest

Some weddings have hundreds of guests, others just have a few dozens. Regardless of how many can actually make it to your wedding, you first need to contact those that mean the most to you. We decided to tell our closest family and friends face to face to see their reactions and because we wanted them to know how excited we were too. 

If you can’t get to people or they do not live in the same country, maybe give them a call or FaceTime so you can tell them as close to in real life as possible. Take it from me that they’ll want to know every detail – how the proposal went down, did you suspect anything and how you’re feeling. Showing human contact too means you really care about them and want them to know something very personal.

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Tell your web

In today’s modern world, the way we get most of our information is via social media.  After you have spoken to all your loved ones and incredibly close friends, it’s time to tell the web of your friends. These people might be work colleagues you often hang out with after working hours, they might be people from your school or just friends that are a little more distant.

Here you can make it publicly known on your social media so you don’t have to contact everyone individually which saves a lot of time and effort when you want to start actually planning the wedding and getting on with the fun stuff about being a bride. We decided to wait until our anniversary (which was about 2 weeks after getting engaged) to tell the internet-world the good news. 

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Make It Official

After you have shed a few tears of happiness and had a heart to heart with all your loved ones, now you can get to writing down the list of who you want to come to your wedding. It’s going to be a little difficult if you haven’t chosen your venue and location yet, so I would definitely get that booked first and foremost. Plus looking around venues is one of the most fun parts.

Once you do have a list, the invitation should be a mark of the theme or type of wedding you’re intending to have. Paper Themes have some great examples of the kind of invitation you may want. They’re formal and professional, yet they also are artistic enough to have unique designs and styles to suit every type of wedding. For something elegant yet subtle, the Regal Beauty wedding invitation with its gold foil motif and cream colour would fit the bill. You can also transcribe your own initials in the centre of the invitation to personalize it a bit. For something bold and subdued, the Royal Swirls invitation would be great. It’s a luxury pearl board and has a midnight coloured background with copper foil writing. It’s more of the classic style of the wedding if that’s what you prefer.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this wedding post and its given you some food for thought if you are newly engaged. And if you are, congratulations! xx

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How did you tell your loved ones? 

 

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend enjoying the sunshine and the long summer evenings. I’ve had such a lovely week which started in Italy, and towards the end, it was a bit emotional as I said goodbye to my job of the last year to start a completely new chapter, but more about that in the next few weeks.

Here is everything I was loving last week!

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Sardinia

I started the week with three days in Cagliari in Sardinia, and I had such a lovely time. Italy is definitely one of my favourite countries, and it was really nice to spend time in Sardinia, which is such a stunning island. I can’t wait to write up all of my recommendations.

Boat Trip

I wanted to mention the boat trip that we went on in Sardinia because it was such a fun day and something that I’ll definitely be doing again somewhere else. We were taken to crystal clear waters and different beaches, all of which were absolutely stunning – such a fun way to spend a day.

World Cup

I came back on Wednesday to England’s last football match in the World Cup, and although it wasn’t the result we were all hoping for, it was really great to see the team going so far and all of the country coming together and supporting the same cause. Although I’ve watched more football in the last month than ever before, I’m really going to miss it!

Leaving Drinks

As I mentioned, Friday was my last day in work, so we had some leaving drinks and lunch in Alderley Edge with some of my closest colleagues. It was quite a surreal day and I’m going to miss everyone so much, but it’s time for the next challenge and I’m really looking forward to it.

Disco Classical

On Friday evening, Hannah invited me to Victoria Warehouse to see Disco Classical with Sister Sledge, and we had such a good night. There was an orchestra, different bands playing and Sister Sledge were amazing too. It’s something I wouldn’t usually go to, but it was something I would definitely recommend if you get the chance.

Amazon Order

This week I decided to treat myself to a few different books on Amazon as it’s been a while since I bought any new ones. I might start doing book reviews on here, so let me know if that would be something you’d like to see, and I will make it happen!

Cricket

On Saturday, a group of us went to a T20 match, which was Lancashire VS. Derbyshire at Emirates Old Trafford. I was really lucky to be invited to have a look round the media centre beforehand too, which was really interesting. I’ve never been to see the cricket before, but I had such a good time and it’s definitely something I’ll be going to again!

Food Shop

I know this makes me sound like a right loser, but there is nothing I love more than a fridge full of food! As I’ll be working from home now, I wanted to make sure I had enough food in for the week so I don’t head to the supermarket at any opportunity. It’s my aim too to start eating a bit healthier after quite an indulgent few weeks.

Chilled Sunday

As I’ll be starting my new job today, I wanted to have a really chilled Sunday getting my office set up properly and making sure the house was a little bit tidier so it’s a nicer environment to work in.

Coffee Scrub

I was contacted on Instagram a couple of weeks ago by natural skincare brand, Optiat, and was offered to try one of their products. I went for the mandarin coffee scrub and I love it. It makes my skin feel so soft and it smells amazing too. If you’re into sustainable products, then definitely have a read.

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How was your week?