The Long Distance Wedding

The problem with living so far from home is that when you want to plan a wedding it's difficult to do everything from so far away. I wasn't planning on making a trip back before the wedding but only when you start planning do you realise that no matter how advanced technology is there is just certain things you can't do over the Internet. Not only that but you also feel slightly removed from the whole occasion if you aren't thrown into the pre-wedding planning saga.  So off I went with wedding planner in hand to my first appointment Bianca Warren Signature Store for brides maids dresses. I later returned for a small shopping spree because her clothes are just so pretty! I will share the dresses on here post-wedding.

Bianca Warren Signature Store

It's a special time and it should be absorbed and enjoyed as much as possible with your family and those involved in the wedding. After realising this I booked a flight home for 6 days and I literally hit the runway at full sprint. I had a full schedule of appointments booked for the week and I managed to get to them all, to my great relief. Amongst trying to do all my wedding things I also needed to renew my drivers license. Any fellow South African can understand when I say this is the most excruciating experience you will ever endure. It was so bad that I am planning on exchanging it for my British license just so I never have to go through that again.  So with my make up trial booked at 8am and my hair trial booked at 2 we had a few hours to head to the license department in between. This process really reveals why South Africa is still very much a developing country. Stuck on a wooden bench wedged between at least 100 other people (me with my bridal make up in tact) for over 2 hours with my mum on one said and a bridesmaid on the other we survived on a few short bread biscuits we had stashed in the car. After the sacrificial two hours it was off to hair...

I think hair has to be one of the things the bride to be probably worries about the most, no one wants to walk out on the day looking like a peacock. So I think when I looked in the mirror with my hair all done and my bridal face on it finally hit home that, not only was I actually getting married, but I was going to do it with amazing hair too :) thank goodness because Mr P's aunt has kindly offered to do the hair as a wedding gift and it would have been one awkward convo if it looked like I'd stuck my hand in an electric socket.

One of the biggest reasons for my trip back was to see the place that I would actually say my 'I do's', Zulu Nyala Game Lodge. Yes ladies I had not even seen my wedding venue with my own eyes before! Having seen it now and fallen in love with the place I don't know how I ever thought I could arrive the day before having not seen it. I can now picture my day more realistically in my head for the next three months instead of filling in the blanks using my imagination.

Zulu Nyala

So as I sit at the hair dressers having some highlights done while I type this I will fly back to London tomorrow night a lot more excited and a lot less worried about the most important day of my life. Poor Mr P will just have to trust my judgement (and the pictures).

It's been very special to spend time with my mum and do what normal mums and daughters living in the same country do when prepping for a wedding.

See you in 3 months Durbs ;)