It’s gonna happen

‘I think it’s called my destiny,’ Suzanne Vega – Marlene on the wall

Well, I’m crap at secrets. You should know that by now. I couldn’t stop grinning like a crazy woman all of last weekend and so, on Monday evening, I decided to call my mum and let her know. She was so happy, as were my step-dad and sisters. I gave my mum free rein to tell anyone she felt like telling. On Tuesday night I told my dad. He sounded less enthused than I would have hoped, but with my dad I never learn. I shouldn’t have expected anything less. I also called my grandad who was much enthusiastic about the whole thing. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the wedding would be in the Seychelles, so I just told him we had no plans yet. Telling him made me a little sad as it reminded me that my gran is no longer here to share this happy news. She would have loved Duncan and would have been so happy to see that her ‘princess’ (her nickname for me when I was a kid) was getting married. Duncan also told his mum on Tuesday night and she was also happy, although I think a little disappointed that we weren’t getting married in South Africa and that she wouldn’t actually be invited to the wedding. However we are hoping that as well as visiting her in South Africa after the wedding, she will come back to Newcastle with us to the party. I’d really like Barbara to meet my mum – I think they’d get on fantastically.

So now it is all official I can start talking about my plans to everyone and anyone who will listen. After visiting the travel agents in Newcastle we came home with about 10 brochures. However I have since found another 10-15 internet places who also do weddings in the Seychelles. I have already changed my mind hundreds of times on where exactly we’ll get married. I liked one place, but the wedding package is expensive compared to what you get, so I am settling on another hotel instead. You may well ask, ‘what does Duncan think?’ He’s being a typical guy. He’s in agreement about going to the Seychelles, but as I love reading travel brochures (how sad am I?) I can pretty much chose where it will be. 🙂 Obviously he will get a say in this, but pretty much after I have narrowed it down. This is how he wants it, and I guess it should be expected. It means I can get on and do stuff when he’s working (like today). I sometimes wonder though if he would just be as happy with a quiet service in this country.

And despite the fact that it’s two years away I have already started sorting out invitations for the party. I had an idea of sending out scenic photos with the details on the back. I thought Duncan would laugh, but not. We’ve found four gorgeous photos and got prices on reprinting them. We haven’t even got a venue for the party yet!!! My mum has also promised to come to Newcastle in January and help me start choosing a dress, although I’ve been trawling the net for pictures, designs and ideas. I don’t want something huge, and ideally I’d like something in a blue or purple colour. I have a feeling that I’ll have to get something specially made.

Apart from wedding things, my week has been normal. Work is great, I’m considering staying there indefinitely, there’s so many plans and new contracts coming up that I can see it getting busier in September/October. My first one-to-one with the office manager also gave me an idea of how long I’ll be in training for. At the moment I’m doing about 20-25 minutes a day. I need to get 40 minutes perfect subtitling each day to get the pay rise, and they reckon that should be by the end of the year – perfect timing for booking the wedding and buying things.

We are having a small party for friends next weekend just to celebrate the whole thing. People keep asking me if it was a romantic proposal. I can’t tell the truth, it sounds so strange. There was no proposal. One weekend I was looking at an article on the Seychelles and mused aloud on prices of weddings there. Two weeks later I was surrounded by brochures and we decided that May 2005 was a perfect time. It was then that Duncan said, ‘well if we’re getting married, I suppose I should get you an engagement ring!’ It was a kind of backwards proposal, but I don’t care. It’s never been about how it was said, but always that it happened.

Until there is a next time

xx