With the excitement of the wedding, it’s less than 2 weeks away now! I’ve been distracted from posting by the lure of a good shoe sale. Taking a reluctant partner round the shops on Sunday imagine her relief when I found not just ‘wedding shoes’ but a pair of killer purple heels in the first shop we walked into, and both less than half price in the sale.

But imagine my horror when I got home and discovered I had one ankle bigger than the other, how could this be? There I was about to launch into a major panic and obsession about fat ankles when my partner pointed out the strap belonging to the shoe on display had been gently stretched, and the other had not... this is why I love her .

Now that  I am assured that both ankles are okay, and I don’t have some obscure ankle fattening disease...there is only one thing left to do before the wedding, and that is to choose music for the ceremony and the evening party ... it’s easier said than done, when your music collection spans 3 decades and your guest list spans 7- and getting the right track to have playing at the beginning and end of the ceremony? I’m lost.

But I have a plan... I am going to get a good bottle of red wine (well I have been good recently) and spend Friday evening trawling through the CD racks with my partner... my thinking is, the more mellow we get the braver the selection will be! Seriously though, if anyone has some good suggestions please email me!

Saturday 21st June 2008 - 'Minus the L-plates thanks!'

Well , I’m over last week’s rant about what to call our union, I’m now turning my attentions to the  ‘Hen night’ – searching on the internet for the origin of ‘hen night’ hasn’t helped build my enthusiasm.  From fathers giving their daughters away in return for livestock, celebrating freedom and copping off one last time... it’s hardly in line with my life or the commitment I already have with my partner.

I have, up until now refused to have one, I can think of nothing worse than being adorned in L-Plates, pink feather boas and tiaras, and getting so drunk I cannot stand up. The shrieking of too many women in one place is also on my long ‘reasons not to bother’ list.  My real issue with ‘Hen nights’ is the image, My partner and I have deliberately kept our union non traditional- ok so there are things which are similar to full blown wedding, but having a hen night would feel like a poor imitation and my heart just isn’t in it.

So I’m having a ‘Shoe Celebration’ night, a chance to catch up with close friends in a sophisticated manner and most importantly... wear in the shoes so my feet don’t hurt on the big day.

If the aim of a hen night is to behave in an antisocial manner, I’m quite capable of doing just that in new shoes, minus the L-plates thanks!  

Saturday 14th June 2008 - 'It sounds like a disease'

I'm getting CP'd.... eeek it sounds like a disease. I certainly don't want to be civil anything. I'm sticking with getting hitched, I've had a few people point out in a nice heterosexual way that we won't be legally or techincally married- only heterosexual couples can get married...and yes I know! but the terminology is all wrong.. wrong I tell you.

I'm on a mini mission to come up with a better term than Civil Partnered, when I'm hitched I want to proudly say that I'm hitched (for want of a better term) and peope knowing exactly what I mean...

My partner and I... well it's used by heterosexual couples who are, or are not married, gay couples who are.. or are not Civil Partnered.I don't want to have to spell it out to people, I suppose I don't look 'stereotypicaly gay', people do get confused when I talk about my partner and then use female pronouns.

I'm taking a stand on this because it's important to me, I'm taking my partners surname and I'll be Mrs.. she'll be Ms.. I'll be the 'Wife' and she'll be 'My HusButch. I wish I didn't have to justify it or keep explaining to people what our choices are and why we are making them... fortunately our friends and family are 100% supportive or our union and the way in which we are doing it.

I've never been a huge feminist, I will support and campaign for equality, but It's an act of love for me to take my partners name.. even if it isn't a very 'lesbian' thing to do.

..anyway, I have a more important matter to start worrying about... finding shoes to go with the dress! see you next week. x