Wedding planning - nightmare? Or piece of cake?

Planning your big day can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it. Having basically planned my wedding myself, I discovered very quickly that one of the most useful and helpful things, is getting recommendations from friends and other couples on where to go for various things.

Wedding planning is both exciting and stressful at the same time. Without going into huge details, I will give a basic run down of everyone I used, in the hope others might find the information useful.

The Church - We got married at Christ Church, Jebel Ali in Dubai. The entire staff are extremely helpful and gave us untold contacts and assistance and generally made life very easy. It really is worth paying the extra, to get them to have your marriage certificate attested and legalised. The Chaplain, Steven Wright was brilliant and really personalised the ceremony to us.

http://christchurchjebelali.com/

My dress. Trying bridal dresses on, has to be one of the most exciting and hilarious experiences for any bride (just a shame we couldn't have Champers at the same time!). I had an idea of the sort of dress I wanted, but ideas and the reality can be very different. What you think might suit you, might not and vice versa. It's definitely better to go with an open mind. I think you know when you have the right dress, when you virtually burst into tears and it's so beautiful. When you're standing there on the podium, in dress, heels, veil and it all just looks perfect.

I'd thought about ordering a dress online, or having one made from scratch, but I really didn't want to take the risk, so when I found my perfect dress, I ordered the correct size then had it altered. I tried dresses and bought mine from The Wedding Shop in Dubai. The staff were more than attentive and the alterations were made free of charge.

My husband also hired his tuxedo from the Wedding Shop, which was very cost effective. 250 Dhs and you pick it up the day before and drop it back the day after.

http://www.theweddingshop.ae/

I'm a big fan of personalised engagement and wedding rings and that's something that jewelers do very well in Dubai. My go to jewellery experts are in Duba's Gold & Diamond Park - Cara's. Their staff are always very professional and really spend the time, to help people get exactly what they want. The bonus is, if you want something made, they do it very well and very quickly. A friend who bought an engagement ring there, actually went to the workshop to see it being made.

www.carajewellers.com

Flowers can really be a headache and extremely pricey to boot! Many flourists/hotels will want to charge 500/600 Dhs upwards just for the bridal bouquet! Luckily for me, this is where a fantastic friend recommendation came in. I knew what colours I had in mind and I couldn't originally decide whether to go for fresh or artificial flowers, but in the end I decided on fresh.

I was recommended a little flourist in Dubai, Garden Gate Flowers, which I went and visited and they were so helpful, they had exactly the colours and flowers I was looking for - even if they didn't, they could probably get them ones you wanted. In the end my bouquet, a bridesmaids bouquet and 4 button holes came to just shy of 500 Dhs. The flowers were beautiful and exactly what I was looking for.

www.ggflora.com

There's definitely something to be said for shopping around and even looking online! My mother pointed me in the direction of a fantastic online store - Light in the Box -  from which I ended up buying my wedding invitations, veil, shoes and garter from. It's worth noting that because these items mostly come from China, with things like shoe sizing, it's worth ordering a size up, otherwise they can be a bit of the small size - luckily I did this and they fitted perfectly. I loved my wedding shoes so much, I bought the same ones in various other colours - a girl has to shop (sometimes).

www.lightinthebox.com

When it comes to your wedding photography, you really want someone who is experienced and knows exactly what they're doing. I spoke to and researched many photographers in Dubai, but I didn't really feel comfortable, until I came across Helen Shippey. I'd researched her work, she came highly recommended and was just a lovely person, who understood what I wanted and put me completely at ease. She also went out of her way to get permission for us to take photographs at the Madinat as well - we photo-bombed the Dubai International Film Festival red carpet :-) Everyone has commented on how wonderful our wedding photos are and I can't wait to have some of them made into canvases.

http://shippeyphotography.com/

https://www.facebook.com/shippeyphotography

Deciding where to have your wedding reception is such a personal thing, but I think we really did come across one of the most lovely venues in Dubai - The Empire Room at the H Hotel. It's a good sized space, not too big, not too small with very elegant and classy decor. The staff at the H organised our reception for us aswell. I couldn't fault Nina, who listened to exactly what we wanted and she and her staff came through in spectacular style. We had a personalised buffet dinner, British vs German courses, wonderful wines, personalised welcome drinks and the biggest red velvet cake as a wedding cake that I've ever seen! Not to leave out the gorgeous flower arrangements. They truly made our evening special. What's more, included in their wedding package was a suite for the night for us - which was outstanding! It was so wonderful after a manic, exciting and special day to head to your room and find the giant bath filled with hot bubbly water and scattered rose petals, truly a personal touch. Definitely a venue worth considering.

www.h-hotel.com

I have a go-to company for Limo hire in Dubai.  Dubai Exotic Limo. I've used them on many occasions now and they've never let me down. They're good on price, have a great range of vehicles and their drivers are simply fantastic.

www.dubaiexoticlimo.com

For the entertainment factor of the night, I made the guests do some work with karaoke - always goes down well after people have had a bevvy or six. I roped in work mate Nick Robinson (Radio 1 UAE), to do the honours in hosting the karaoke and to do some DJing, which he did brilliantly as always. There were a few extra bits of equipment that I needed to hire, so I turned to Media Kraft for those.

www.mekraft.com

Annnnnd I think that's just about it! I thoroughly enjoyed planning our big day, but of course there are many good wedding planners out there who can assist and do pretty much everything for you. But whatever you decide to do, enjoy it, as it all goes by so fast on the actual day :-)

Kite surfing in Dubai

It's not normally a sport that you'd associate with the UAE, as the winds can be unpredictable and not as strong as other spots around the globe, yet kite surfing has taken off in a big way. When the winds are good, if you head over to Kite Beach or NessNass Beach you'll see kites of every colour of the rainbow taking to the air and people eagerly taking to the water for a riding session.

I'd long been fascinated by this particular sport but wake boarding had been my staple adrenaline sport of choice for a good few years now, but then when the wind is up and the water is too choppy to ride, what's the alternative?


Last year I had a few lessons and then got stuck back into my wake boarding. This year however, I was determined to get the hang of it. I booked some lessons with Duco and Toma from Duco Maritime and found them both very professional, patient and extremely helpful and encouraging. In the initial stages, you learn to fly the training kite on the beach, which even with stronger winds can give you a good old pull about. Once a student has mastered the training kite, then it's time to learn how to fly the big kite. Safety is key in this sport as the last thing you want is to be dragged along, so it's important to know how to get yourself out of trouble and get rid of the rig to avoid any issues.

Learning to fly a kite anywhere from 13 - 17+ metres can be quite a daunting prospect, but a lot of fun and an exhilarating experience at the same time. Once you learn how to control the big kite, it's time to get into the water for some body dragging and learning how to control everything actually in the sea. The instructors go with you for the first few goes, to make sure you've got everything under control, then you're ready to try it on your own. Being the newbie out on the water can be quite scary, as you might not have as much control as other people. Certainly crashing the kite into the water - which is inevitable - and trying to relaunch it again can be pretty tough, but obviously a necessary skill.


Once you've learned all this, and practiced how to rescue your board, then it's time to try and get up on the board - this I've not quite mastered yet, as I have to shake off my wake boarding know-how first - when you first try it, it's like a coordination nightmare. Controlling the kite, whilst trying to put your board on your feet and if you're not the most flexible person in the world, it can be a bit of a challenge. At this point I'm learning it's all about the 'feel', getting up quickly, controlling the kite, keeping momentum, picking up speed etc. I have so far managed to get up twice, which was a great feeling, especially as I had several people cheering me on from the beach, before I fell back into the water.


So the challenge continues to crack this and hopefully very soon I'll be joining the masses gliding along the water with my bit multi-coloured kite. The thing I like about this sport is that it's something you can do on your own :-)


If you'd like to take up the sport, or have an introduction, why not get in touch with Duco and the team.


https://www.facebook.com/DucoMaritime

http://www.ducomaritime.com/

Put some Glamour in your life :-)

Always on the look out to put a little more girly glamour in my life, I stumbled across GlamBox. This is a neat idea where for a small subscription fee, each month you get sent a gorgeous pink  box with five sample size beauty products - genuis! So you get the chance to try the products then decide if you'd like to purchase the full sized item.

Items in the May box can be seen here: http://www.glambox.me/month-623.aspx

My favourites are definitely the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant - after using this my skin looked brighter, cleaner, clearer and felt a lot smoother, this is definitely one product that will become a staple part of my skin care routine.

The Xen-Tan Scent Secure Gold is a nice product. I'm not one for using fake tans, of which the majority smell awful, so this moisturiser will be fantastic. However, being used just as a tinted moisturiser it instantly gives your skin a nice healthy glow and being oil free it sinks in instantly locking in moisture - fabulous!

Always a big fan of Lancome products, I was really pleased to see the Hypnose Doll Lashes mascara in my GlamBox (my old mascara is way past its bin by date). The cone shaped brush means the mascara goes on evenly, giving volume and an extended look to your lashes. I also found this particular mascara very light and easy to wear.

As someone who has wild, wavy, fizzy hair the next product really caught my interest, Davines OI/OIL Absolute Beautifying Potion. It's a treatment oil that can lock in moisture, untangle, anti-frizz and protect your hair leaving it soft and shiny. After washing my hair and working through a few drops of the oil, then styling as usual, my hair seemed a bit more manageable and less likely to instantly frizz in the humid UAE weather. It'll take a little time to see how this product really works on my hair though.

The final goodie in my May GlamBox was a voucher for a blow dry at N Style, which I'll keep for a special occasion.

Take a look at www.GlamBox.me for more information :-)

A Diamond of a deal - pampering facial package

I've never really tried facials to be honest, so when I found some amazing deals for a bit of pampering, I thought I'd take the plunge. I chose the Diamond facial package, which also included a 30 minute back and shoulder massage and eyebrow/lip threading. This was all at the Mercury ladies salon in Al Qusais.

On first entering, the salon is nice and intimate with pleasant and friendly staff. Muted colours, with pleasant Arabic music playing, the faint smell of oud incense and the rippling sound of water from the little fountain in the reception area. 

I'm shown into a little room for my back and shoulder massage - which I'm really looking forward to, after a while of feeling lots of tension in these areas. The massage therapist makes me comfortable on the massage table and gets to work. She uses some delicious smelling strawberry body lotion and starts with an overall loosening massage, before she gets stuck into my problem areas. She's constantly checking if the pressure is ok, it is, this woman knows exactly what she's doing and my tired knotted muscles are thankful at being relaxed and I'm a little bit sad when my massage is over as I could have laid there all day.

I'm next shown into another room and again made comfortable on the therapists table, as it's time for my facial and today I'm trying the Diamond polishing facial, which uses VLCC products.

First my face is cleansed and cleaned of any make-up or grease, then a scrub is applied and worked all over, including the décolletage (neck down to the bust, upper shoulders and upper back). My therapist uses upwards and outwards massaging techniques to work the facial muscles and encourage blood flow.

After a good exfoliation, next comes a thick layer of detoxifying, balancing cream, which helps to take impurities out the skin and even up skin tone. This is left for a few minutes, before being massaged into the skin and removed.

Next comes the massaging gel, which is left on the longest as it's a deep nourishing treatment to really get into the skin cells and rejuvenate them, getting rid of pollution and other nasties that have built up. At this point my face is given a really good massage to make sure the products are doing their job and to ensure good coverage. Whilst the massaging gel is on my face, hot steam is used on the nose and cheek area to open up the pores and to make the removal of blackheads much easier. That part comes next and after the gel has been removed, my therapist sets to work with a blackhead remover unclogging all the pores around my nose.

The final stage of the facial is the face mask, which goes on as a gel and dries. This moisturises and nourishes the skin. Once the mask is completely dry, it's then removed with water and my entire face and décolletage is cleaned of any remaining product.

Immediately my skin feels softer, firmer, clearer and totally refreshed.

The final part of my treatment package is eyebrow/lip threading. I didn't do the latter, as basically there is nothing on my top lip to thread off! However, my eyes brows can always be a bit of an issue, but the same lady who gave me the wonderful massage, now skillfully tidies   up my bushy brows. She pays great attention to detail, making sure the shape and thickness are just right. I've always been a fan of threading, I just think it's quicker, cleaner and far more accurate.

After nearly two hours of pampering, I feel fantastic! I'm vowing to do more facials and pampering in the future and if other deals are as good as this one (original price 430 Dhs - deal price 200 Dhs) then all the better.

www.salon4d.com

http://www.salon4d.com/en/Directory/Details/salon/mercury-ladies-salon

How to get a good manicure.....

Getting a good manicure can be hit and miss at the best of times, when so many beauty salons fail to hit the mark. Once I've found somewhere that does it well, I try to stick with the same outlet.

Here's a few tips that I've learned over the years to make sure you're getting the best possible service.

Probably the first thing to check, is to actually make sure technicians are using sterilized utensils. Very often it's obvious that equipment has just been washed under the tap then put back into a steri-pack and re-sealed, you can tell it's been used over and over again. Do you really want the germs and dirt from other peoples fingers put onto your own? Blurgh I think not. A practice that I see so many women doing now, is buying their own manicure sets and leaving them with their chosen salon, so that they have their own personal utensils - great idea :-)

One thing that drives me insane, is seeing nail technicians sawing away at peoples nails. This is so, so bad and can cause splits and actually weaken the actual nail. Filing should be done in one direction from the edge of your nail to the centre up one side, then up the other. This way you get a nice smooth edge without your nails also accidentally being filed down too much (has happened to me on numerous occasions).

Do you always have your cuticles cut? You might want to think twice about that. Although it makes the fingers look nice and neat, you're actually cutting off something that plays an extremely important part in the health and strength of your nails. The cuticle protects the new cells as they grow in the nail bed, it also acts as a barrier to germs, dirt and grime that could cause infections in the fingers. I've never allowed my cuticles to be cut EVER and I have super strong nails to show for it. Pushing the cuticles back and trimming the excess skin is all that's really required.

It's good to give your nails a break and have some polish free days or a week or two at a time every now and then, just to let your nails 'breathe'.

The above also applies to a good pedicure and you should always give your feet extra special attention, after all, they do work extremely hard and are very often completely neglected.

Once you've found a good salon and a good technician try to stick with them, or at least try to 'train' them to do your nails the way you like them done.

Happy pampering :-)

Trying to nail it - testing out Gelish

I really don't know why I bother with manicures, usually within ten minutes of leaving the salon I've smudged and chipped the polish all over the place, plus I have a hard time finding someone to make my nails the shape I want them - I hate the squared off look, I like mine more rounded.

I have no problem with pedicures, they seem to last for ages, which is a good thing.

The last time I had my nails done, I was a guinea-pig for a girl practising her gels, tips and overlays, which was fine and the end results were lovely. However, having had gels and acrylics in the past, I knew full well that when the gel came off my nails would be a complete disaster underneath and sure enough when it did come off, they were so thin, weak, flaky and bendy they were a complete disaster. I vowed there and then, never ever again! My nails are usually very very strong and to have them like that was awful.

I'd been hearing about these other types of stronger, longer lasting UV cured polishes for sometime, Shellac, Gelish and Bio-sculpture. Many of my friends use them and I'd heard differing opinions on which one was best. I'm a firm believer however in that application is everything,if you have a good manicurist who applies the product properly, even if you're just using ordinary polish you should get decent wear out of it.

I discovered that the little salon - Tips & Toes, in the Meadows, just round the corner from me did Gelish, so I opted for that as a first try of these gel/polish hybrid brands. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of colours available, but as my nails are super short thanks to their current weakened state, I chose just light pinky colour and I decided to also have the product applied t my toes as well - in for a penny, in for a pound as they say.

It was the standard procedure for the mani/pedi combo, then the Gelish is applied. One base coat, two coast of colour, followed by the top coat. After each coating of the nail, you are required to put your finger tips under the UV light to cure the product and twice at the end. (I always worry about UV curing - skin cancer alert!). The beauty of this, is that there's no waiting for ages with your hands in dryers, no smudging or anything like that, because as soon as your hands come out the product is dry and hard, but still quite flexible.

I was extremely happy with the end result, the question now is, how long will it last? I've been told anywhere from two to four weeks, before it needs removing and replacing - the other thing that appealed to me about Gelish is that it's removed using acetone, so no filing, scraping or picking it off. Well so far, so good, I'm on day four and it looks as good as the day went on and my boyfriend kindly ran over my toes with a shopping trolley and there's not even a scratch!

So far Gelish gets the thumbs up from me :-)

No passion for shopping

I've come to conclusion that I must be completely abnormal when it comes to shopping. Unlike my girlfriends who get over excited and coo and fawn over the latest lovely shoes, or dresses, or anything shiny, shopping in fact leaves me cold.

This morning I spent two hours wandering round Dubai Mall, but only because I needed to buy presents for my family for when I head out on vacation at the end of the week. So I had my little list of some Molton Brown products for my sister-in-law, clothes for my elder niece, something cute for the new baby, perfume for mum, a book and cd for my dad and some cut offs for my brother. I knew exactly what I wanted and where to get it and was done pretty quickly. I am definitely my father's daughter, I know what I want, I go in get it and walk straight back out again.

I've never been one for window shopping. My mother can wander around shopping malls for hours on end, whereas I get a glazed look in my eyes after about ten minutes and the boredom sets in. Even my boyfriend likes to shop and he always asks why I don't buy anything for myself and just buy things for other people - I don't have an answer to that one, maybe I just never see anything that really catches my attention. So when we go shopping he always insists on making me go and try some things on and ends up buying things for me - hey I'm not complaining about that part :-)

Maybe I need a girlie shopping spree, where you all go and have a laugh trying on different clothes and making a nice time of it, but I seriously doubt I'm ever going to have a passion for shopping, unless it's for a wakeboard, motorbike or swim wear.