And then there were two. The three brides-to-be are depleted in number, following the City Bride's marriage last week. The weather was ridiculously good given the April wedding date, and simply put, our City Bride looked stunning.
Jon and I went for a couple of drinks to the reception, and bride and rock star groom were having the best day of their lives (their words). After an afternoon spent worrying about invitation alignment, this was exactly what we needed; a reminder that great weddings are, essentially getting lots of friends, family, food and drink in the same room. And while Mr & Mrs City Bride (I presume this is the surname they'll be using) have jetted off for their honeymoon, my own indecisiveness means there is still A LOT to do, and the invitations are causing the biggest headache.
According to Debrett's etiquette, six weeks is the "proper" amount of notice. Naturally, the Debrett's nod of approval is a big weight off my mind - but due to the limited amount of hotels near our venue, being socially correct doesn't make the prospect of guests being forced to sleep in their cars any less of a concern.
How something as simple as asking someone to be somewhere on a certain day has got quite so complicated is too baffling and sleep-inducing to put into words. Still, the end is now in very nearly in sight, and we will hopefully have the whole thing done, dusted and with the postman before Kate and Will say I do.
Another issue that has moved to the fore this week is the need to shift some bridal weight. The more I talk about dieting however, the more hungy I get. Last week, my nil by mouth strategy was scuppered by eating a burrito for lunch on three consecutive days. And although I nobly refusing cheese and sour cream, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Burrito Diet is not in line to replace the Zone or the Atkins.
So, in lieu of being able to radically change my food intake, I have decided to try exercise. Yesterday, I went to my first Ten Pilates training session, after signing up to their bridal programme. Several friends had told me that it is the perfect exercise for me, given my allergy to gym workouts. I've always been a little suspicious of Pilates - although I hate treadmills, there is something reassuring about working up a sweat.
For my first attempt, I had a one-to-one session with personal trainer Amy. Ten Pilates is performed on a reformer bed, which means the work out combines traditional Pilates moves with weights and resistance. After talking through my "target areas" (which ended up covering most of my body) , we got started. The reformer bed resembles something between a rowing machine and a mini S&M chamber, and each set focuses on holding positions, which is agonising and requires a huge amount of control. The hour is over in a flash. Today I feel like I have really worked out and ache all over - I think I might be hooked...