Picking up ingredients for s’mores: just one of 300 items on ye olde wedding to do list

Wedding planning isn’t at all what it looks like on TV. You don’t just pick a cake, hire a planner, attend a tasting and call it a day. The reality is messier, more political and more tiring.

I’m an easy going person. But even my brand of wedding planning (a.k.a « sure, that sounds good! ») hasn’t been stress free. As we count down the days, I’m feeling rather worn out.

That could be because my physical state isn’t stellar at the moment. I am currently wrestling with :

• Quite severe poison ivy: Scroll to the bottom of this post for a disgusting photo (don’t say I didn’t warn you)
• Dysmenorreah: A fancy word for really strong abdominal cramps
• Sunburn: The cut of my t-shirt that hot day has created an attractive white strip on my back that should look great with my strapless wedding dress
• Dozens of scratches: All over my arms and legs from wrestling with a nettle tree that used to live on the wedding site
• Exhaustion: I’ve been sleeping poorly – probably because of the combination of poison ivy, sunburn and dysmenorreah
• Crappy eating: As my spare time shrinks, I have devolved into regular meals consisting of BBQ chips

Our friends Mireille and Patrick travelled up from Toronto several times to help prep the property and make decorations

I’m surviving the home stretch – or perhaps the whole wedding process – because of the army of friends and family who support us. These are the very same people who stripped acres upon acres of wallpaper when we moved into our home.

Almost every element of this wedding involves people who love us. JF’s mom is our officiant. My mom bought my dress. My dad is loaning us speakers. Our uncles are leading music and fireworks. Friends made our rings, invitations and wedding arch. My avo even made Odie a bowtie.

That paragraph only covers a quarter of the favours people have, are and will be doing to make our day a good one.

How many people can say they have a love army? I remain so very lucky — poison ivy and all.

Speaking of poison ivy, I’ve posted the vile image of my oozing rash below.

Last chance to not look.

OK to protect you from the repulsive photo, here’s a shot of my lovely work friends and I. They treated me to a delicious meal and some lovely gifts. I felt super special!

Thanks gals!

Scroll up now if you don’t want to be seriously grossed out.

Last chance…

Here it is!

Poison ivy. Sickening.

Told you! Nasty, isn’t it? Let’s hope it clears up before the wedding.