Good Morning all.

I'm Keith, and very pleased to meet you all. I'm 28 and I shall be marrying my very special lady July 2012. Been engaged to Vicky (who's a year older and from the same town as me) since last November.

The question was dropped during a few nights away and on a snowy bench by Lake Windemere. In the dark. With a bottle of Champagne and a Tiffany ring, over a packet of sweet chilli Kettle Chips and a tub of Philadelphia we'd been using for dip. It wasn't strictly my plan to be so ghetto with the food choice, but the evening just ended up that way after a few drinks and due to the fact the place we went to grab a bite was closed. Still, it was memorable and totally unexpected for her, which was the main thing – she's like a detective; the slightest wind of anything out of the ordinary and she'll call it on the nose.

I'd been with her just 3 months at that point. Up until a few days before we officially became an item, I was in a desperately flawed relationship, and Vicky was someone I only knew as friend of my brother's girlfriend. There was always an intense spark in the brief moments we saw each other, and realising there was something potentially incredible there, it became the catalyst and motivation I needed to finally put to bed my then relationship and give us a shot. We've been sickeningly happy since that day.

This was taken the moment after I asked:

And one of her as a bridesmaid at out good friends Kerry And Lee's wedding last month:

Planning for the day has been pretty easy so far. We booked the first venue we went to see – Wasing Park, Aldermaston – (which has just won 'perfect wedding venue', as awarded by Perfect Wedding magazine) and found the ideal photographer in Neale James. Neither of us are keen on overly posed snaps, or being at the centre of the attention every picture, so Neale's 'documentary style' photography and incredible ability to capture moments from the sidelines fits exactly the kind of style we envisaged. His composition and imagery is simply stunning, dramatic at times too. Plus he's a thoroughly nice bloke to boot. I'd urge anyone looking for something like I've described to check his site and get in contact with him.

Vicky saved us some money and hand-made all off our save-the-dates, invitations, directions, gift lists and accomodation literature… She did an amazing job, and all-in for about £400 (the purple card she chose was 70p a sheet, went through countless meters of ribbon… And got through two guillotines!) which is under half what we were quoted by a company for similar.

Her efforts (main invite and bundle of RSVP, directions, accomodation etc):

The ribbon hasn't been trimmed yet she tells me, but they look great: I'd never had come up with such a design. I doff my cap to her.

She has her dress, we have paid a deposit to the lighting, music and flower people and are about to book the honeymoon in Aruba.

The only 'big' part of the day left to do is find me a suit. I thought it'd be easy. I don't like tails or overly fancy wedding attire, I just wanted a sharp 3-piece, a crisp white shirt and an ivroy tie with a matching button hole. Finding something suitable has proved more difficult. Many suits out there look to business-like and all the dinner suits/wedding suits are too much. Finding that happy medium I will be comfirtable with, and in the right colour, is a hard task. I've spent hours looking to date, and the more I do, the more confused and or frutstrated I become. I think it's going to have to be bespoke. Googling 'mens wedding suit ideas' is how I came to find this website. And what a find – it's full of useful stuff and well presented.

At first I thought it'd be a men's wedding site from the perspective (and with the humour) of Nuts magazine, but after further inspection I'm pleased to find it's more like an extended GQ editorial on the matter – tasteful. I look forward to more mooching around the site.

On behalf of myself, good luck to all the other grooms: I hope the lead-up to the day runs smooth, and that the event is an absolute blinder.

Keith

Craig Morris said:

Welcome to Staggered guys! I must say, those invitations are hugely impressive and they look very professional – Vicky should consider doing this for a living!

Thanks Craig, she'd be absolutely made up you said that! It has taken her hours of printing, adjustment, copywriting and guillotine-cutting (!) to get them ready bless her, but she has really enjoyed it as it's for our big day. 

@Rob – Thanks mate, the story is quite a funny one! Especially when one of my friend's recently proposed on the lawns on Machu Picchu and the like… Over some soft cheese and spiced potato snacks is not quite as dramatic, but still did the trick lol. 

'Real Grooms' blog? Tell me more?

@Andrew – Glad you enjoyed mate buddy.

@Paul and Mark – Welcome fella's, and congratulations!

Hi everyone, just joined as it's a great forum – look forward to participate in active conversations.