Well how DO you cope with it all!

Venue - sorted! Well that's the good news. There is the chance that it comes with a complimentary marquee however its difficult to pin down at the moment and of course we need to find out what it will come with. In truth, although there is the expense of hiring the marquee it may be easier for peace of mind to actually get it ourselves.

Catering - fantastic menu from a small local firm but a bit over our budget per head. I think we are going to go with this firm as we have been very impressed so far, just needs some discussion.

Registry Office - bloody impossible. Completely conflicting advice however it eventually transpires that we cannot even provisionally book a civil partnership registration until I am divorced even though we have until 16 days before the ceremony to present our papers (240 odd days at the moment) So divorce proceedings will be starting soon.

(and its the 28th October and its snowing outside)

That will be enough for now - off to curl up in bed and look at the Northern Lights through the french windows while listening to the huskies howling at the ghostly polar bears sliding across the icy landscape in search of mangy foxes and late commuters.

The "First Ladies"

As with any ceremony concerning life bonding, there have to be close stalwart friends to not only keep you on the straight (are you joking?) and narrow but to ensure you actually turn up on the day.

In truth it was a great pleasure that two of our dearest and closest friends bravely accepted the roles of "First Ladies".

Introducing Lady Scott - my former landlady, spiritual guru, dietary wizard, cake professor par excellence and maker of named jams and marmalade's.

(at this point I became seriously fucked off as blogger went down twice and didn't save a thing in draft so its third time lucky)

We have been lucky, indeed blessed, in joining Lady Scott and her husband Sir Knackers on their annual sojourn to Africa (completely untrue however it sounds fun and we have been on holiday together on two occasions which has been truly wonderful)

As one can see from the photograph above, Lady Scott takes great care in dressing and drinking like the locals. Her choice of the 1 litre gin glass with hints of tonic of course harks back to another age and the damp patches on her top I can assure you are from wrestling lion cubs away from Virginia McKenna (alleged great aunt "once removed" of my beloved) to ensure the cubs at least have a small chance of life expectancy.

Below is the real Lady Scott (of course not her real name but more related to her other life as international jet-setter and Antarctic Explorer) in more formal dress however not wearing the correct hat in London, much to the distress of the South African Raffia Hat Weavers Association for which Lady Scott was asked to be Patron. Unfortunately she could not accept due to not being able to get into her office while wearing the hat.

Introducing the Dark Empress (DE) aka "H" - provider of futons, medicinal alcohol and dancing, spiritual guru, siren of sea and shore and mother of our beloved goddaugher "JJ Bean" (good name for a company if somebody wants to buy the copyright)

caught eating a non-ecological shrimp at her own wedding!!

So few have been so afflicted as the Dark Empress with one's self landing on her doorstep (emotional trauma and cheating boyfriend!) however once embedded on the futon in Camden therapy began. If anybody ever wondered what life is like in London all I can say is "The Black Cap". Of course times change but in the early 'noughties' the only person to see was Her Resplendantness Regina Fong http://www.reginafong.com/ I cannot recall half the therapy session however I do feel it made us both better people.

However the good life never last forever and for Her Darkness it got better! Not only did she manage to marry my boyfriends dream lover (well what other reason at H and Lozzer's wedding reception would he scream to the entire ensemble "I love you Lozzer, I love you, it should have been ME!") but life realised in rural Cornwall with daughter (our godddaughter, and I am so proud), dog (lovely if it was even vaguely trained :) and a lovely cottage with our own bespoke bedroom suite (when other people aren't using it! how very dare they). We are privileged to be part of their lives.

I love this photograph, the serenity is merely covering the fact that H has just caught Daisy after 15 minutes of scampering over the sands, devouring sandwiches from Northern folk who have the adventurous spirit to picnic on a wild Cornish beach in March, disobeying all instructions, weeing when any new BIG dog came and sniffed! How Daisy coped with H doing this I will never know but it shows a deep trust and understanding with pup and owner.

So how did we end up here?

The first countdown counter doesn't work? (why?) result as twiddled with html and got it working!!! even impressed with myself and the second one is somewhat tacky however it works.

This is my online journal cataloguing the ups (and perhaps the occasional downs) of the preparations for our civil partnership in August 2009. Comments and advice always welcome.

The past month has been very hectic. After quite happily strolling on through life after our engagement in Zurich (more of that later perhaps) all of a sudden there was the realisation that the wedding was a year away. No problem there until I found out that we seem to have picked one of the busiest weekend for weddings to get hitched.

Personally I blame the wedding magazines as all those brides out there really are on the startling block and when the magazine says "book early", they do! How stupid is that. So we are now having to join in the race.

Mid October and so far we have a confirmed venue, the wonderful offer of a wedding cake, marquee almost sorted, catering underway, quotes in for dj's, photographers (how bloody expensive, I think I should become one!) and various other goods. We have a tight budget and at this rate its going to be fish paste sandwiches and a can of lager though we will have a beautiful venue, a fantastic wedding cake and lots of friends and family with us.

I accept that of course most weddings are your normal heterosexual occasion and have had great fun in going for competitions offering all paid weddings, free receptions, etc. However when it comes to filling in the details there is never a groom/groom option. Fortunately both being John means that we both have had the opportunity of being the "bride" in competition land.