Top 3 tips for surviving/enjoying your wedding

So…I got married.

It was amazing, absolutely perfect (didn’t rain, thank goodness) and so much fun. Having endured 18 months of wedding planning and the subsequent big day, I now feel somewhat qualified to offer up this advice.

Top 3 tips for surviving enjoying your wedding

1. Don’t go on your honeymoon straight away.
I swear I had just as much fun in the two weeks after the wedding as I did on the actual day (almost). We spent it catching up with friends and family, sharing photos, talking about what happened, laughing over special moments and generally reliving the day. If you have family coming from overseas or interstate, you probably won’t get to see them much before the day, and if you do you will probably be too preoccupied to enjoy it. Make a date to see them afterwards and actually get to enjoy their company.

2. Get a wedding coordinator
Having someone manage my big day for me meant I could actually enjoy it without stressing. My amazing wedding coordinator Nikki set up the venue, liaised with the florist/DJ/MC/photographer/food service, made sure everyone was where they were supposed to be, packed up at the end of the night, and was generally the go-to girl. People kept asking me things like ‘where is the film for the polaroid camera’ ‘how do I organise a taxi’ ‘where do I get a drink from’ and I was like ‘see Nikki’ ‘see Nikki’ ‘see Nikki’. It took a huge layer of stress off and I got to be the guest of honour instead of the host.

3. Thongs
I don’t care how seasoned you are at wearing heels, I guarantee that by 9pm you won’t be able to stand anymore. I took my shoes off and switched to Havaianas, and was able to dance the night away with a huge smile on my face. I got lots of jealous looks from all my friends who had to suffer in their stilettos (until they just took them off – well played, girls).

Thank you to everyone who sent tweets of congratulations over the last few weeks. It really has been the most marvelous time and I have loved it all. But most importantly, I’m now married to my best friend. And we’re going to New York for 3 weeks to celebrate!

Top image courtesy of our amazing photographer Vincent Lai, flowers from Judy at Juds Buds

Last minute inspiration: Lindt Christmas Chocolate Teddy Bear

Can we talk for a sec? We can?! Marvelous. I know how stressful the week before Christmas is. The boss is chasing you to wrap up those last minute projects even though you have mentally checked out already, the shops are a nightmare, the house is covered in glitter, the post office lost your etsy order, and you could really do with an extra nights sleep. You’re also living in a constant cycle of sugar high-sugar crash, lather rinse repeat, from the endless supply of festive sweets. Sadly, this post won’t help with that last problem.

If you’re like me and you hang out for Easter because it means Turkish Delight eggs and Lindt bunnies, then you’re gonna love this. I can’t help with the Turkish Delight eggs, but Lindt are doing a Christmas Teddy Bearthis year and it’s just like the bunny but cuter. He’s a handsome gold bear with a red bow and a red heart tied around his neck – so dashing (and delicious). In added-bonus news, I spotted him on sale in Target on the weekend for $5 (normally $5.49). That’s not many gold coins for 100g of beautiful, creamy Lindt milk chocolate. Grab one to go in every stocking next weekend. I did. Everyone gets a bear! You get a bear! And you get a bear! And you get a beaaaar!

If you want a bit of a variety with your chocolate bears (it is the spice of life, after all) Lindt have also produced a mini set of 5 baby bears, a little block of mini bars that have interchangeable heads and bottoms to keep you amused while you eat (they kinda remind me of those old Cadbury Furry Friends, but way better) and then a set of baby bears that are like kinder chocolate – milk on the outside and filled with creamy white goodness.

Eats – Sokyo at The Darling (which is at The Star)

A few weeks ago I was privileged enough to be invited to tour the new spa, aptly named The Spa, at The Darling, the new hotel complex at The Star (the old Star City…confused yet?) Hooley dooley that is one amazeballs spa, but I’ll tell you about that some other time. We also got invited down to Sokyo for some tasty noms, and Sokyo has now gone to the top of my ‘seriously, when you’re in Sydney you must eat here’ list.

The entrance

The idea of the Sokyo Dining Room is that you tell your server your budget and any dietary restrictions and they create a personalised tasting menu so that you get to experience all that ex-Nobu chef Chase Kojima has to offer (who, fyi, is only a year older than me – seriously feeling like an underachiever right now). In reality I didn’t eat in the Sokyo Dining Room, rather I ate at Sokyo Lounge, the slightly more casual but no less mind-blowing entree to the main meal. The lounge is cruisey and chilled, with a huge bar down the middle, quirky blythe doll artwork on the walls and ceiling, and an impressive cocktail menu. They also serve ‘bar food’ off the main menu, and I was in Japanese food heaven – spicy tuna mini rolls, ocean trout nigiri, lamb in maple miso, sashimi, green tea ice cream with red bean paste, oh my!

Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Bean Paste and Crunchy Puffed Rice

I didn’t sample the cocktail menu on my visit (it was the middle of the work day) but I did enjoy a Karate Kid from the mocktail menu – watermelon, pineapple, agave, tonic, and a cucumber slice. Possibly the most refreshing summer drink ever, and one I will be attempting to recreate for upcoming Christmas parties. The mocktails were $9, and the regular cocktails run around the $18 mark – fairly standard fare for a nice Sydney establishment.

Karate Kid Mocktail

Will I be visiting again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes. Did I spend a lot of time admiring the perfect red lipstick of all the cocktail waitresses? Yes. If Sokyo wasn’t a 10/10 before, the perfect red pouts put me over the edge.

Blythe doll artwork on the walls

Sokyo is at street level, so you can watch passing foot traffic from the lounges

Disclaimer: Stuff That I Bought was a guest of Sokyo – for more details, see our disclosure policy

…About the leopard print shorts…

Funny story about the leopard print shorts…

I was going to the gym a couple of weeks ago to see my trainer and have our weekly session. I had errands to run first so I was packing my gym bag (in a hurry, because I was running late as usual) and as I was about to leave I spotted my t-shirt on the bed. ‘Oops’ I thought, ‘don’t wanna forget that! Lucky save’. Smug pat on back for not forgetting shirt. Well done, me.

Cut to me in the gym getting dressed and I don’t have pants.
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