I started writing The Essential Wedding Planner about 10 years ago after going through the ‘trauma’ of
organising my own wedding.
Like many people, I had no idea where to start and a limited budget that was dwindling with the purchase
of more and more Bridal magazines and books that I ‘thought’ I needed.
The biggest problem was that with the overwhelming amount of magazines, I could never find what I needed
when I needed it! I had many “Now where did I see that” moments.
There had to be a better way!!!
I sat down and thought long and hard about what was really important when planning for a wedding. The
Essential Wedding Planner grew from those thoughts to what you see today.
Why did it take 10 years to finally be published?
It took 10 years because, life got in the way. I fell ill and the resulting condition, called Fibromyalgia
was very debilitating (but is now effectively managed) and left little time or energy for writing. During
this time, my husband Ian and I moved to Perth from Sydney because Perth offered us a better lifestyle
and the support of Ian’s family.
Ultimately the moved proved a godsend for us because soon after arriving I found out that I was pregnant
with the first of our three boys, in fact, our two eldest children are only 16 months apart. With these
speedy arrivals and the challenges that come with a new home and a growing family, writing and refining The
Essential Wedding Planner was a non event.
What happened to make you want to finish the book?
I had often thought about it over the years and what it would be like to see it completed. I wondered
whether my book could be something that might help others along the road to a momentous and wonderful wedding
day. Then when I turned 40, two things happened. First came the birth of our third son (truly a gift
from god) and second came the retrospection that comes with life’s milestones.
My thoughts returned to the unfinished work that has now become The Essential Wedding Planner.
With the never waning support of Ian, I decided that I could spend the rest of my life wondering what if,
or I could just do it!!
I thought that even if nobody buys a copy then at the very least I had given it a go, so I dragged it
out of its hiding place (almost completed would you believe) and set to work finalizing the draft for publishing.
The journey of growth and self discovery researching and writing The Essential Wedding Planner was
worth the effort by itself and I have learned much more through the journey than I ever thought possible.
