I’m on annual leave from the 9-5 job today and having a good ol’ spring clean of the blog (I do have to be careful I don’t miss the ‘L’ off ‘blog’ sometimes – imagine that). I had plans to have a day of pampering, but as I rarely get to spend a full day on Handmade and Hitched I’m actually having a ball. I’ve finally been able to check off all those little things on my blogging to-do list and it’s so refreshing to be able to give it my entire focus for the day.

So many exciting things have been happening with Handmade and Hitched recently, and I never imaged when I started my blog last September that it would take me on such an amazing journey. I remember reading other blogs and wondering how on earth people actually made ‘real life’ contacts and friends just through cyberspace alone – surely that wasn’t possible! I know now that blogging can open up a huge window of opportunity, not just in a business sense, but in a social sense too. Every single day I’m amazed by the talented and creative businesses out there. I’m totally blown away by the original (and sometimes veering on slightly strange – I won’t lie) ideas that I see.

You might be surprised to hear that Handmade and Hitched was never intended to be a wedding blog. The original idea was to create a handmade wedding boutique and the blog was merely set up to generate some interest before launching. I didn’t realise the potential in blogging, but as soon as I started writing I quickly caught the bug and the blog has now taken on a life of its own. I still have that little idea in my head, but for now I’m concentrating my efforts on sharing unique and quirky wedding inspiration. If Handmade and Hitched sparks off just a few ideas to make your wedding that little bit more special, then I’ve done my job.

I still see Handmade and Hitched as being relatively new and I’m learning about blogging all the time. Looking back through my old posts it’s amazing how much the style has changed. Not just in terms of content, but in a visual sense too. Back in September I wasn’t aware that making your images fit to the same size as your text was so much more visually appealing. And I don’t think I was as aware of the importance of image quality either. Right now I’m doing a photography course so I can work on this, and I hope you can start to see the improvements.

Writing style is a big one that I want to keep working on and continually improving. I’m not a writer by background, although I am a perfectionist, which means the thought of making grammatical errors brings me out in a cold sweat. I actually found this a barrier to starting a blog in the first place. There are so many beautifully written and immaculate blogs out there that I was scared to dip my toe in the water. Would I be hung drawn and quartered by the blogging community for not knowing the difference between ‘there, they’re and their’? Fortunately I do know the difference, but you get my point. Even though I’m not the world’s best writer I’m incredibly passionate about weddings and handmade and I hope that shines through on the blog. In fact I was far too passionate to keep it all inside, which is why it’s spilling all over the pages of my little corner of the Internet.

I hope you’ll continue to stay with me on this journey and keep me updated with all of your wonderful DIY wedding plans. There’s nothing more rewarding than hearing my blog has inspired couples while planning one of the most special days of their lives.

Lots of handmade love

Michelle xxx

The images above were taken at Crosby Beach in Liverpool and feature Antony Gormley’s sculptures titled ‘Another Place’. There are 100 cast-iron, life-size figures across the beach, that stretch almost a kilometre out to sea. It’s a magical place to visit at sunset as the figures slowly appear one by one. 

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