WEDDING GOSSIP Part 10 Girl In A White Dress 11688 views

Footie-mad fiancé?

Our resident bride-to-be, Cheryl, shares the highs and lows of wedding planning in the run-up to her big day. This week she discovers how to avoid getting a red card from your fiancé while ensuring full attendance on your match-day wedding day...

OMG I’m getting married in 45 days. Count them, people – 45!

I have to keep repeating it because there’s a very small part of me that is quite sure someone’s switched the dates on my calendar and actually it’s only 2007. It’s not that I’m not prepared (the 24 billion wedding spreadsheets I have accumulated will testify to that), it’s just that I can’t believe it’s all going to be over in less than two months.

If you’re getting married this year, you might be feeling the same way. And I’m almost positive there’s not a bride on the planet who can’t tell you how many days it is to her wedding day without stopping for breath.

But how do you go about making sure your wedding doesn’t clash with anything – such as the football season (which seems to go on forever as far as I can tell)? I know a couple who were married on FA Cup Final day and I remember seeing grumpy-looking men huddling shiftily in corners listening to tinny commentaries on little radios while all the women tutted loudly and gave them pointed glares. If you’re getting married on FA Cup Final day this year (17 May in case you didn’t know), how are you planning to keep the men in line?

Luckily once the football season’s over, this summer is free of England games as I’ve been assured that Becks and his team (is it even his team? I was under the impression he and the Beckham brood were now living stateside?) won’t be making an appearance on a giant plasma TV screen near you during this year’s Euro 2008, so unless your hubby-to-be is football crazy and insists on watching the entire tournament from start to finish, most days this summer are safe.

However, if you do find yourself competing with those 11 men in shorts when trying to pick a wedding date during football season, I have spotted a clever way to keep him happy while getting the date you want.

WeddingsFC.com is a brilliant website set up for couples who want to tie the knot in their favourite football ground. As well as contact information for each football club from Aston Villa to Tottenham Hotspur, they have rounded up details of all the suppliers in the local area to help you arrange you big day with a difference – so the beautiful game won’t interfere with your beautiful wedding.

Photos ©Steve Woods / Teun van Thiel / Michal Zacharzewski

With thanks to Arsenal FC

Next week: Cheryl negotiates the aisles to fill up her gift list... 

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