Thank you all so much for the replies.

Its hard to really put a finger on what it means to shave it all off though, it's doesnt feel a case of just 'do it', I suppose the moment I get there, will be the moment I feel confident to 'just do it.'

Sometimes you just have to do it, whether you feel confident or not, and let the confidence come later. 

Going bald with the tale of "it will always grow out" still scares me as it'll be a while before it grows is as it is now.

You're clearly unhappy with the way it is now so you need to focus on changing how you wear your hair and forget about ever going back to the way it is now.  It's often more a matter of what we know we have to do, as opposed to what we want (or think we want) at a particular time.   If you don't feel ready to shave it clean, then don't.  But you should, at the very least, buzz it fairly short.  You know that is going to have to be done at some point, so why postpone the inevitable?  It will expose a little more scalp, but it will look a lot tidier -- and you'll feel a lot better about your wedding photos.  Have a barber buzz it down to at least a #2 - I'd say a #1 or #1.5 would be better, but you might feel more comfortable with a #2 at first and going shorter later.  You'll feel a lot better about yourself when it's done, so I suggest getting to a barber as soon as possible.

You've got mpb, so whether you shave or not, buzz or not, you're losing the hair.  Look around, how many guys with a fringe, or a ring and an island in front look good?  Not many if any.  So, since you will be bald, you can control the situation or make yourself miserable.  It's really up to you. 

Didn't even think of that...I work in the emergency services with different people everyday, won't be months until everyones seen the new cut, ill have to put up with comments for weeks!!

Completely agree that its more stress now than it possibly can be taking charge. Im sorry if my posts seem a little 'shy', a lot of you are really confident about your new looks which is where I want to be. Out of interest, do many people regret the look?

I've set a date, where I am thinking I can do it... 27th which will give me a few days in the sun. In line with removing any sense of self respect I have left... can anyone recommend a decent tanning thing so I don't look half albino if I finally do this? 

mullis, you'll be surprised how good you feel about this (I'm on Day #2 and am amazed).

You might consider this ... get a haircut now which is about halfway between your current length and Sly. If anyone mentions the shorter hair you can comeback with something like, "Yeah ... it's just temporary ... and not as short as it's gonna be!" And then next week follow through with Sly-dom.

I did this and there were two benefits. First, it eased the surprise of co-workers when I had unexpectedly shorter hair (but not bald). And, second, it put me in the position of being committed to going all the way.

And ... as others have mentioned ... I've know for a while, and this confirmed it, that others have only a very mild interest in my appearance. They've got their own lives which occupy most of their attention.

Move forward ... the stress will fall away just as quickly as the problem hair.

Short version:
You've got a choice: you can be the skinny balding guy or the scrapper with the shaved head.  I had to choose between being the short balding guy or the bad@ss with the shaved head. 

So, you know, your call.

Give it a shot.  If people scoff, shrug it off.  Your head, your hair, your life, man.

Longer version:
I feel you.  By the time I was 25, I was short, skinny and had thinning hair.  When I was younger I had long, thick hair.  When it started thinning, I really didn't know what to do.  I was so accustomed to being the long-haired nature boy I didn't even know what other hairstyles were an option. 

Finally I realized I was getting older and the nature boy look wasn't working for me anymore.  It was time to grow up.  I went to a barber for the first time in my life when I was 25.  Started getting my hair cut "high and tight."  I started working out.  A more mature, i.e., shorter, haircut, a little more muscle, a better fitting, more adult wardrobe helped me feel more confident and look more respectable.

I just started shaving my head a couple of weeks ago.  My hair was too thin on top for even a high and tight to cover well.  It was just time to take the next step: shaving it off.  I'm happy with it.  Does it look better on some guys than it does on me?  Sure.  But am I content?  Yup.  Do I worry about people noticing my thinning hair?  Nope.

Your older self is not your younger self.  "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."  We become different people and do things differently as we age.  It's just part of growing up.  For me, and maybe for you, dealing with how our bodies adapt to aging is part of life.  I had to man up and put on my big boy pants er, hair er shave?  Maybe, maybe, you can think about it like this too.

Finally, please understand, I mean no offense and am not suggesting there is anything immature or childish about you or your appearance.  I'm just acknowledging that sometimes it's hard to accept change.  Nevertheless, change is inevitable and we have to make the most of it.  We change the things we can, accept the things we can't and try to know the difference.

I wish you the best.

thats great news!, I joined way after your first post, so missed the chance to say hi lol, isn't it a great feeling?! I tried the buzz fr a few days, but couldn't resist shaving, now I won't go back, I actually look forward to my morning shave lol