|
Sunday morning – 1st August 2004
Got up at about 7 and showered as I didn’t think I'd get much time later (correct!). Woke up boys (well Phil, anyway!) and dragged them off to St Giles for 9am after loading up the car with everything but the kitchen sink!
The ‘Sallys’ (army) had got there first however so no parking outside but managed to squeeze into the loading bay. Soon after, Auntie arrived and we helped bring in copious boxes of flowers.
What seemed like two minutes later when I came out of the ceremony room there were flowers on the pillars and she was busy curling ribbon!! Lightning work!
Neil and Gabrielle turned up at 10 for a practice and they helped us evict some of the things from the ceremony room. Gabrielle said she was very nervous - and that it ‘seemed like such a good idea three months ago!’ - as these things do... bit like the wedding!
Then we noticed that some of the wicker seats had gone right through (oops! - could have been a disaster!) so we put those at the back out of the way.
Tess arrived at 9.30 and told me she had a special t-shirt on just for me - I was very pleased until I read it and saw that it said 'mischief'!
Gerald arrived at 10.30 to go over the ceremony. D&P were wonderful lugging stuff out of the room that we didn’t want - all in a day’s work for them that weekend though!!
Neil and Gabrielle got on fine although Neil was rather dismayed by the instrument as the keyboards didn’t line up. I had no idea, having no idea about organs anyway (no innuendo intended!) In the end he did his best despite the problems which was more than good enough!
D&P set up the mini disc player and the CD player for our dance. Then they sat around while Gerald went through the ceremony format with me.
It was 11am by the time I left. Phil dropped me at the hairdressers for 12. Natasha did my hair beautifully with flowers and everything but I was a bit puzzled as she didn’t seem to put the veil comb in the way I had expected. I phoned D&P who picked me up again and we went into Waitrose (me with the veil on mind!) and it fell out as I was walking round! So much for secure! Luckily Phil has flirted with hairdressing in one of his past lives and he put it back in for me later (the right way this time!!).
Darren and Phil had picked up some suchi for lunch. I managed to eat a few crisps, but felt too sick with nerves to eat anything more.
We got back and about ten to two and I realised my parents needed picking up from The Beeches. I couldn’t go obviously or Bob, as he was about to go off in the wedding car with Karen and Ian!
Then the wedding car turned up with my flowers and Karen, Ian and a fully outfitted Bob got in and went off to the venue.
Steve, Anne and girls turned up then and D&P went off in my car to pick up my parents - just another task in a long line of ‘jobs for the boys’ bless them!
Girls looked beautiful! I got into my dress and Phil put in the veil for me. Then the APs arrived and car came back for Mumbo and bridesmaids. That left me and Daddo waiting for last trip!
At 3pm we drove off in the Rolls - enjoyed that part! and parked in the middle of the road in St Giles as still no parking!
Video man and photographer waiting when we arrived. Ooer - felt a bit like royalty but it was good to be distracted!! Had previously taken Rescue remedy which worked brilliantly I may say.
It was a bit of a squeeze and boiling hot in ceremony room but otherwise fine! Gabrielle’s singing was absolutely beautiful, despite her being so nervous. The exchange of vows was the bit I was dreading but it went off painlessly and without a hitch.
We all belted out the hymns nicely, despite, or perhaps because of, various motorbikes and lorries zooming up the road outside! It was so hot we had to have all the windows open or people would have expired, particularly Bob, in his warm woollens!
He did look very good in his Scottish attire it has to be said. (I’ve always had a bit of a thing about men in skirts!) A Very Smart Bear Indeed!
Phil was primed to switch on the exit music (‘Il Canario’ - 17th century Italian dance music for those in the know!) and Ella went in front sprinkling her petals! We had photos outside in the rose garden where the sun was very hot (Andrew - bless him - grabbed us some drinks part way through so we didn’t dehydrate!) So we stood there saying ‘lucky’, ‘happy’, ‘money’, ‘smelly wellies’ alternately with different groups of people. We ran over time rather so didn’t get to the meal til about 5.30 - but not too bad considering! We had a line up which was quite comic as we’d already greeted most people, if only briefly.
I picked at the red onion and goats cheese tart, rallied for the lamb but couldn’t face the cheesecake (anticipating the dance later!) The speeches went down very well. Both Ian and Daddo mentioned Bob’s past with beautiful tact and diplomacy.
The cake cutting started off without a knife. Then Bob remembered the one in his left sock!! They did bring us a proper one in the end though!
Early Dancers were great (of course!) all my favourite dances. Then our moment had come! Andrew and the Toastmaster cleared everyone away and we went to change in a little room.
D&P went in in their bear costumes to Lynard Skynard’s Freebird and great shrieks of laughter. I caught some of it through a crack in the door. Then it was time for the more traditional tango! (which was the moment most people worked out that the Bears hadn’t been us, despite the silly dance!) The dance went beautifully - Mr Bear didn’t miss a trick after practicing feverishly for hours on end!
So, the most frightening bit over, we were on a high, and I finished off my champagne - and a few other glasses as well - with impunity! Changed back into wedding dress and the jazz started up.
Didn’t get a chance to talk to Tess much but she and Andrew were fantastic. Andrew was sort of unofficial Toastmaster really - we only had to mention something and it was done! This wedding lark’s great - you get a load of servants for free...!
Talking of which, Steve was an absolute angel (ahem) helping us with all the clobber we were left with after the event - those of you out there planning weddings be warned: Leftover cake, cake stand, bear costumes, wedding presents, best man’s hired outfit, flowers - the list was endless! And we had omitted to organise any transport home (well it was technically walking distance..) So.. Steve very kindly provided the deficit and also offered to give us a lift to the airport for our honeymoon. I told you this wedding lark was great!
So.. ‘back at the Inn’ with Darren and Phil. We unpacked, tidied, sorted and finally talked over everything that had happened until about 1.30 when we passed out* with exhaustion after a very hectic but fantastic weekend.
*oh yes we did!! Wedding night?? No, I promise you - it’s a myth! Anyone who can get up to THAT after a WEDDING is either on something or an athlete!
|
