KHARV'S WEDDING REPORT - 24th March 2012

I hope you don't mind a little indulgence on my part. This report is a bit flash heavy and my writing style is no where near as eloquent as some (Cricks - you've ruined it for the rest of us ), but I've really enjoyed reliving my day. Thanks to all on hitched who helped throughout the planning - you were stars.

Background...

The husband and I met way back in 2001 – our first year at university. We started seeing each other early in 2002. Fast forward ten years, a very small house, a crazy dog and a very lovely proposal later and here we are!

We chose Harlaxton Manor near Grantham as our wedding venue. A gorgeous place that is now the English campus of the University of Evansville, US.

The weeks before...

I, rather stupidly, decided to make an awful lot of the wedding stuff myself. So the weeks before were spent folding, trimming and embossing orders of service, painting wooden cake toppers, bagging scrabble names and printing the table plan on to see through acetate among other things. I finished work on Thursday lunchtime.

My mam had very kindly offered to make our wedding cake and chocolate favours so her week before the wedding was a bit stressful too. Bless her.

Friday 23^rd March 2012...

We headed to our venue at about 3pm to set up. We had the dog with us as husband would be dropping him at the kennels later that day. The first thing to do was to drop the wine and champagne with the venue kitchen. As husband and I were doing this I heard him shout – the dog had managed to escape from the car and was tearing across the perfect lawn. I’d forgotten to wind the window up. Whoops.

The afternoon was dubbed ‘Harvey’s sweat shop’ with my lovely bridesmaids forming an assembly line to bag the chocolate favours my mam had made, my dad pouring sand and adding tea lights into 55 jars for the centrepieces, and my mam and I setting out the scrabble place names, menus, table names and orders of the day. I’m so happy I decided to hire chairs rather than chair covers – I think they looked fab with the venue.

The efficient, honey bee like atmosphere to the afternoon was only marred by the fact that we found out the cake was stuck in a traffic jam. The cake that my mam had lovingly made and iced. In butter cream. It was one of the hottest days of the year. There wasn’t much we could do though so we plodded on.

We had a reservation to meet husband and his parents and sister etc for dinner at 6pm and were finished at the venue just in time. The cake still hadn’t arrived.

Absent cake finally arrived with my uncle (the cake courier) at 7pm and was rushed straight to the venue for emergency medical treatment. It was rather melty. It looked fantastic on the day though.

As a lot of my family live in Newcastle and Kent, most of them decided to stay in the hotel on Friday as well. Friday night was fantastic. It was like a lovely, relaxed pre-celebration in the hotel bar.

Me and Bridesmaid EO took ourselves off to bed at midnight, leaving husband, father, FIL, best man no1 and bridesmaid MB up. We tried to sleep but it wasn’t helped by MB knocking on the bedroom door three times with excitement. Got to sleep about 1am. 

Saturday 24^th March 2012

Bridesmaid EO and I woke up at about 6am and she handed me a little gift bag. It was from husband. He’d known I wasn’t completely happy with my choice of necklace for the day and had bought me the most beautiful diamond and sapphire necklace to match my engagement ring and earrings. Just lovely.

We got showered etc and headed downstairs for breakfast. Full English. Yum.

The bridesmaids and I then got in a taxi to head to the venue to get ready there. I will mention at this point that after the glorious weather of Friday, the weather that morning was… Fog. Thick, heavy, can’t see your hand in front of your face, fog. Bummer.

But as we were getting ready the fog was lifting. It actually lifted completely about 10 minutes before the guests started arriving at 11.30am to reveal the most beautiful sunny day.

Getting ready in the gorgeous bridal suite of the venue with my favourite girls was an experience I will never forget. Everybody was so happy and excited. It really was the best start to the day.

I felt extremely calm throughout the course of the morning. Eerily so. Until I put my dress on and MB broke down. Then I started to crumble. As did everyone else. My mam had to order her out of the room before she ruined everyone’s make up.

My lovely mam:

That was when my dad came in. My dad is really my step dad but he’s way more than that. He’s brought me up since the age of 6 and he’s a brilliant father. The look on his face as he walked through the door is one I will cherish for ever. I’ve never seen him look so proud. He made me feel a million dollars.

We headed down the staircase with my bridesmaids and I had the meeting with the registrar. Then we got ourselves ready on the other side of the big wooden doors. I told my girls I loved them (they still haven’t forgiven me for this – they ended up crying as they walked down the aisle) and then it was mine and my dad’s turn.

The feeling as I walked through that door to 120 of my dearest family and friends grinning soppily at me was out of this world. I was acutely aware that I sounded like I was hyperventilating but was powerless to stop and breathe normally.

Then I saw S. He looked so handsome. I love that he was turned looking at me the whole way. When I got to front he told me I looked fantastic and that he loved me and we faced the front.

The ceremony was fantastic. We found ourselves randomly giggling throughout, like we couldn’t quite believe how happy we were or how weird it all felt.

Then there was the wasp. Not just any wasp. The mother of all wasps. Flying towards my face. During the vows. As a bit of background, I’ve run in front of a car before to escape an advancing wasp. Not by choice – my legs start acting independently to my brain. S had to grip my hand and say ‘don’t run back up the aisle’. So I didn’t. I’m rather proud of myself.

After the ceremony we walked back up the aisle to lots of clapping and grinning. It was ace. As the guests headed out the other way, we were greeted by Ellen, our amazing venue coordinator, holding two glasses of champagne. It was so lovely to have a few minutes straight after the ceremony to take it in a bit. We ended up just grinning at each other.

After that we joined our guests for the reception drinks. The weather was amazing, all the kids were enjoying the grounds, our harpist was playing (my lovely ex-boss) and the champers was flowing. My lovely PIL had put a tab behind the bar too which I was incredibly touched by.

After a few photos we went through for dinner. Dad was up first for the speeches. There literally wasn’t a dry eye in the house. He talked about the fact that his life began the day he met my mam and me. Afterwards, one of S’s friends said it was one of the best FOB speeches he’s ever heard as it was unashamedly just words from a father directly to his daughter.

Then S got up to speak and delivered a speech that was funny, touching and embarrassing in perfect equal measure. He did a brilliant job and I was incredibly proud of him. He came across exactly as he is in real life.

We, somewhat cruelly, made the best men wait until after the meal but this was down to logistics more than anything else! They also did a fab job.

During the meal my mam had to keep getting up and shepherding me back to my seat to make me eat. I was having far too much fun talking to my guests and laughing at the wildly inappropriate sentences they were creating out of scrabble tiles. Our meal of leek and potato soup, Christmas dinner (yes, in March) and sticky toffee pudding went down a treat.

After the meal husband and I were taken off for our ‘just him and me’ photos while the evening guests started to arrive. We were up on the hill overlooking the venue and it was lovely to be able to see people arriving and everyone enjoying themselves.

We danced our first dance to Fields of Gold by Sting then got everyone up on the dancefloor to our ‘real’ song – Mardy Bum by Arctic Monkeys. Our band, The Dollars, were absolutely fantastic. The dancefloor was completely jammed packed all night and everyone raved about how great they were.

At about 10pm I admitted defeat on the Jimmy Choo front so husband and I headed up to the bedroom so I could change into my flats. We shut the door behind us and collapsed into two armchairs and, once again, just grinned at each other. We must have sat there for about ten minutes. Not saying much, just holding hands and saying what a fantastic time we were having. That was lovely.

Then, I barely saw him again until the last dance at 12pm. I had a great couple of hours of chatting with friends, laughing, dancing and I know he did too. Then we met up on the dancefloor for American Pie by Don McLean. The full version. We’d decided on this song for the last dance as it’s a bit of a favourite of my mine and my parent’s and in the ten years I’ve been with S, he’s learnt nearly all the words too and loves it when we play it family gatherings. (Read: EVERY family gathering).

While dancing to that final song of the night he said in my ear ‘I know this is a song you and your family have always loved. I’m so happy to be a part of that family and those memories.’

So, that’s it! I honestly say that it was the best day of my life. We both had the time of our lives and wouldn’t change a thing.

Video preview: http://www.clrmedia.co.uk/blog/item/15-kate-%20-steven

Full video: http://vimeo.com/44607053

Suppliers...

Photography – the amazingly talented Samantha Hook. I knew as soon as I met Sam that she would be the person taking our photographs. Her sense of humour matched ours perfectly and she was brilliant on the day.

Videographer – Charlotte Roberts at CLR Media. Charlotte was fantastic. She captured our day in the most beautiful way.

Band – The Dollars. They are a fantastic band and know exactly what to play to keep the dancefloor packed all night.

Hair & Make up – Rachel Liney. She’s brilliant. She made me feel great and that’s no mean feat! 

Venue - Harlaxton Manor. I can't rave about this venue enough. The staff are fantastic and the layout is perfect.

SHOW ME MORE!

Oh Kharv, you look gorgeous, it brings a tear to my eye! Everything looks so beautiful!

OOooooooOO i've gone all goose-bumply!

What absolutely gorgeous pictures, you look simply stunning.

N x

YES!

Love it all Kharv- you self indulgent lil thing you

Kharv, you looked stunning and so did you venue! Plus. your hubby has great taste, your necklace is gorgeous!

wow you look simply stunning x 

Mrs Hamster!!

I know I've said it before but biggest Congratulations!

Everything is lovely lovely lovely  :D

I love the pics of your dad coming in to see you - such a special moment  :)

Beautiful report and pictures Kharv! You were really blessed with the weather. I had a drink for you on Brighton pier!

I like the idea of having the pictures taken a bit later rather than straight after the service.

Wishing you and S all the best and a happy and happy marriage

P.S feel free to flash some more!

WOW that dress is amazing and you looked stunning! Congratulations to you both! :)

Your dress is stunning! :-)