cymruangel's wedding report

The day before

I worked all the way up to the Thursday before the wedding, and it had not been the calmest of weeks.

The day before was slightly stressful anyway but became the more so when I thought that OH’s present had been stolen – we’d been having a lot of work done on the house and things had been moved about a lot – but thankfully after half an hour of quite substantial panic that one of our workmen had been less than honest, it turned up and all was well.

At this point, my sister was a fabulous chief bridesmaid and took my enormous pile of laundry to the laundrette (I’d had nowhere to dry it in the house for weeks) so that I could a.) calm down and b.) finish some other jobs.

The OH had vanished off to IKEA to get sofas, having decided it was essential that he have them for his night at home, and didn’t get back until just before the 4pm rehearsal. But that, as they say, is quite another story.

We had two vicars at the wedding, our local officiant and Gregory, a friend, who conducted the majority of the service. But that of course meant double the fuss at the rehearsal! I was very calm, feeling at this point that I was on familiar ground (see above: church/ singing/ weddings etc). OH looked as white as a sheet!

After the rehearsal we had a big family dinner with everyone staying at the hotel the night before, including cupcakes decorated with cartoon nativity and, yes, that Santa stuck in the chimney! I excused myself early and sloped off to bed around 9.30, knowing I wouldn’t sleep terribly well. And I didn’t.

Ok ok, I’m getting to it. The day itself, and PICTURES!

Hurry with the pics lol

The wedding

The wedding day dawned crisp, bright and cold, but not freezing. How blessed we were to have such a beautiful day! I had a bath, took delivery of my room service breakfast (having stayed at the hotel) and got ready for the hair and make up lady to arrive at 7.30am.

(That's me and Dad trying to be taller than each other...!)

Then the bridesmaids and my mum rolled off to church.

The wedding contd

Dad and I unpacked my bouquet and then went down to the foyer to wait for the car. The hotel wedding coordinator came to wave us off, and suggested I wipe some lipstick off my teeth. Which was great, but I realised after we’d got in the car that having then picked up my skirt, I now had lipstick on my skirt.

It wasn’t far to the church, a minute or so, and I had my first flap about the lipstick at the church door, but as it was a small mark and there was nothing we could do about it, I pushed my shoulders back and we headed into the church, to the strains of Montiverdi’s Pur ti miro which the organist had very kindly written a special arrangement of for me.

I was imploring OH to turn around all the way up the aisle and have a look, and he left it almost too late, but he did finally take a peek and give me a smile, before I joined him at the front. After a quick intro, we were in to the first him, Guide me o thou great Redeemer, and as our wonderful friends and family swelled into the chorus, I suddenly felt the emotion and the tears came.

After that, the service was a pretty standard church service, albeit double-vicarred. OH gripped my hand very tight during the readings and sermon, so I think he was still a bit nervous, but he denies it of course!

There was a moment while signing the register when my garter fell off – I didn’t notice, but my bridesmaids did, thankfully, and then the photographer spotted them!

After the service we headed outside for photographs, and a breeze had picked up. It gave the photographer this picture (and others similar) which made both his and our day.

Wedding Final Part

Then off back to the hotel for warm Winter Pimms, hot sausage rolls, and lots of photographs, including some where the swans for which the hotel is named obligingly made an appearance.

I won’t bore you with lots of group shots but one of my favourites of the family photographs is this one of myself, my mother and grandmother, which I’ve had in mind ever since my grandmother offered us some family rings, one of which became OH’s wedding ring as I have an engagement ring from his family.

And the rest of the day is fairly standard: wedding breakfast (tables named after reindeer: Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer (for the troublemakers) and Vixen (cousins' table, mainly ladies!), speeches, chilling out afterwards when it was all done!

We cut the cake in the evening, so our evening guests could see it, and then had a first dance to Michael Buble’s Everything - a last minute decision by me when the groom, despite being a musician, could not make up his mind.

I also had a between bands dance (we had a jazz quintet to start us off, then a covers band) with my Dad, to Billy Joel’s Only the Good Die Young. We’d been talking about doing it and I had mentioned to one of my bridesmaids, but I’d given up on it as there was a lot going on. So she went to speak to our MD and got it sorted out for us, bless her!

I don’t have many pictures of the evening as we were all too busy enjoying ourselves, but apart from a break for sausage and bacon sandwiches and wedding cake, and dashes off to avail myself of my father’s hipflask of Old Poultney I spent the majority of the evening on the dancefloor, thanks to our wonderful band The Stanzas.

There was one small incident when I was dancing with Mum’s best friend (who is learning Latin and ballroom), where he dipped me back with some force, so I threw myself into it. Needless to say, he dropped me! He then had to leap to avoid landing on me, and it was a bit like Jake and Janette on Strictly where he did a split jump and landed with her between his legs, only considerably less elegant! At one point I had every single person at the evening do up on their feet, including my OH who Does. Not. Dance, so was very proud of myself!

All in all, it was a wonderfully merry evening (in both senses) and just felt full of the joys of both the season, and that OH and I felt having tied the knot.

We slunk off to bed at 11ish, tired but very happy. OH helped me out of the dress, and took the 40+ kirby grips from my hair, and we tucked ourselves up in bed, blessed, spoiled, tipsy, and MARRIED!!

You look stunning!!

Beautiful photos x

Aww, yay! Congratulations gorgeous girl! The photo of your veil in the wind is absolutely beautiful. Can't wait to see the rest! So glad you had an amazing day x

Awww thanks ladies!

Since you've been so lovely, have some bonus piccies!! ?

All absolutely gorgeous! I'm not usually a fan of that style of bouquet but yours is beautiful! I have a shot of the three generations too, married for 62yrs, 31yrs and about half an hour! Hehe. I love it, one to treasure!

You were right, I started reading this last night but then decided to wait until I was in bed with a cup of tea this morning!
What a lovely report!! You look beautiful, love that photo of you both in the churchyard with your veil lifting in the breeze!

Congratulations! It looks like an amazing day, l love your flashes. Great venue!

Wow you look so beautiful :-) big congrats!!

Well if my day looks half as beautiful as yours I'll be one very happy girl. You looked stunning sweetie and all so gorgeous. Lots of wonderful smiles. Massive congrats and of course Happy New Year xx

Stunning! I especially love your dress x

Absolutely beautiful. Congratulations.

You looked stunning and everything looked just perfect. Congratulations to you both!

Congratulations! A lovely report and beautiful photos x

Thank you for shairng your report with us. You look beautiful and the day looks perfect.

The pic with your veil in the wind was such a lucky shot, it's amazing!

Enjoy married life

xx

Congratulations, officially the last 2014 bride! You looked beautiful and it was a lovely report.

Congratulations venue twin! Lovely photos

Gorgeous!! Lovely photos and I looovvvee the feathers on your shoes, where are they from??

MissToffee, shoe feathers are a shoe clip, from etsy.