Well I am finally pulling my finger out and writing my wedding report! It has been nearly two months since the wedding, so sorry for the delay ladies.
Right, where to start ... I guess from the beginning:
How we met:
Well, there are two occasions where we could say we met. The first was at a house party in August 2000 that my friend took me along to. Although we were both at the party we didn't actually meet as such. I can remember him being there but we didn't speak.
At this party I was invited to go to Creamfields with all these people I had just met (and my friend who introduced me). For those of you who don't know, Creamfields is a dance music festival in Liverpool which started in 1999 (I think) which takes place on the Aug bank holiday weekend each year and was created by the people who run the legendary nightclub Cream, also in Liverpool.
So naturally my friend and I book our tickets and our places on the coach going to our first festival.
After a 5/6 hour coach trip and the application of copious amounts of neon face paint and additional fake orange pony tail (don't ask), we arrive at the airfield where the festival takes place. Now we need to find the rest of the group who invited us and had driven up by car. Bearing in mind this is a field of 50,000 other people and back in the day when the phones we were using were Nokia 3210's etc, plus our reception was hopeless (also I didn't have anyone else's phone number). The first hour was spent wandering around the field getting our bearings, when low and behold they found us!
Typically I lost my friend at some point during the night and this new group of friends took care of me (I hadn't considered what happens at night ... it gets cold), and I hadn't taken a jumper with me! ... so including my future husband, this fab new group of friends kept me warm and kept me company. Needless to say we had an awesome night (Paul Oakenfold dropping Zombie Nation for the first time, is a memory and sound that will stick with me forever)!!!
At that festival and house party I met some of the best friends anyone could ever wish for and of course, the man of my dreams.
The Proposal:
Flash forward 11 years to my 30th birthday. My man had planned a surprise birthday get away for me. So, on the morning of my birthday I opened my presents and we got ready to take the dogs for a walk. The weather wasn't the best, very windy and showers. I noticed my man seemed a little concerned about the weather, but I certainly didn't suspect a thing.
We took the pooches for a lovely walk on Ogmore beach in South Wales. We stopped to admire the view and I turned to him and told him that I loved him and he replied "that's handy" and started fiddling around in his pocket. He then dropped to one knee in front of me. At exactly the same time a warm shaft of sunlight came out and bathed us in light (quite surreal). Well, I could hardly speak! I was totally surprised. I think I gasped, cried, then snatched the ring to look at, then I remembered I needed to reply and he needed the ring back to put on my finger. We believe that the shaft of sunlight was his parents giving us their blessing as we have unfortunately lost both of them to cancer. We finished our walk and spent a lovely weekend away at the Nant Ddu hotel in Brecon. Such a fantastic weekend and such a gorgeous ring!
The Dress!
Well, I always knew that finding the perfect dress for me was going to be no easy feat! My first job at the age of 15 was working in a Bridal shop, so I knew the process and have seen so many dresses before.
I also knew I wanted to avoid a strapless dress if I could, as it usually really doesn't suit me ... Basically ruling out about 80% of the dresses in one hit as strapless has been in fashion for many years. So, we start the search with my two fabulous bridesmaids (my older sister and my best mate - the one who took me to that house party and went with me to Creamfields), so I guess she is responsible for me finding the love of my life!
I tried on some absolutely stunning dresses during our travels, but I kept saying the same thing. "I don't dislike it", which made my sister say it wasn't 'the one' then. Before I had even started looking I had found a dress online (as I could remember many of the designer names from back in the days when I worked in bridal). I had found a Mori Lee dress and wanted to find it to try on. After calling the designer I discovered that there were 3 shops in the UK that had the sample. One in Derby, one in Kent and one in Shropshire. I booked an appointment at the one in Derby as I thought that was the closest and easiest to get to (I live in South Wales). So we continued shopping locally with my bridesmaids. My sister then concluded that I wouldn't settle on a dress until I saw this Mori Lee. So I thought I might call the shop in Derby to check what size dress they had, as if it was way too big we would loose the effect. It turned out that they had a size 16 so there wasn't any point trying that one on. I called the shop in Shropshire to check what size they had. Luckily they had a size 12 so I brought forward the trip and booked an appointment for the following weekend. Plus I also got an appointment to try another dress I'd seen in Birmingham ... Two birds, one stone 
)
)Well after a 2 and half hour journey I came face to face with my dress. I was so nervous that it would be for nothing. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't of liked it as I had tried virtually all the shops local to me. I didn't look in the mirror in the fitting room and saved it for when I walked out ... Boom, it hit me when I looked in the mirror. I had 'the moment'! I burst into tears, I loved it and it felt amazing! I had tried on all sorts of dresses over the weeks of searching, but a fuller skirt felt more like a wedding dress and this one had straps too! The sample I tried on was ivory but we had noticed that white suited me far more on other dresses I tried, so I took a gamble and ordered my dress in white at the shop in Shropshire. So basically I had a 5 hour round trip for fittings, but boy it was worth it!
Day before the wedding:
I checked into my suite at The Vale hotel in South Wales and moved myself in. Boy oh boy the suite was fab and it was massive! ) My sister and I were staying at the hotel that night. We let my husband to be come and visit for afternoon tea, cakes and cheeseboard before we settled down for the evening (with a nice fillet steak and a glass of the red stuff) )
) My sister and I were staying at the hotel that night. We let my husband to be come and visit for afternoon tea, cakes and cheeseboard before we settled down for the evening (with a nice fillet steak and a glass of the red stuff) )I don't usually sleep very well in hotels anyway and then adding in the fact that it was my wedding night and a hen party staying next door, meant that I didn't sleep a wink. Getting up out of bed on multiple occasions to look at my dress (as you do).
The wedding day: Sunday 16th September 2012:
Typically the weather forecast was hopeless and it was forecast wind and rain, although they couldn't predict what time the ran was going to start ... I just needed it to hold off until we had our photos!
My hair and makeup lady (Katy Morris) arrived bang on time and my sister was late ... She would be late for her own funeral I am sure! We had fun getting ready and chatting. We had ordered cakes, sandwiches and champagne to the room, so a glass of the bubbly helped to calm my nerves.
It really took me by surprise at just how nervous I was. On the way in the car I asked the driver to turn the air conditioning up as I'd got a hot flush! On getting out of the car everything seem to turn into tunnel vision and I think I hardly cracked a smile I was so nervous.
Once I'd had the chat with the registrar it was time for the entrance. A few big breaths and off we went! I was determined to walk as slowly as I could down the aisle (I wanted this to last as long as possible and so many brides seem to charge down the aisle). My Dad patted me on the arm to tell me to slow down and "he isn't going anywhere" )
) At the end of the aisle I reach out for my fiance's hand and didn't let go. I don't think I looked at the registrar once!
And so I became Mrs Rowles!!!
Blimey the photos are crazy. I don't think I spoke to any of my guests hardly until the meal! On walking through my venue to get to another photo spot I realised our exit song had been playing on repeat ... Oh dear my poor guests were listening to the same song over and over and over while we had our pics done. Thankfully we fixed that on the way through ... Quite funny really, I wonder how many people actually noticed! )
)Thankfully the rain held off until we sat for starters! The food was absolutely amazing too!
Goats cheese on bruschetta with red pesto to start, Venison Wellington with dauphinoise potatoes, roasted root veg and red wine jus for main course, followed by sticky toffee pudding and butterscotch sauce!
The evening party was brill and all my friends seemed to really enjoy it, although I think some of the older guests might have found it different to the norm. Dance music might not be everyone's taste but I think the selection from the 90s classic onwards was a hit with the friends ... I certainly enjoyed not having to endure the typical wedding play list!
The next day:
Again, neither of us really slept. We had to go back to the venue to collect our transporter van as it was left in the car park of the venue containing the flowers (which we were taking to my husband's parents grave) and presents (our venue insists that everything you want to keep is removed on the night!)
Well we returned at 10am the next morning to find four flat tyres and a van coated in silly string!!! Then we opened the door to find the silly string was inside too and the cabin filled with balloons, little hearts and stars confetti and flower heads from somewhere ... God only knows where! So we spent two hours in the car park munching on wedding cake waiting for our tyres to inflate. Thankfully the venue owner turned up and leant us two more air machines for the tyres.
The suspects for the van redecoration are the best man and our ushers ... Trust me, revenge will be sweet! (My husband said that when the one unmarried usher finally gets married and wakes up on the morning following his stag do, if it is with anything less than a lady boy, he will be disappointed!) D
DWell the best day of my life came and went in a flash! I adored my wedding day and I am loving married life. My husband laughed at me when we got home from the mini moon. I sat in front of the TV on my iPad looking glum. He asked what the matter is and I said "I haven't got anything to Google any more!"
Now I need to turn my hand to planning the honeymoon which is going to happen next year (a 3 week tour of northern Italy and south of France)
I am also planning on selling some of the items I bought for the wedding. Some unused, like my umbrella and wellies, which I didn't end up needing.
I am also selling my dress and veil, so please feel free to drop me an email on *************@*****.*** if you are interested or want to find out more.
Right to the main event ... Here are the preview pics my photographer posted on his blog ..... Enjoy!!!
http://www.creativeapertures.com/blog/2012/wedding-photographers-in-cardiff-canada-lodge/
