I am sorry it has taken me so long to do my report, its only two months late!
Saturday 18th July – Our Wedding Day
I woke up at 7am and the first thing I did was looked outside the window to see what the weather was like; there was a blue sky and the sun was shining in. I instantly looked up at the sky and thought thank you Grandad, as I had been praying for good weather, as the weather in the week was awful!
Then my tummy felt like it was upside down with butterflies, as it thought about our wedding – it was such a lovely feeling as I was so excited.
As it was so early, I went into my mum and dad’s room, as my dad went to work (he worked till noon as he wanted to get out of the way so us girlies could get ready) I got in bed with my mum and had a cuddle!
I then got everyone up and helped mum make the breakfast, I had a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea, I was still feel very calm at this point to as I could still eat! Then at 8.30am my mum headed off to hairdressers to get her hair up.
At 9am my wonderful florist Steph knocked at the door holding my beautiful bouquet with a big smile on her face, I nearly cried when I saw it -it was perfect absolutely perfect. Steph than gave me a big cuddle and wished me luck for our big day and reassured me that the flowers at our venue are going to look amazing.
Once Steph left we had another knock at the door and it was Victoria – Our hair and make up lady, she started off with me as I needed my hair put in curlers for my up do and she then went on to do my bridesmaids make up and clipped in their hair clips for me. My mum was now back from the hairdressers and it was her turn for make up, mum looked amazing and was really happy with the way Victoria had done her make up.
My dad then decided that it was time to open a bottle of my favourite Veuve Clicquot champagne and my mum toasted to a happy future. I was still very calm at this point, I still couldn’t believe that I was getting married in a couple of hours, it just didn’t feel really!
I then made a start on the flower girls hair, as they wanted it curled, I think the bridesmaids and I did a good job!
Victoria then made a start on my hair up and make up, she did a brilliant job I was so happy with the end result, as I was looking at my self in the mirror with my tiara and veil on, I suddenly got this lovely feeling of excitement rush right through me, finally it was starting to feel real – and then the nerves kicked it!
I then told the flower girls that it time to get ready and I seriously couldn’t get them up the stairs quick enough. Since the moment they work up they asked if they could put their dresses on – bless them! There face as they where getting ready was a picture as they where rushing to get there dresses and shoes on.
Once the little one where dressed, the bridesmaids got there dresses on – this actual turned out to be a comical moment as they but the wrong dresses on and I couldn’t figure out why Joanna’s dress was round her ankles, it wasn’t until Stacey said that her dress was to long that we clicked that they had the wrong dresses on! They finally had the right dresses on and my mum came in to tie a nice bow on the back of their dresses – the truly did look amazing.
2pm There was a knock at the door, it was Roger our lovely photographer, as I was still in my dressing gown at this point Roger got straight to work and asked if he could take some pictures of wedding dress hanging up along with my shoes.
2:30pm It was finally time for me to get into my dress and Roger got some beautiful photos, we then had a couple more shots of us all at my parent’s house and then dad went off to make us some Pimms before we left.
I gave our flower girls their little bags to hold and then all of a sudden I heard Kaidey crying and rush into see what was wrong and she had broken the handle to her bag, I told her not to worry its ok and that my Mum would fix it for her (it which she did- aren’t mums great!) Then Bethany (the youngest flower girl decided that she didn’t want to hold the bag I bought and wanted to hold the jewellery box from the bridesmaids jewellery. Bethany was more than happy with her box rather than the bag (as you can see from the pictures)
3pm Another knock at the door – this time it was our cars coming to pick us up. Everyone was ready and we made our way out the house. My Rolls Royce (1937 Phantom III Limousine) car looked amazing and my mum, Bridesmaids and Flower girls went in black Mercedes. Dad and I got in our car and then we all set off. As we where driving to our venue everyone was waving and the cars where peeping at us, we felt like royalty, dad and I had a little giggle about it. Sitting in the car with my dad I started to feel really nervous and could hear my hear beating in my ears and my mouth was so dry.
We arrived 20mins early so our driver said he will drive us round the park for a couple of times as the other two cars went on the venue.
3:50pm Finally after having a lovely drive round Richmond Park it was time to drive up to Pembroke Lodge. As I got out of the car I was meet by Mark our Master of Ceremonies and our Best Man Oscar. I was then whisked up stairs to meet our registrar and he explained to me the order of the ceremony; on the way up I walked past a window that over look our ceremony room and that me even more nervous! Once I was in the room with the registrar I asked for a glass of water as I was so nervous and still had an extremely dry mouth – I swear it was as dry as brick wall!
4pm Dad and I both got back into the car and our driver drove us up to The Belvedere to meet by our beautiful bridesmaids and flower girls. As we waited out side ready to walk down the isle I could hear my heart beating really fast and then the doors opened and it was time to walk down the isle. I didn’t want to look up as I walked down the isle and see everyone so looked down at the floor, as I knew if I looked up I would start to cry. I was finally meet by very handsome husband Steven and he said I looked beautiful. Our registrar then said a few words and spoke about the history of our wedding venue and then handed over to Joanna our Chief Bridesmaid for the first reading. Joanna got up and registrar asked where her word are and I looked round to our Ushers and said it at the back of the room and they quickly went and got them which had everyone giggling! Finally Joanna was then given her reading – Shakespeare – Sonnet 116
Shakespeare – Sonnet 116Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
After the reading it was time to say our vows to each other. When saying our vows to each other, it was as though know one else was in the room but us and I didn’t cry one during out vows which was a fear of mine.
The registra then annoced us as Husband and wife and I was finally allowed to kiss my goregous husband. We then signed the register and posed for a couple of photo’s
When saying our vows to each other, it was as though know one else was in the room but us, and I didn’t cry one during out vows in which I thought I would of done.
After saying our vows it was my brother Paul’s turn do the next reading, which was called Maybe…
Maybe...
Maybe...We are supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift
Maybe...it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives
Maybe...the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way
Maybe...the best kind of love is the kind you can sit on a sofa together and never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had
Maybe...you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
Maybe...you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy
Maybe... Love is not about finding the perfect person, it's about learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.'
The way he read this reading was truly beautiful, he had me crying and Steven’s eyes started welling up. When then walked down the isle to Pachelbel’s Canon. Everyone throw confetti at us as we walked down the isle and I actually got a bit of confetti in my mouth as you can see from our wedding photo’s I am having a fit of giggle about it. Once we reach the end of the isle Mark gave us both a glass of well-deserved Champagne and everyone joined us out on the terrace for reception drinks whilst our photographer took some pictures. Before we knew it we had the call for our wedding breakfast but, Mark took us to one side and said we should wait outside and a have a few moment to ourselves whilst everyone was finding their seats. It was really nice to get 5 minutes together as we and had a little chat about how nervous we both where before the ceremony.
Mark then came out to see if we where ok and ready to be seated – Mark then announced as into the room as Mr & Mrs Combes it really did sound so strange hearing them words and of course we got a massive round of applause from everyone
The meal went down beautifully and it was really lovely everyone commented on how nice the food was. It was now time for the speeches – Steven hates public speaking and was very nervous about doing it, but he did a brilliant job and said some really lovely things – I was so proud of him. We then handed out our Thank You presents and said all our thank you s together. My dad speech was funny – my mum actually helped him write a speech, but my dad decided he would say a few words of his own and then thanked the staff at Pembroke Lodge for all the there hard work. I couldn’t believe it when Mark then told me that my dad was the 2nd person ever to thank the staff in a speech in his 15 years of working there.
It was then time to cut our beautiful wedding cake and it was then taken away to be cut up and severed with our evening buffet.
We then went into another room for tea, coffee and mints whilst the staff at Pembroke lodge along with our DJ set up the room for our evening reception.
8pm Our evening guest started to arrive and I went back into our reception room and it look lovely with all the tea lights on the tables and the fairy light on the ceiling.
8.30pm Steven and I where then called in to the room for our first dance – we had both be dreading that moment, but I think we did ok – We danced to Take That Greatest Day. It actually seemed like the longest 4 minutes ever, but as soon as we where finished the DJ got everyone off their seats and on to the dance floor and he got the party started. Our evening buffet had also been laid out; we had Sausage, bacon and vegetarian butties with spicy potato wedges, which went down well with all our guests and of course our lovely wedding cake was brought out too.
12am It was an end to a truly beautiful day, I couldn’t have asked for anything else it – was our perfect day and how better to end it with the song Iris by the GooGoo Dolls.
We where the last one to leave the venue as I wanted to say goodbye to everyone and made sure I gave some of our flowers that we used as centre pieces to our family and friends. Our Taxi had arrived but Steven and I thought it would be fun to walk through Richmond Park to our hotel as it was only about a 15-minute walk. So we did, we bought a bottle of champagne along with us and drank it as we walked through the park with a couple of our friend in the darkness. here are some pics
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=3530361&id=508261054
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=3530376&id=508261054
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=3530377&id=508261054
I have to say at first I didn’t really want to as I thought my dress would get ruined, but I am so glad we did as it – as it was just made the our day even more spectacular to look back on.
We finally got to our hotel and I just had to go upstairs and get my dress off and then I came back down with a nice cotton dress on and a few more drinks with my new husband and our friends.
1.30am Our friend went home and Steven and I went to bed, I have never felt so tired in my entire life we had a little chat and reflected our day to one another. It really was best day of our lives so far.
The next morning we woke up and had a full Engligh breakfast - it was lovely, my brother came to collect our wedding outfits and he then went on to Pembroke Lodge to collect our remaining things as they needed it out of there by noon! It was Before long our taxi arrived and we where off on our honeymoon for 2 weeks in the Maldives.
And for those of you who cant be bothered to read the the report here's the pics
http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo?album_id=167930739&photo_id=238541660
