Well it was finally here and I was so nervous words could not describe!! At about 4pm on Saturday 27th August my brother’s fiancée Claire came to pick me up and all the wedding stuff to go to the venue! At this point though I was so stressed I was being a complete Bridezilla!! My H2B had just gone out ½ an hour earlier and not told me where he had gone. My mum hadn’t arrived with Claire like she said she would. As not all the wedding stuff would fit into Claire’s tiny Fiat Punto!! I was not packed at all for the 2 nights stay at The Langtry Manor either!! Anyway I kept asking Claire were my H2B was and she kept brushing over the subject. It now turns out he had gone to our wedding florist and ordered me the most beautiful bouquet of roses and champagne and was waiting for me at The Langtry Manor to give them to me but as I was running late Claire told him to come back to our flat. I heard the key go in the door and was ready to rip his head off and he appeared with the flowers and champagne how could I shout so I cried instead!! My mum then finally arrived and me & my H2B loaded both cars up and said goodbye. I’m filling up just remembering this bit!! I didn’t want to spend the night without him but knew the next time I saw him he would be stood at the top of that aisle!!
We arrived at The Langtry Manor and unloaded everything. There was a wedding going on that day and I saw the bride and groom and couldn’t help but smile thinking that would be me and my H2B tomorrow! My mum left me & Claire to it telling me to get an early night and she would be back in the morning! Claire had booked a table at a local Italian as she knew I would just climb the walls in the venue waiting for tomorrow to arrive! It was actually really lovely to sit and eat and drink with just me & Claire I wanted to scream to everybody in that restaurant that I was getting married tomorrow but didn’t!! We finished our dinner and went back to the hotel and started watching x-factor and wrapping the bridesmaid’s gifts on the bed!! We decided we should go to sleep and I managed to finally fall asleep in the early hours!!
Me & Claire on my last night as Miss Bolton!!
The morning of the wedding had finally arrived. After months and months of planning it was here!! I woke up about 6am and didn’t want to be too mean and wake Claire so early!! I gave in and woke her at about 6:30am!! I knew our breakfast was coming at 8:30 so I had ages yet!! We had to go and pick Claire’s friend up from the train station as she was doing Claire’s hair. Claire is a hairdresser and was doing everybody’s hair but needed someone to do hers! So we drove to the train station in our pyjamas with my bride to be dressing gown on!! We got back and then breakfast arrived it was huge there was no way I could eat it all! All I could hear was my mum telling me to eat something though so I managed a bit of fruit and a bit of my fried breakfast but that was it!! Then my MOH arrived which was my H2B’s sister. She greeted me with a massive hug and smile. She then showed me something she had done for my H2B. Their mum sadly passed away 4 years earlier and she had printed off a picture of their mum and wrote a beautiful letter on the back saying how he could keep her close to his heart on his big day. That had us both in tears hugging again. I forced my uneaten breakfast on her so it looked like I had eaten a bit more when my mum arrived!!
We rang the room service and asked them to pick up the breakfast tray. They came and took it away. Only as they were walking out the door frame clipped the un-used jug of milk and bam milk went on my dress and veil. I didn’t know what to do and everybody looked at me waiting for a reaction. Then within a split second Claire’s friend sat me on the bed and Lucy & Claire dabbed all the milk off my veil and dress. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry so my reaction was just purely “F*cking brilliant!!”
My mum arrived and she had forgotten her horse shoe that she had at her wedding - that was my something old so instead she gave me a ring my great grandma had given her for her 16th birthday which was lovely. The next bits just went by really quickly with a buzz of excitement and quite a few tears of both happiness and nervousness. Bridesmaids turned up, family came in to say hi, the tog and vog arrived and I just felt like I was in a dream!! Then my dad rang me. He asked how I was and then told me he loved me and always would. That set me off instantly. He said he would see me in a couple of hours and I finished the phone call asking him to make sure H2B came to get married!! God knows what I thought he was going to do!!
Before I knew it the registrar had arrived to go over a few things. As she was doing so my dad walked in and looked amazing so cue even more tears!! We all shared some champagne and I gave out the bridesmaid’s presents. Then the wedding co-ordinator came in to tell me my hopes of an outside wedding were over after it had started to rain. This initially upset me but then I thought what the hell I’m still going to get married!!
It was time to leave after a few pictures were taken. Before we left dad got me on my own and said that’s enough tears now come on this is your day you look beautiful let’s go. I remember being stood with the doors to the ceremony room shut and I heard the music start Abba I do, I do, I do. They sent in my bridesmaids 2 at a time then shut the door. The next bit is a blur. They opened the doors and sent me in and everything seemed to be in a bubble. I was crying my eyes out I was just so overwhelmed. Everybody was watching me with wide eyes and they were all beaming!! I got to the top of the aisle and my H2B said I looked beautiful!! The ceremony went without a hitch and was lovely. Part way through the ceremony we lit a special candle in memory of my H2B’s mum who wasn’t with us, at that point there wasn’t a dry eye in the house but it was a fabulous touch. That was it we had said I do and that was it I was the new Mrs Hawes I just needed to sign to seal the deal!! We walked back down the aisle to Take that’s Greatest Day and we were both grinning from ear to ear!!
It was photo time and as it was raining I never did get my beach shots or many outside pictures but I still love every one of the pictures!! Time was flying and it was time for the WB. Everyone went in and got seated and it just left me and Mr Hawes together. I thanked him for marrying me and turning up!! Then we were told we could go into the restaurant and by God did people scream and whistle it was so loud! We decided to do our speeches and cutting the cake first so people could relax. My dad went first and had everybody in tears saying how proud he was of me. My dad isn’t a massive public speaker and couldn’t finish the speech through too many tears but it was beautiful. Then came the turn of my H2B and then his brother who was his best man and it was the best speech by a best man I’ve ever heard it was so funny!! Then I had prepared a few words thanking personally my bridesmaids and thanking my H2Bs mum for making him into the amazing man he is today and again cue more tears!!
The dinner came and everyone was relaxed and winding down when we hit them all with my surprise. I had organised a singer for after the WB to get everyone into the party mood ready for the evening reception and my he didn’t disappoint we had people waving napkins and stood on their chairs. Nobody was sat down by the end of it!! We must have deafened the poor staff!!
The sun had finally come out and we could get some pics outside and throw the confetti and blow the bubbles!! I walked into the evening reception to see my home made sweetie buffet looking lovely!! Before I knew it the evening guests were arriving and I was yet again mingling with guests!! Our first dance was to Journey “Faithfully” and it was lovely it felt like it was just me and my H in the room and nobody else until we got them all involved!! The night was danced and drunk away. I had said I didn’t want to drink much so I could take it all in and surprisingly I didn’t!! Our photo booth went down a storm too and we have an amazing guest book from it!!
Then people were leaving and I really didn’t want the night to end. We had our final dance to Eric Clapton “Wonderful Tonight” and that was that all done and dusted!! I was now Mrs Hawes. The months and months of planning had completely paid off we both had the most amazing day. Every tear, stress and choice had been worth it in the end.
The next morning we all had breakfast together that was lovely and everybody was a bit delicate but not me and my H!! We had stayed up and opened all our cards and just talked about the day!!
I will stop now though as I’m sure I have bored you lots now!!
Theres a few thank yous I would like to say some of the suppliers arent on here but will say thank you anyway!!
Stationary - Bev at Bee Mine Weddings
Flowers - Kerry at Penn Hill Flowers
Beautiful Jewellery - Lynsey at Lynseys Designs
Garter - Debbie at Made by Debbie Howe
Thats it I promise not to bore you anymore!!!
Sarah xx
