Well, we did it! I am now a Mrs. We have two nights at home before we fly off to Rome, so thought I would write my wedding report for the lovely ladies of Hitched. This is going to be long, so if you get bored skip to the end where I'll post the link to the available photos!
I woke up on Saturday at 7.15am, an hour before my alarm was due to go off! I looked out and it was sunny, hurrah! I was the only one awake so I read in bed for a bit until my Mum and sister got up. By the time they woke up, it was raining. Boo!
The hairdressers arrived (early!) at 8.50am. One made a start on mine whilst the other did my cousin's hair, then they worked their way round the rest of the household. By the time they'd finished, the make-up artist had arrived and a few minutes later my photographer arrived, having already been to see Sam at the venue and introduced him to the second shooter for the day. He wandered round and took photos, of us and of other bits like my dress, shoes and bouquet, whilst we just got on with getting ready!
I felt a bit silly sitting around with my hair done and my veil in, but wearing a t-shirt and jeans! I was like that for a while as the hairdressers did me first, but the make-up artist wanted me to go last. It was whilst I was waiting that we had a delivery and the first tears of the day: a florist arrived with a huge bouquet of pink roses from Sam and a note saying, "I can't wait for you to be my wife". ?
It took longer than I thought it would to get ready, but time flew. I couldn't believe it when the make-up artist told me it was already 12.30pm! Perhaps it was the four bottles of bucks fizz we'd consumed during the course of the morning... All morning everyone was telling me how calm I was. I certainly didn't feel nervous. It was a bit disconcerting watching the weather (we had four torrential downpours whilst we were getting ready) but I was surprisingly okay about it. No point stressing about something you can't change!
Thankfully, the sun did come out for us eventually. Once my sister (MoH) had got me into my dress we had some photos around the house, including some in the garden with the village cricket team, who came off the pitch in the middle of their match to have their photo taken with me! Then before I knew it Mum was away to meet Dad at the hospice (he had to have someone travel with him in the wheelchair taxi) and the car had arrived to take my bridesmaids (my niece and my cousin) to the venue. That left me and my sister waiting for the car to return and take me to the ceremony! It was at this point that I realised I should probably have gone to the toilet before getting into my dress. ? We managed it though, and still had time to have another glass of bucks fizz!
The whole street turned out to watch us leave as well as most of the crowd from the cricket match! The 3 year old grand-daughter of the next door neighbours came over to the car window to tell me I looked beautiful and just like a princess. The chauffeur was very organised - he had tissues, plasters and tictacs!
When we got to the venue, Mum and Dad were waiting for me at the door with my bridesmaids and page boys. The bridesmaids and page boys went in first, followed by my sister then me, with Mum pushing Dad next to me. As we entered the room Dad said, "I'm sorry", which meant both Mum and I walked down the aisle in tears.
The ceremony was lovely. My cousin Kelly read from Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Sam's Scottish cousin Richard read Robert Burns and the registrar surprised Sam with a reading (pre-arranged with me!) on how to be a good husband. After the ceremony we had photos in the sunshine, a 10 minute ride in the car with a bottle of champagne, and then went inside for the wedding breakfast. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Dad did his speech. Sam was really pleased with the card I'd got signed by his football team, which his brother (best man) gave to him during his speech. The best man also had a card from all the nurses at the hospice Dad is in, which was really nice. Five minutes after we started the meal, the heaven's opened again. We were very fortunate to miss the downpour.
After the meal Sam and I had some more photos, just the two of us, in the gardens - the sun had come out again just in time! Then we went back to our room for Sam to change for the evening do and we had a sneaky practice of our first dance!
The evening reception went well. Dad held on long enough to see our first dance, then borrowed the DJ's microphone to say that he had forgotten to mention in his speech the nurses, without whom he wouldn't have seen the day. Everyone cried, then we went downstairs to wave him off. Mum went with him and came back once he was settled. Unfortunately, she missed the buffet whilst she was gone!
The party in the evening was great fun, but my favourite moment was when the DJ had the two sides of the family competing in a game where one of Sam's male cousins ended up wearing my sister's bridesmaid dress and her high heeled silver sandals! Sadly, the official photographer had left by then! I'm sure when we get the CD-Rs back from the guests there'll be a couple of that moment.
It was a magicial day and I'm so happy Dad was able to share it with me. The taster photos from the official photographer can be seen here. Enter "Mel" when prompted.
