So, here goes - over a month after the event but better late than never!
Thursday
OH had been working away Mon-Wed, so I ended up having to take Thursday off (big thanks to my understanding boss!) to clean the house for our guests and to meet the organist. After little snarky comments about my choice of hymns " Oh, that's very common", she then announced she'd need a lift to and from the ceremony. Cue minor organisation panic resolved by the nice minister being her chauffer.
My bridesmaid, her fiance, my dad, stepmum and best man all arrive in OH's home town and we head up the road to ours. OH's parents join and we have a really nice meal, gave the parents their presents which they liked (if you're interested, we got my dad and stepmum personalised whisky and an engraved quaich, and OH's parents an engraved Welsh slate cheeseboard and an engraved lovespoon). OH's parents went home and the rest stayed with us in our furniture-less house!
Friday
Bridesmaid and I were going to get our nails done and meeting bridesmaid 2 there. All quite calm in the morning, my dad cut our grass and my stepmum did my ironing which was very nice of them, and I spent half an hour hunting for a silver heart to hang in the church (still haven't found it!).
Headed into town, got caught in traffic and I ended up jumping out at traffic lights and sprinting through the shopping centre to make it to my manicure (I also forgot that I had my bridesmaid's iphone on my lap when I jumped out, but luckily it's very tough!)
Bridesmaid 2 was also running late, but we managed to get our manicures done, then it was off to the train station to collect my friend who'd come over from New York, then to OH's home town to load up the cars and decorate church and venue.
Then the rain started - and I mean proper, relentless hard rain! I met up with a neighbour from Wales who had driven 300 welshcakes made by my grandmother all the way up to Angus and collected them, managed to load the cars without getting things too wet. OH's family seemed to take a step back from helping now that my lot were up - which was respectful, but possibly the worst time to do that!
We set off for the church and castle, which are right by each other. I managed to get us lost on the way! But we got there in the end, hung 44 hearts on the pew ends, bridesmaid 2 and her boyfriend (bless him, second time meeting me, first ever wedding, he was a star) set up the tables with the favours etc.
Bridesmaid 1 and I drove to collect my minister from his hotel and everyone turned up for the rehearsal. I'd been pretty calm up to this point, but my family had missed their connection at Edinburgh and so would miss the rehearsal, and the rehearsal seemed mainly to focus on whether or not the bridal party should sit down during readings!
Stress levels pretty high at this point, bridesmaids, partners and myself headed to our lovely B&B, we went to get chips, I met up with my workmate who'd driven down a flower arrangement for the church, then we all had chips, champagne and ben & jerry's!
I gave the boys whisky to thank them for their help, then my bridesmaids and I painted our toenails, drank champagne and watched Gavin and Stacey. They also gave me a beautiful necklace which was very touching.
Then off to bed!
Right, this is already ridiculously long so I'll leave it for now, go and have my supper then finish it! I promise the next part will be mainly photos!
Sorry for boring you all!
