Wedding report diary
(Disclaimer - I apologise in advance for this incredibly long post. It is mainly for my own memories so I never forget it!)
How we met :
It's not very romantic I'm afraid. You have been warned.
2005- One of my oldest friends had started working part time at a bar in town, and said there was a guy he worked with that he wanted to set me up with, said he thought we'd really suit each other.
At 17, I was intrigued to hear more about this cooler older guy who worked in a trendy bar in town. One saturday me and john (the friend) went in to said bar for lunch. He pointed Nick out to me, "that's him!" It was a busy day, quite warm too. The flustered guy behind the bar looked frazzled, pretty tired and pissed off, didnt look like he's had much sleep and he had a big beardy stubble and tufty hair. John introduces us, and Nick smiles briefly and says hi. He really is busy working. We leave him to it and I carry on with my lunch. Life continues.
My good friend Eve is having her braces off, hooooray for her. At 18 years old this is a big deal, she hated them braces. So what a great excuse for a night out!!! Who cares if it's a school night, we're 18!
"Brace Night" as it is forever known, was a messy one. By 11pm we were queuing outside the diviest club in Colchester... The Hippodrome! Us girls are all waiting, when the group of lads behind us all start singing, The Killers, and so we drunkenly join in. It is then that I notice 'green tshirt boy'. I swear that's the guy John works with... it looks like him, only now he has shaved short hair, no stubble and beautiful blue sparkly eyes, and tattoos that I never noticed before. He's pretty hot!!! I couldnt remember his name. I whisper to my friends about him, "that's johns mate".... We go inside - and have a great girly evening dancing and singing. Right towards the end of the evening, green tshirt boy approaches me. He asks if I've seen his brothers. I say no. He continues to talk to me, both our memories are pretty fuzzy about what was said..... but someof the key elements we do remember were:* our mutual love of justin timberlake* our mutual love of 5ive* he joked and called me fat* I admitted to being John's friend
Sorry that's as much as I can tell you! But I was smitten. My friends were ringing me, they were in a taxi outside and I had to go. It was like Cinderella running through the club with Nick racing behind, "wait, can I have your number?" - "get it from John" i shout, I kiss his cheek and disappear into the night. I know, smooth right?! 
The next morning I text john at 9am, figuring thats the most reasonable early time to text someone when you're 18. Nick had already text him at 8am to get my number, wohooo he was obviously keen!
We meet up two weeks later for a date. He takes me to his bar. I drink a bottle of wine and get ridiculously drunk, I talk and talk and talk. He drives me home and we kiss in the car. I put his hand on my boob. On the first date!!! I was hammered.
The next day I'm mortified. I really actually liked this guy, I need to play it cool!
Some not so great back story follows. My ex was sniffing around. He'd hurt me half a year back and I never truly got over it. He showed an interest and I'm not sure how or why...... I decide to give it another go. I blow Nick out for ex. EVIL!!!!
Shock, horror, surprise, ex screws me over again almost immediately. Silly girl. Should have known better!
Months pass. John tells me he is going on a night out with his girlfriend and Nick, invites me to come along. I feel bad for blowing him out, I really did like the guy. I agree to come along, if only to apologise. Nick snogs another girl while we're out. I feel jealous. I go outside and cry..... it somehow gets back to him. He comes and finds me, admits he was trying to make me jealous, says he's really liked me from that first night and still does. Cant get me out of his head....
We kiss. We are together a year, we move in together. 8 happy years pass. We grow up. We get engaged 
..........
The wedding countdown begins!!
26 days to go!!! :
It's scary, it really is, but somehow all the DIY is complete! The invites, the save the dates, they all took forever, in comparison the table plan, table name cards and signing frame took less than a day!
I've had a list of things that need doing... venue, dress, favours, catering etc
But I realised that all the big things were done and it was more little bits and pieces I needed to finish/finalise - so I wrote another list (I do LOVE a good list!!!) It included "book final bikini wax" and "make music playlist" and "buy biros for pub quiz"... all the little things.
One week later and tadaaaah! The list is nearly complete!
All that remains is booking a nails appointment, washing and drying my hair extensions, posting our music usb stick to our dj, paying a few balances that arent due yet and buying biros.
With 26 days to go, I reckon we can handle that
It's easter bank holiday and I guess that means I can just attend my friends bday bbq today and enjoy myself! Feeling so glad we decided to wait two years to get married.... CHEERS!
****7 days to go!!!*****
Woah where did that two weeks go???
I've had my hen do #1 (the messy abroad one in Valencia) and it was absolutely brilliant!!
The girls made Nick on a Sticks for us to carry around the city who went down a treat!
The first night we went out around 1am until 5:30 as we were delayed out there (no issue, bar was open!) then the next day we wondered around the city and had some hungover tapas.
The second night (supposedly the quiet night in) we played games and the girls set a lovely table in the apartment, then ended going out about 12 and didnt come home until 10 in the morning!!!!
The next day we just stayed up and went straight to the beach, slept on it all day in 30 degrees, bliss!!!
Last evening was all pre-planned and full of surprises! We were taken to dinner and had a bottle of wine each provided (!) and then the stripper came. We have all agreed to not share just how far the stripper attempted to go but lets just say my friend was terrified I might never forgive her!! Just about survived the stripper blip, then another night to our favorite bars (loved Unic!) then onto the best club in the city, Mya which is tucked away underground beneath the beautiful science museum. We knew we had VIP entrance to skip the queue, turns out we had a VIP table behind the dj booth on a balcony overlooking the entire club, sandwiched between our favourite stag group we had met and top chef Raymond Blanc!
We danced until 7am, then trundled home to have a quick nap, pack to be ready to be picked up at 9:50!
5 hours sleep in 3 days, never felt so tired but had the most immense time!!!
Not sure how much Valencian advice I can give due to our crazy stay, but what I can tell is that on a map, it looks so much bigger. You can walk from the Plaza del Toros at the bottom of the city to the north of the park that wraps around the city in under 30 mins. All very compact!
Best places for food and drink are Plaza de le Reina and Plaza del Ayuntamniento in the centre. Prices are all extremely reasonable, especially the supermarkets. I have come back with plenty of euros!A taxi to the beach was around 12 euros too.Our apartment company were brilliant and still really recommend them, everything went like clockwork.
We all miss it and just wish we could be back, already planning our return for our 30ths haha!!
That was almost two weeks ago now!! I finished my last day at work yesterday so now a week to go and no work, it is all wedding wedding wedding. Nick was practicing his speech yesterday and since then he is a total mushball! Love it!
Whoever said you naturally lose weight through stress before the wedding lied! After being good for months I've been in 'celebration' mode since the hen and I think it's too late to change that now... pass the prosecco!
I have hen number 2 (family one) on saturday which I'm looking forward to. It's all top secret no idea what we are doing!
The weather has turned crap. Like really really dark and rainy. Forecasts show it *should* improve by thursday... here's hoping! We have bought a big pink wedding umbrella just in case!
I think now work is all over it has finally hit me!!!!! 7 days!!!!!!!!!
The day before :
It was a day of preparation, taking all the wine and prosecco to Nick's mums and dropping him off there too for the night. He was so nervous at this point thinking about his speech and the ceremony (he sometimes struggles to get his words out and if anything will highlight his small speech impediment, he knows it will be our wedding).
Saying goodbye was weird, we'd agreed not to talk unless urgent, I drove away and my eyes filled with tears. No more than 5 minute later, he rings my phone.... 'someone has just text asking for the postcode for the wedding venue' ....poignant moment ruined, but I smile at the thought he cant go 5 mins without my guidance haha!!
The 45 min drive home is nice, peaceful, a moment of calm and tranquility, just me and my thoughts and pure excitement.
My best friend and maid of honour Claire (only bridesmaid) is due round. We drink prosecco and eat antipasti, our spirits are high (ok, we get a little merry!) .... She surprises me by sneaking my other 4 best friends into the flat who jump out and surprise me and we have a last little toast together as singletons, as I'm the first in our gang to get married.
The girls leave soon after, and me and Claire go to bed at 11pm watching mean girls. Sleep comes easily, something which surprised me!.......
The wedding day :
I wake up at 05:20. I look outside at the weather... beautiful sunny day, blue sky... feeling blessed i get back into bed, squeeze my eyes shut and tell myself i'm not allowed to get out of bed until 7:30. Not sure if i actually fell back asleep.... but then the time to get up arrives.
We have a crumpet each and a coffee for breakfast, then pack up the last few bits into the car. I've already taken off the sheet of glass from my signing frame, which is laying up against the door. I go to stroke my kitty cats goodbye, somehow slip and stomp on the piece of glass. it shatters everywhere and picking it up i cut my finger deep. oh no! luckily i prepared my emergency kit for the wedding day and have plenty of plasters, so i stick one on. I check i havent bled on my dress, phew nope! We're ready to go!
We drive in the sunshine and pick up my mum, she is super excited and we all sing on our way to the venue. We didnt show anyone our venue, so it was amazing to drive up the driveway and see their reaction! My mum says "wow, it's going to be a long time since anyone in the family have been to a wedding like this" making it feel extra special.
The next few hours are a blur, we a getting ready one by one, with Dawn Taylor doing out hair and makeup. We go to and from the venue setting bits and pieces up (table names, favours, centrepieces etc) When planning the wedding, i was really miffed that I had to do this myself on the morning of the wedding and was super worried we'd not have enough time and it would be stressful, however it was so easy and leisurely, and in hindsight i'm glad I did it myself so I knew it was all perfect!
So we are all really relaxed, my mum and bm love their presents and cards, and we have a peach bellini or three. Suddenly i hear cars pulling up, Nick was here! From that moment, hearing guests arriving from my bridal cottage just next to the venue, the nerves set in.....ekkkkkk!
I was last to have my makeup done, and suddenly the registrars were asking for me, and then suddenly I was running late... something i have never been in my life!
I change into my dress, walk out to see my mum, dad and best friend, the nerves disappear and you can see from the photos how happy smiley and excited I become!!
I talk with the registrars, then it is time. The nerves return as the music starts, and my bm looks like she is going to throw up she is so nervous! haha! She apparently 'Usain Bolt's down the aisle first, then it us my turn. i love these photos so much.
My smily happy face cracks as i reach Nick, he is crying his eyes out!!! Suddenly i'm in tears too and we both sob throughout our vows and the entire ceremony.... who knew we'd be that soppy!!!
When the ceremony is over we walk out to our drinks reception, the sun is still shining and the weather is perfect. my legs are shaking from the adrenaline and with a sip of prosecco i feel like i'm going to fall over! We do our formal photos, which we were worried were going to be rushed and stressful in one hour for 30 pictures, but it was leisurely and we got extra in and I'm glad because I loooove them. We went off with our bridal party for seperate shots, it was amazing to kick off my heels and sprint across the lawn for our Game of Thrones inspired shot! That finally really relaxed me, and it felt like the 'official' stuff was over and now the big fun started! Somewhere during the photos i realise my plaster has filled and i've been bleeding on my dress. oh no!!
We go into the reception room, and sit down. Hiding under my seat is my emergency kit. I had a flannel and a vanish tablet. A dab of water and my dress is clean again! phew!! I'm so impressed with how great the room looked considering how diy it all was, i was super chuffed at how it came together, however minimalist.
The speeches were amazing, my dad kicked off with a brilliantly funny and tear jerking speech, followed by Nick who I was super proud of (he has a small speech impediment) and then the best men did a speech, which was actually a game show.... "You've been nicked!" (some hitchers may remember our dilemma a few months ago when nick was arrested for getting involved when his friend was in a fight... and how out of character it all was.. the charges were all dropped and we can laugh about it now!) It was a quiz based show where nick had to answer questions with a) b) c) answers, let's just say he got really stitched up and it was hilarious!!! The pictures you see below are of the bonus picture round, and our reaction to one story which was too cringeworthy! (once when nick broke his leg and had an operation, he came around high off morphine, turned to his mum thinking it was me, and said "this is more knackering than when we have sex!!" yes.... this is our reaction to the realization this was where they were going haha!
With the speeches over, it was time for our food. Seeing Jennet and Dwayne our caterers was like seeing old friends, they really are the loveliest people. We had yummy paella and bbq, then a couple of hours for our guests to drink the free wine and enjoy our pub quiz we had on the tables. we were worried this bit would drag, but it went so quickly!
My grandad, who is terminally ill with prostate cancer, made the day and seeing him enjoying the day and crying in the ceremony is a memory i will have of him forever. He left soon after the meal, but says he had the best day.
Our bar opened, the guests milled around and we went off for an hour to have our photos just the two of us. Loved this bit so much, just us and our photographers, who we LOVE and felt so comfortable in their presence.
Evening guests start arriving, we have our first dance and then we party from there until the very end! Our evening entertainment Jamie Mcguire was awesome, and the dancefloor was always busy even though we had thursday wedding. Seeing my 89 year old grandma out of her wheelchair made my evening, and also my aunt and uncle dancing for the first time in 3 years since she had a life shattering car accident.... our photographers captured this moment perfectly, it brings me to tears whenever i see it.
I didnt think i got drunk, but when i woke up i was pretty hungover so that says it all!
What a day, really was amazing! I've probably missed loads, but will fill this with photos to tell the story.... that's what you want anyway haha!!!
FLASHATHON!
Find my photos here ....
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.692035940832080.1073741863.185021771533502&type=3
Here are some flashes of my favourites for those who cant view the link :
Thanks for reading!!
Big thanks to all of our suppliers, we recommend each and every one of them -
Venue - Vaulty Manor
Sparkly Backlit Wall - Starlight Backdrop
Catering - Aussie BBQ Company
Photography - Day & Knight Photography
Music - Jamie Mcguire
Cake - Cake Cuisine at Hatfield Heath
Cake Topper - Baby Tracy on Ebay
Dress - White Rose
Veil - Pink Margaret
Shoes - Badgely Mischka
Jewellery & Garter - Chez Bec
Underwear - Agent Provocateur
Suits - mytuxedo.com
Bridesmaid Dress - Dessy
Hair & Makeup - Dawn Taylor
Flowers - Miss Lily's
Rings - Alba Rose
Chair covers - Funktions
