Tiny background:
Me and OH have been together five and a bit years – I met him where I used to work, and eight months after he left I tracked him down and asked him out!! old internet! We had our second date the day after the first, the third two days later, and the rest is history. We moved in together, then bought a house, and adopted two pusscats. Then for part of my 30th birthday present he’d booked lunch as a surprise at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons for the following day…I had no inkling what he was about to do but after lunch, strolling through the gardens he asked me to marry him with a little engagement ring charm for my charm bracelet (queue lots of ‘what…really?’ repeatedly from me, then eventually a big fat yes!) We let the engagement dust settle, then went venue shopping…looked at 3 or 4 places, but knew the first one, the gorgeous Curradine Barns in Worcestershire, was the one. They had no availability for over a year so we picked our date, 30th May 2015 and that was that, enjoyed a nice relaxed eighteen month planning experience, (which aside from a little suit issue which got sorted when I got angry), was lovely, really good fun!
The Run Up:
My only panic in the run up was the weekend before the wedding, I decided to carry on painting our fence on a beautiful sunny day in a vest top...I was out there a couple hours, didnt think anything of it, came in had a bath, then caught sight of my back and left shoulder in the mirror and OH MY GOD - bright red sunburn. I was actually gutted, I burst in to tears...I dont have great skin and been working hard to get it to look nice and then gone and done this to it. And completely unintentionally, it wasnt like I was trying to get a tan or anything..so so upsetting! OH calmed me down, I spent an evening slathering on aftersun, and teabag juice and actually over the course of the week it faded to nothing. But ladies - dont do it - avoid the sun in the run up to your wedding! just say no!
We both finished work on the Wednesday before the wedding to give us a couple of days to pick up suits/bridesmaid dresses and take decorations up to the barns. (By the way, get your menfolk to try their suits on before 8pm the night before the wedding...my dad decided his trousers were too long when he tried it on then and had to go and sort it out saturday morning, not a major disaster but still a fuss he could have done without) Both sets of parents came down Thursday (mine had picked up my dress and veil to bring down)
On Friday morning me, my mom, and soon to be mother in law went to get our nails done at the local spa...they gave us a complimentary glass of prosecco but only I drank it. My mom doesn’t drink at all, and my MIL decided it was too early in the morning. I enjoyed mine though! We were there a good couple of hours, then it was back to the house, and within a couple of hours we then had both sets of parents, my brother, sister in law and nephew, and OHs brother, partner, and nieces (one of who was just born 5 days earlier!), plus one bridesmaid and her boyfriend, so to say it was a bit of a manic houseful was a slight understatement.
I had to go and pick up my other bridesmaid from the B&B she was staying at, so me and my other bridesmaid drove over there…I was really glad to get out of the house to be honest as everyone was being a bit loud and excitable , so we cranked up the radio and had a nice drive out, and unwound a bit.
By the time we got back everyone was packing up ready to get to their hotel…only my bridesmaids and my mom and me were staying at mine. So everyone got into their cars and left...me and OH had a kiss and cuddle and off he went, then as soon as he was gone, I burst in to tears! Soft sod! Bridesmaid and mom hugged me and made me a cuppa and I swiftly regained composure and got on making everyones dinner. I gave them all their pressies (thank you chocs and a dressing gown, and a card with something soppy written in it, so we had a little emotional moment) but it was just a lovely chilled evening of watching telly and drinking tea.
Now, I'd slept well in the week running up to the wedding so thought it'd be the same on wedding eve - how wrong was I!! About 11pm came and we started to head to bed, except I started to potter about tidying up instead. Finally got in to bed about midnight and tossed and turned all night long. I convinced myself I had food poisoning cus I was a all hot and sweaty, I tried everything, just could not drop off. Must have managed it at about 4am, and woke again at 6am
Wedding Morning:
So I'd had literally two hours sleep! ugh! My bridesmaids and mom knocked on my door about 6:30am to see if i was awake and wanted tea and I was just laughing and looking a bit dazed and like 'i've had NO SLEEP! NONE! Im staying in bed' i was a bit lack of sleep mental and worried I'd crash and burn come afternoon.
But anyhoo I got up, we had a cuppa, and some breakfast, and then the hairdressers and make up artist arrived and we got to work!
It was actually a really chilled morning, we got a few 'you lot are calm/well behaved' comments from the suppliers. We had champagne to open but never did...i think i was just a bit nervous and my tummy was gurgling away and we wre just busy with getting ready stuff.
The MUA and hairdressers both did a fantastic job, and my mom, and bridesmaids looked gorgeous, and I loved what they did with me. The flowers arrived and were even better than I thought theyd be, i had a beautidul big bouquet of countryside flowers and herbs so it also smelt delicious.
My lovely bridesmaid had made me a garter too but sadly I couldnt stand the feel of it round my leg so it had to come off after about ten minutes..I've still kept it though, was a lovely thought of her.
Once
everyone was dressed I got my mom to help me into my dress...bless her,
her hands were shaking as she did up the buttons. And my bridesmaid had
to put on my shoes - crazy, not even able to put my own shoes on, I
felt rather spoilt! And then my dad arrived...he had to wait til I was
all buttoned up, veil on, bouquet in hand, and then he walked in all
suited and booted and looking very handsome, and bless him, he cried a
little bit, there's photos of him clenching his fists in a kind of man
effort to hold his emotions in, and then cus he cried, so did I a little
bit...was a lovely moment 
Our photographer took some more photos of us all then set off to the church...and we got into our beautiful cars. My dad organised these as a surprise and they were gorgeous (apparently the one we were in was Vera's off Coranation Streets wedding car - I wouldnt have had a clue but there we go)...our driver took the top down as we neared the church and it was gorgeous and sunny! I had to ban my dad from talking to me on the drive there because I kept welling up - nerves were definitely trying to get a hold of me...bit of a shame really but I really was on the verge of a proper blartfest!
Anyway we pulled up, got out of the cars, straightened up then up the path to the church...
(more to come later)
