Back down to earth...

Today I was able to finally stay at home and recover from my first week back at work. It's been a long week, 8 days, after the best ever holiday in NY, and I'm still shattered. But hey, this weekend is a bank holiday, or long weekend, so whoopee!
Among all the many chores of the day I went around the house taking down our wedding cards and took awhile to read them and enjoy them. We had so many cards, presents and gifts of money that it made us both quite abashed and we felt very cherished. Going back through the cards was lovely, I just can't believe that next week we'll have been married a month!
I would have left the cards up longer but there were so many they were taking over the house and with them up I hadn't even managed to put up my birthday cards! So now my first ever "Wife" card is up and I'm happy! Btw, Alex always picks very beautiful birthday and Christmas cards, he's got quite a talent for it so I'm very lucky...
Next post will cover the honeymoon and then I promise to stop banging on about the wedding! x

The wedding!

Oh wow, what a day. It passed as quickly as everyone said it would. I wouldn't say I breezed through it in a haze of bliss because it's such a weird, busy, surprising, emotional day, but I definately enjoyed it and so did Alex. He looked incredibly dapper, dressed in a dark brown, modern suit and I loved loved loved my dress. I went to the hairdresser and asked for wedding hair that "wasn't too bridal" so the hairdresser laughed at me! I wanted a 60's style, beehive but not amy winehouse, and got one! On the morning it went up even higher than in the practice which was a bit scary, and it took a few goes, but with the dress I think it looked incredible. When we got back home, Linda had been waiting for the flower delivery while we were having our hair done, and that's when the hecticness really kicked in, along with my nerves. Once I was in my dress I couldn't move anyway so I actually didn't get as much done as I needed. I ended up forgetting totally the beautiful pearl necklace that Laura brought from madrid and the matching earings, both were our grandmothers and I still feel sick to think about it. Despite all this though the flowers were beautiful, and my parents arrived and both looked very happy and smart, as did auntie Pru who came with them. Emma's tantrum seemed to die down while she watched the Simpsons on dvd and Ruth the photographer made it all seem under control by snapping away quietly and getting me dad and danielle to pose. The cat did not know what to make of it all! Here are a few shots:

So anyway; we saw people off (Mum, Pru, Ruth and Linda) and tried to stop the cat escaping, sorted out Emma and put on the last of our make up, finished our bucks fizz and the driver arrived in the large Daimler which we were all going to drive off in. We got out of the car and the next door neighbour was just taking their puppy for a walk. He wasn't on a lead. I waved and smiled and said "I'm going to get married" then the beaming smile faded as the doggie bounded over to investigate. We did the useless girlie thing and fretted while the puppy had the time of his life jumping on us before (after several shrill requests for help) our neighbour Paige gethered herself and her dog. I don't blame her though, its not every day you see a girl in a big white frock... We piled into the car and drove slowly to church. I thought we were late because of a last minute panic (when me and dad were in the car the girls had real trouble locking the front door and it all got a little stressful) but actually we were ok.


That last picture is us just waiting to walk down the aisle. The vicar was at the front, everyone was seated and he was saying something to the congregatio. The verger led us up the path to that point and that's when I noticed it. "Why is it so quiet?" I asked her "Oh yes, erm, well the organist doesn't seem to have turned up" queue reaction:

the ceremony and lunch

Getting down the aisle was a funny mix of feelings, but spoilt at the time a bit by the whole organist thing. Afterwards people said that the cd they played made it extra special. I always knew I'd love seeing all the family members and friends in the church and that really was truly special. I also knew I'd be fine once I got down to the front and stood with Alex. He didn't look back at me until I was half way down and by then I was feeling ok. He looked really happy, and very calm which helped me to calm my jitters and get on with enjoying it all. Laura came from spain and did the reading really well, she didn't look nervous at all. Pauline had done a brill job with the orders of service and it meant a lot that Jess had written the prayers, that Rob lead the prayers and Danielle and Laura Nathan and Emma were there at the front. Mum looked really happy and soppy at the same time so the position of mother of the bride was well and truly filled!

We signed the register and saw everyone out at the doorway, then we stood by the lychgate while people thre confetti. I think the church service was my absolute favourite part of the whole day. We sang Amazing Grace, my favourite hymn, without the assistance of the organist (who turned up a few minutes later) with Rob leading us, and it was fab! It was better than the songs we sang when the organist actually turned up.

The journey to the reception was fun to. Our lovely driver chatted away while she drove us but unfortunately she misread the satnav twice and so twice had to find a place to turn the big old Daimler around. Meanwhile family members trailing us in their cars had to find places to turn around. I'm just glad the coach didn't follow us!

Anyway... miraculously we all got to the Queens Head Inn, in fact our car still managed to beat the coach which was pulling in as we were allready getting out of the car. The sun had burned away the clouds and it was suddenly beautiful! We then tried to get the photos done as quickly and as painlessley as possible (I'll add these on once I've got them) and then it was time to mill around and get fed!

The Queen's Head Inn did us proud; the food was gorgeous. People with particular diets were all well looked after, everyone was comfortable, and the food was delish! And then the speeches, eek!

I think I was more nervous about speeches than I was about my exam results, taking my driving test for the third time or even getting married... The boys did well though. Dan and Nathan both carried off their speeches with aplomb and Alex made my heart melt. And then...

We could BREATHE!

It was the bit that was all about having fun! Yey! Me and Alex tried to get around as many people as possible but it's just not possible to see everyone... The evening guests arrived (we'd invited everyone to the church and we would have fed them all too but there wasn't room. In the end I'd guess there was about 200) and the music came on... Viva la fiesta!

At about 10pm wonderful wonderful Gianni, the manager, came to me and my bridesmaids with fluffy slippers, otherwise I really don't know... Finally at 1am we all piled on the coach and went home...

Only it wasn't finally actually. The coach dropped half of us off at the Green in Kings Norton where there were supposed to be taxis waiting but none were. As the beginnings of a snow blizzard fell we waited and it was the wirdest thing to be stood there in a big white wedding dress waiting for a cab in the snow! Alex called the taxi firm and more were sent over so we only waited 10 minutes but it was a very weird end to a day that's so full of memories that I don't think I can ever forget it.

Next week: the honeymoon!

Two weeks tomorrow

THE social event of the year...

I can only apologise for my uselessness at updating this blog but the last 6 months have been crazy. Ever since about November life has been a blur. Sometime in autumn I had to stand down as Restoration press officer just because there was no time. for anything. And it's not strictly all been the fault of the wedding. The other w word has been rather getting in the way of having fun: Work. It's a good job I enjoy my job at Leukaemia CARE as it's rather taken over my life recently.

A couple of saturdays ago I had an absolutely fantastic time out though, with absolutely no thought of work at all. It was my hen do. I'm attaching my photos from the night. We met up at the Regency hotel, Solihull, me mum Danielle Laura Milly Lisa Emma Teresa Hannah Emily and Becky. We went swimming and used the sauna steam room etc and generally relaxed in the daytime. ooh it was lovely! Then we got ready for the evening (it's been ages since me and the girls got ready for a night out together and it was great!) and drank a few glasses of cava (yum) and went downstairs to meet the girls arriving for the evening

Over for the night was Al's mum Fran, Jess and Pauline, Libby and Claire, Annette, Becky; in total there were 18 of us! Sadly a few girls couldn't make it but still it was a fab night!

Feeling extra special I got given a memories book full of photos, a bottle of champers, and a pink fluffy flashing cowboy hat (the last one courtesy of my mum..!)