19 August 2008
The Wedding
It finally arrived, after 18 months of build up, and went fabulously well and was a lovely, lovely day. It felt surreal all the way through, I kept thinking "oh my god, I'm at my actual wedding", but it was really nice and I really enjoyed it.
Chris and I spent the night apart on the 24th in a vague attempt at tradition, so Alice stayed over with me to keep me company. I had the WORST night's sleep because I was so hyped up and thinking about everything, and in the end I think I only got half an hour! So I woke up in a right daze.
Alice went off to get her hair done, and then I just started crying, and found it very hard to stop right the way until after the ceremony. I wasn't sad of course, far from it, but I think was just so hyped up and emotional and tired that I ended up on the edge of tears all day.
The morning went fine - it was quite a lot of waiting around really, then doing a few jobs like collecting the music equipment and avoiding Chris. Then finally it was time to go the hotel and get ready. I got dressed in our honeymoon suite on my own, we had a lovely sea-view room, and although I was a bit lonely on my own it was probably better because talking to people just made me cry. Then at 1.45pm I went off with my brother and Janine, still teary-eyed, to the Town Hall to sort out the pre-wedding formalities. A couple of people were already there, so I just gave them a quick wave and went in to see the Registrar.
We had the same Registrar as the one who entered our notice last year, Trevor Love, which was nice because we knew him, and he was very sweet and said he'd look after me (he could see I was constantly crying, you couldn't miss it). After I'd paid our fee and sorted out our music, I went to find Chris to do pre-wedding official things with the Registrar. I went out into the main hall and suddenly about 60 people had all arrived. All our friends were there and everyone was smiling and happy, and Chris was there posing for photos with his Mum, and it was all so exciting.
Then after the official bits and bobs, everyone got sat down in the ceremony room, and Chris and I were walked in by our Mums with Seaside by the Kooks playing in the background. The ceremony was lovely, Trevor made it really nice and did a nice introduction and things, and it didn't feel short at all. He did muddle our names up and kept calling us the wrong thing, but that was fine because it made everyone laugh and helped me settle down and stop crying. I was so glad I got my vows out with blubbing completely!
Once the ceremony was over, we had some photos in the room, and then a little walk-past congratulations thing of all the guests, and then Chris and I exited into a terrifying barrage of confetti and cheers and sunshine.
Sorting out the photos took AGES, and the initial bit with Mum was really hard. She'd done too much too quickly, and it was too hot for her, and she just couldn't do any more, so we only got a few with her in on a rubbish bench by the Town Hall, and then she had to go. Then we had other photos on some steps, and lots and lots on the beach, including Chris and I on the carousel (got some funny looks from tourists) and in deck chairs and things.
Then it was off to join our guests again (most had gone back to the hotel during the photos) for our drinks reception, and then to sit down for dinner. Dinner was great, everyone liked their vegetarian sausages (told them they would) and they particularly enjoyed the quiz Chris had made. Mum didn't eat with us, she took her food upstairs to the restaurant because it was too noisy, but that was OK really. Chris and I circulated around a bit between courses, and then once dinner was over it was time for the speeches.
I have to say that our speeches were really, really good (although I'm biased). Chris' Mum started us off with a lovely touching one, while Chris squirmed next to me with nerves about having to do his. Then it was his turn, and he was great! Obviously nervous, which is unlike him, but it was very funny and went down very well. It was also rather rude throughout, as he had indicated to me previously it would be, with a few more jokes about anal sex than I normally care for in front of my parents, but even they were laughing their socks off. Then Catherine did her Best Woman's speech, which was also really good and very funny.
Then we had loads and loads of drinking and dancing! The music set up worked really well, the lights (that we picked at random from a brochure) looked really good, and people danced throughout from 8pm to 1am. Oo I almost omitted our first dance! That was at 8, to Basement Jaxx - Do Your Thing. Not very traditional I know, but we can dance to it, and it went well. Chris still cringes about it, but I think we looked really good!
The drinking and dancing was lots of fun, people seemed to really enjoy themselves, although I was getting quite tired by about 11.30 once my half hour's sleep started to catch up with me. We did have three moments of drama and injury though -
And then everyone was gone and we were left to dismantle the music equipment for an hour, thinking "shouldn't someone else be doing this for us???". We got it done anyway, and then went to bed in our nice honeymoon suite and sat up talking about the day, and it was all lovely.
And that was my wedding! If I've missed any details maybe I'll add them later, this is massive already. Oh yeah - Dad got wasted on wine, had to have a sit on the beach with my brother, and then be put to bed, much to the annoyance of Mum who was therefore by disturbed by his arrival, his hiccuping, and his inability to get into the bed drunk because they'd tucked the sheets in too tight.
It was a lovely, lovely day, and it was so nice to have so many friends and family there. I kind of want to do it again as it was so nice! But I'm just pleased that it all went well, the weather was gorgeous (despite forecasts of rain), Mum managed to attend practically everything, and it basically all went brilliantly.
Chris and I spent the night apart on the 24th in a vague attempt at tradition, so Alice stayed over with me to keep me company. I had the WORST night's sleep because I was so hyped up and thinking about everything, and in the end I think I only got half an hour! So I woke up in a right daze.
Alice went off to get her hair done, and then I just started crying, and found it very hard to stop right the way until after the ceremony. I wasn't sad of course, far from it, but I think was just so hyped up and emotional and tired that I ended up on the edge of tears all day.
The morning went fine - it was quite a lot of waiting around really, then doing a few jobs like collecting the music equipment and avoiding Chris. Then finally it was time to go the hotel and get ready. I got dressed in our honeymoon suite on my own, we had a lovely sea-view room, and although I was a bit lonely on my own it was probably better because talking to people just made me cry. Then at 1.45pm I went off with my brother and Janine, still teary-eyed, to the Town Hall to sort out the pre-wedding formalities. A couple of people were already there, so I just gave them a quick wave and went in to see the Registrar.
We had the same Registrar as the one who entered our notice last year, Trevor Love, which was nice because we knew him, and he was very sweet and said he'd look after me (he could see I was constantly crying, you couldn't miss it). After I'd paid our fee and sorted out our music, I went to find Chris to do pre-wedding official things with the Registrar. I went out into the main hall and suddenly about 60 people had all arrived. All our friends were there and everyone was smiling and happy, and Chris was there posing for photos with his Mum, and it was all so exciting.
Then after the official bits and bobs, everyone got sat down in the ceremony room, and Chris and I were walked in by our Mums with Seaside by the Kooks playing in the background. The ceremony was lovely, Trevor made it really nice and did a nice introduction and things, and it didn't feel short at all. He did muddle our names up and kept calling us the wrong thing, but that was fine because it made everyone laugh and helped me settle down and stop crying. I was so glad I got my vows out with blubbing completely!
Once the ceremony was over, we had some photos in the room, and then a little walk-past congratulations thing of all the guests, and then Chris and I exited into a terrifying barrage of confetti and cheers and sunshine.
Sorting out the photos took AGES, and the initial bit with Mum was really hard. She'd done too much too quickly, and it was too hot for her, and she just couldn't do any more, so we only got a few with her in on a rubbish bench by the Town Hall, and then she had to go. Then we had other photos on some steps, and lots and lots on the beach, including Chris and I on the carousel (got some funny looks from tourists) and in deck chairs and things.
Then it was off to join our guests again (most had gone back to the hotel during the photos) for our drinks reception, and then to sit down for dinner. Dinner was great, everyone liked their vegetarian sausages (told them they would) and they particularly enjoyed the quiz Chris had made. Mum didn't eat with us, she took her food upstairs to the restaurant because it was too noisy, but that was OK really. Chris and I circulated around a bit between courses, and then once dinner was over it was time for the speeches.
I have to say that our speeches were really, really good (although I'm biased). Chris' Mum started us off with a lovely touching one, while Chris squirmed next to me with nerves about having to do his. Then it was his turn, and he was great! Obviously nervous, which is unlike him, but it was very funny and went down very well. It was also rather rude throughout, as he had indicated to me previously it would be, with a few more jokes about anal sex than I normally care for in front of my parents, but even they were laughing their socks off. Then Catherine did her Best Woman's speech, which was also really good and very funny.
Then we had loads and loads of drinking and dancing! The music set up worked really well, the lights (that we picked at random from a brochure) looked really good, and people danced throughout from 8pm to 1am. Oo I almost omitted our first dance! That was at 8, to Basement Jaxx - Do Your Thing. Not very traditional I know, but we can dance to it, and it went well. Chris still cringes about it, but I think we looked really good!
The drinking and dancing was lots of fun, people seemed to really enjoy themselves, although I was getting quite tired by about 11.30 once my half hour's sleep started to catch up with me. We did have three moments of drama and injury though -
- Jeh fell down about 8 stairs in a kind of rolling sideways tumble. She'd had quite a bit to drink and must have tripped on her heel or something, and although she escaped serious injury she did bash her head, bruise her back, and whack her ankle.
- One of Chris' work friend trod on broken glass (silly ladies taking their shoes off to dance)
- Catherine did a pirouette, fell over, and sprained her ankle, which promptly swelled up like a melon and she had to be carried out. Fortunately that was only about half an hour from the end!
And then everyone was gone and we were left to dismantle the music equipment for an hour, thinking "shouldn't someone else be doing this for us???". We got it done anyway, and then went to bed in our nice honeymoon suite and sat up talking about the day, and it was all lovely.
And that was my wedding! If I've missed any details maybe I'll add them later, this is massive already. Oh yeah - Dad got wasted on wine, had to have a sit on the beach with my brother, and then be put to bed, much to the annoyance of Mum who was therefore by disturbed by his arrival, his hiccuping, and his inability to get into the bed drunk because they'd tucked the sheets in too tight.
It was a lovely, lovely day, and it was so nice to have so many friends and family there. I kind of want to do it again as it was so nice! But I'm just pleased that it all went well, the weather was gorgeous (despite forecasts of rain), Mum managed to attend practically everything, and it basically all went brilliantly.
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