This Time Last Year - Wedding Memories

Although date wise our Anniversary is 26th of the month, it was this DAY (Saturday) last year that we got married.  The day itself, in fact the whole week leading up to the wedding, was exactly as I had envisioned it.  From the frantic arts and crafts 'team work' on the Monday and Tuesday, writing out name places, printing out the table plan (nightmare and only source of argument all week!), collecting the freshly pressed crisp napkins and tying hot pink organza into pretty bows, getting all the pick 'n' mix into the right jars and fiddling ribbon around them, boxing up all the separate table centre-pieces with the most precise instructions and seating plan the venue planner had (apparently) ever seen (my obsession with lists came into its own...)

By the Wednesday, I was determined the bulk of the labour would be done so that things could start to chill and all the beautifying treatments and collections could begin, highlights Wednesday, collect cake ready for decorating, and dropping all decorations and instructions to the venue on Thursday, lunch with friends / family and final drop off at venue on Friday.  I tried to not give myself anything to stress about and it worked.  I was lucky that I was not working so could dedicate the whole week to the preparation.

I remember getting the most excited on the Friday, when I returned to the venue to drop my wedding dress and veil off so it could hang in the Bridal Suite to find they had already started laying out the wedding breakfast room.  It was amazing to see my vision coming to life.

After the last stop of the day, Nails - and the biggest laugh I think I have possibly ever had - we had a fish, chip and champagne supper (which I would highly recommend to anyone) and set to bed for an early night for an early start.

The alarm sounding at 6am roused me, and I had those first few seconds of the day where you have no memory of what day it is, but it soon hit me and I was a bit like Ross out of 'Friends' on his London wedding to Emily 'I'M GETTING MARRIED TODAY!' but quietly as I was the only one that had to be up so early.  Showering, putting on my, carefully planned and picked out 'getting ready to get married' outfit I headed off to my hair appointment.

Two relaxing hours in the salon, being brought coffee and biscuits and getting lots of 'Good Luck' texts, I left with my 60's inspired do and headed a couple of doors up to get my make up done before the very over excited journey to the venue.

We didn't do a lot of the traditions at our Wedding.  Our Ceremony was at 2pm, but I came down to meet The Hubby and J1 and J2 at about 1.15pm and to have a drink and mingle with our guests.  This took all the nerves away and I was so ready to get married by 2pm that I practically ran up the aisle with Hubby.

A short but beautiful Ceremony, Hubby cried, I cracked jokes but the most memorable bit, J1 coming to the front of the room and completely off the cuff giving the whole room a full rendition of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles' before we signed the register and the photo session began.  We only had a very few posed photos instead opting for our photographer to just snap away all day - a decision I am very pleased with.

The rest of the day was a perfect food, drink, music, chatting and dancing mixture.  I heeded the best piece of advice I was ever given - every now and then just stop, take stock, stand and look around and take everything in, the sights, sounds, smells, otherwise it'll pass in a blur. 

So today (although date wise it is Monday) I remember that wonderful day, and the year since that has passed so fast with nostalgic feelings of 'what a happy day' and a twinge of  'I wish I was doing it all again!'.  I would not change a thing about the day and love the fact that our boys were there and in all the photos, a real family day.