26th September 2014 - Our wedding day

I didn't feel nervous, or even particularly stressed in the run up to the wedding, so it came as a great surprise that I couldn't sleep the night before. I had Mum, Dad, Emz, Klara and or course Sam staying. Mum and Dad had the spare room. Emz and Klara were in sleeping bags sharing the sofa bed and I was alone in our room. When I went to bed at 11pm I read for a while and could hear Emz and Klara chatting downstairs. When I finally turned my light out I think took me the best part of an hour to fall asleep. I woke once during the night and then woke finally at 0520. I tried to get back to sleep but failed. Thus when I heard Mum moving about I texted her to say I was awake and she and Sam came through to join me.

We had a cup of tea in bed and then got up. I ran through a checklist of honeymoon luggage with Mum. We pottered downstairs and while Mum got breakfast I repacked my case. I was taking washing upstairs when, bang on time at 0630 Heidi arrived. She had spotted the helium balloon and the banner easily. She set up and then started on Mum's hair first. At this point I woke Emz and Klara and then headed to Tesco with Dad to get pastries. When we returned Mum's hair was looking fabulous and Emz was deciding on a half-up, half-down style with curls and a plait. The weather at this point was drizzly but there were prophecies of 'rain before 7, fine before 11'.

Emz's hair was finished and Heidi had a quick coffee break before starting on Klara's elegant chignon. She seemed to finish in double quick time and there was a short break before Tabitha arrived. Meanwhile at 0830 Nicole arrived with the bouquets.

They were beautifully feminine and Nicole bound the stems with pink organza. Once Dad's buttonhole was attached Nicole gave me a sneak peak at the beautiful venue flowers in the van before she headed off to Wyck Hill. 

When Nicole was on her way I headed upstairs to have a wash. Tabitha arrived and had her hair done in a very similar style to the once chosen by Emz. I meanwhile was checking that I had all my bits and pieces together, although I did later realise that I made two small omissions. Tabitha's hair was finished with remarkable efficiency and then there was another short pause while we waited for Darcey to arrive. She turned up with Sue and Louise for her 0900 slot and very shortly afterwards Helen arrived. Darcey had her hair styled in a miniature version of my hair. Before I knew it I was sat at the dining table with a cup of tea in front of me and it was my turn. 

We tried to watch Bake Off while my hair was being done but nobody could concentrate on it so it got switched off fairly quickly. I luxuriated in having my hair done and had a proper shake to check that it was secure, which it was, before my lovely headband was put in. Then my make-up was done while Mum prepared soup for everybody. The next time I looked at my watch it was 1100, the time Helen was supposed to leave, and sure enough the sun was shining! I could see Helen looking anxious so I suggested I start getting into my dress immediately. Mum had earlier helped me into the basque but the suspenders were yet to be tackled. It turned out Helen was an expert and offered the sage advice that the straps needed to go under my knickers if I wanted to use the loo that day! By this point Helen had photographed all my accessories and the girls had all been laced into their dresses, again with Helen's help.

The photographs began once the dress was in roughly the right position. Thank goodness for Emz because at this point Mum announced that the dress was too tight and wasn't going to do up. With a little assistance we managed, although as I mentioned over the course of the day I couldn't quite breathe properly. Once the dress, belt and shoes were in place we went out in to the garden for photos. Helen finished the photos are around 1125 and immediately raced off to the church to catch up with the boys. At this point we were left to check that everything was together. Heidi remained around and supremely calm. I had a call from the car driver who couldn't find us but who was thankfully only a few houses away. When he arrived and introduced himself as Clive, he apologised that in the vintage car (a 1929 Rolls Royce), it would take a little longer to get to the venue so asked if we could leave at 1215. I replied that that was fine but we would prefer to leave at 1200. Mum left just before midday and the Mercedes arrived for the girls. 

At exactly 1200 we all left the house and Dad locked up. I was assisted into the car and we were off. Clive OK'd the route with us beforehand. The journey was beautifully picturesque and the sun was shining. We made fantastic progress, so much so that we detoured down a little lane 2 miles from Tredington to make sure I wasn't too early. 

We arrived at the church bang on time and were met by Helen and David who captured my arrival as I was assisted out of the car. I caught sight of a couple of latecomers (Ceri you know who you are!) race up the path ahead of me as we made our way up to the vestibule. It was beautifully decorated with flowers. Chris joked that James wasn't there yet and I immediately assumed he was still in the pub! Thankfully he wasn't and neither was Steve, the piper, who also greeted me. We had decided that once Chris had announced my arrival, Steve would process in and then Dad and I would come in with my bridesmaids following me, Klara holding Sam's lead (purple tartan of course).

I was asked if I was ready and I said yes. Then Chris opened the doors. All eyes turned to me and I could see firstly my schoolfriends and university friends, but then, amongst her village friends, in a wheelchair at the back, I saw Granny. At this point I finally lost my composure. Steve struck up on the pipes and walked in and my eyes flooded with tears. I said to Dad 'I'm going to go' - meaning I was going to cry, but he took it to mean we should set off. I dragged him back while I took a few deep breaths and then we started. As I reached the bottom of the aisle I first turned to my right and leant down to hug Granny and sob 'I'm so glad you're here' before rejoining Dad. We walked slowly up the aisle towards James who was looking more gorgeous and handsome than I had ever seen him. As I reached the top of the aisle Dad stepped back and I stepped forward and took James' hand. My heart was pounding and I felt as though my dress were going to explode! 

Chris started the ceremony by asking who gave me away, to which Dad replied 'I do.' Then we had our first hymn, All Things Bright and Beautiful. During the hymn I handed my bouquet to Emz and then the girls joined Mum and Dad in the front pew. I didn't have an order of service but knew a lot of the words and towards the end someone handed us an order of service anyway. We were invited to sit while Chris gave an address, He was quite funny and asked me if there was anything about James the annoyed me ("many things!") and if there was anything about me which annoyed him ("no comment!"). Then we had the readings. Katy said she was honoured to read 1 Corinthians, and did so beautifully (although I found out later that she'd only just managed to make it to the church after I'd come in following a nightmare journey and Mum had been beside herself at the prospect of Katy not turning up to read!). Robert then read 'Wilt Thou Be My Dearie' and Helen read 'My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose' - both by Robert Burns. 

Finally it was on to the marriage ceremony. Thankfully there were no objections, although I did toy with saying 'stupidity'. James and I gazed into each other's eyes. After we had said our vows and exchanged our rings we were declared husband and wife. At this point, to rapturous applause, we shared a lengthy kiss, although I didn't realise until afterwards what a stir it seemed to have caused - we now had video proof that it really wasn't that long! We then went up to the altar for the signing of the register. James and I signed the four copies using his Mont Blanc, but our mothers, who were our witnesses, used Chris' pen. Helen then took photos, especially of Sam, who was up at the front along with Ross, the bridesmaids and our dads. Our rings had been difficult to get on - for mine this was a surprise and an outward sign of my nerves - for James' it had been expected. While we signed the register Julie played Salut D'Amour by Elgar and other lovely solo flute pieces. Everyone else then went back down to their seats and we were left at the front with Chris for prayers and our last hymn, 'Give me Joy In My Heart'. Then the organ struck up Mendelssohn's Wedding March and it was time for us to walk back down the aisle.

At the bottom of the aisle I gave Granny another hug before we left the church. The bells were pealing as we stepped outside. At this point, besides causing a bit of a traffic jam, we weren't really sure what to do. We ended up talking to a number of people before being ushered round to the back of the church by Helen for some photos. I discovered at this point that my dress went down hills easily but struggled to get up them. We had some more photos at the front as guests were marshalled towards their onwards transport. As I'd come out of the church, William had given me a lovely key to carry and we had found Simon outside with a misbehaving Alex. thankfully I'd been completely oblivious during the ceremony! 

Once all the guests had set off, I once again clambered into the Rolls Royce for our drive on towards the hotel. James and I were given a glass of lovely champagne to enjoy, which unusually for me I really did. That is until we set off and it started to splash all over my gorgeous dress, at which point I gave the rest to James. We had a relaxing trip to Wyck Hill and once we arrived were greeted by Saint Ben. We had some photos taken with the car, although one of our guests attempted to run Helen over at this point. George shall remain nameless! The ushers were tasked with rounding everyone up in the hall while we gathered at the top of the grand staircase and were rather dramatically piped in to the reception. The reception drinks were whisky and mocktails ( a virgin sunrise).

Fairly quickly we were directed outside for photographs and confetti. James' aunts seemed to have gone astray at this point but as we knew we couldn't hold everybody's attention for long they ended up missing out on the whole group shot, but did appear in time for the family shots which came next. 

After a few shots of smaller groups we were whisked away with the bridal party for shots in various locations around the hotel. 

Then it was just the two of us. We had further photos taken and continued to enjoy Helen's company as she made the photos easy and fun. We had photos up by the orangery and on the steps and also by some of the rooms in the grounds and under a tree. 

All too soon it was 4pm and we raced inside to see the Lord Rissington Suite before everyone entered it. It looked spectacular. The chairs had their purple sashes, the postcards were stood on each place setting. The flowers looked gorgeous and my table plan was intact! We suddenly realised people were filing in so snuck out a side way to make sure we could milk another grand entrance. Somehow we wended up half way down the queue holding an impromptu meet and greet from a doorway. Very informal and very us!

Once everybody was inside we were escorted into the foyer by Ben and announced as the new Mr and Mrs Reid, before once again being piped in. After taking our seats the haggis was brought in and addresses by Hugh, who did a truly spectacular and dramatic performance involving his commissioning sword. I was mesmerised but apparently not as much as Klara!

Once the haggis had been paid our respects Charles stood to say a lovely grace before the first course was served. It came as no surprise that we had haggis, neaps and tatties. Once again the Wyck kitchen did itself proud and it was truly delicious. During dinner Helen asked for our rings to photograph. We required butter to remove James'!

Following a very short break between the first course and the second, our main was served. We had blade of beef with braised red cabbage and mash. It was divine and Ben informed us it had been cooking since the previous evening! I suggested at this point that James and I took a wander. I had meant that we walk around the tables but James interpreted it as taking a stroll outside. We walked to the edge of the lawn and enjoyed the spectacular views of the early evening and each other's company. After a few hugs and kisses we were ready to go back in.

We were served served our sticky toffee pudding dessert and I assisted James in finishing his sauce. Teas and coffees were then served along with shortbread and truffles. Our glasses were charged for the toasts and speeches. Ben announced Dad as the first speaker. Dad gave a largely unscripted, funny and moving speech in which he thanked Wyck Hill for their fantastic handling of our wedding, Hugh for his brilliant address to the haggis and for being a captain in the army and the guests for coming from so far and wide. He also thanked Mum for all her calligraphy (she had handmade the placecards, each containing an interesting factoid to reflect our love of trivia, the table names - all whiskies, the orders of service and the table plan). Sinead received a bouquet of silk roses for her brilliant response to our invitation. Dad also mentioned Myiah's lovely words about about me and Mum and Dad's parenting skills! He talked about the brilliant example we both had of enduring family marriages and explained why marrying in Tredington had been so important for me as it was where I had shared my close relationship with Grandad, how I had been christened there and how Mum and Dad had married there. Dad ended by thanking his winning horse at Newbury and got the biggest laugh of the night by presenting James with a plaque saying: 

"husband and wife have a fight. Wife rings her mother and says 'Mum he's done it again. I'm coming to live with you'. Mother says 'No dear. He must pay for his sins. I'm coming to live with you.'" 

James was up next and he gave a brilliant speech in which he thanked our respective and wonderful parents for making us who we are and for welcoming us into each others families. He thanked Ross for being such a fantastic friend and for doing such a brilliant job as best man. I then assisted him to hand out presents to our bridesmaids and I ushers but I messed up by forgetting the cards so we had to call them all back. James also thanked me for the fabulously special relationship that we share and went on to recount how we me. The story of my wishlist was mentioned and my initital impression that James was short. He pretended that he didn't tick every box, when in actual fact he does!

Finally it was Ross's turn. He gave a very witty speech, which by all accounts his mother had wanted to write. He alluded to James' past transgressions without giving too much about the transvestite away, compared him unfavourably to a cadaver and had the audience in stitches. I swear his speech gets funnier every time we watch the video! 

As soon as the speeches finished we cut our cake. The cake was three teirs, iced in white and decorated with pink roses and purple thistles. Pink and purple ribbons encircled the bottom of each teir and a plaque with C & J adorned the middle teir. Hearts were imprinted on the top and bottom tier and the real showstopper was our bespoke cake topper of me, James and Sam. 

We cut the cake and then made a beeline for our room so I could change for the evening's dancing. The relief to be able to breathe and move and go to the loo again once I was out of my wedding dress and in to my monsoon one was amazing. Safely strapped in to my dance shoes and minus tiara I left in search of Granny, who I guessed would be leaving. Helen meanwhile was sewing on one of James' waistcoat buttons. I caught Granny to say goodbye just as Stan was driving her away and then started mingling with the guests. I headed for the cigar terrace, assuming that was where I would find James, but instead found my schoolfriends, Mum, the Tolley's and Zachary and Darcey - not to mention the gorgeous Wyck Hill cat! I was eventually fetched by Ben who said that the room was almost turned around for the evening do. While I waited for them to finish I took Susan, who had arrived for the evening, up to see my original dress. I also chatted to my uni friends out the front of the hotel and started to bid farewell to those who were leaving. Then we were summoned through for our first dance. Prior to t

We danced a rumba to Rita Coolige's All Time High - the words we've had inscribed inside our wedding bands. I fluffed up right at the start but then hit my stride and the rest of the dance went brilliantly - so brilliantly that we have now performed it again in a dance test and been awarded highly commended! The particularly crowd pleasing moves were the dips, ganchos and the straight leg spin. Jill was there with her husband to represent our dance teachers. Afterwards we got the kids to hold up scores of 10 for us! 

Next step was to throw my bouquet of handmade silk roses. I failed to aim it directly at Klara as hoped but it made for a good laugh.

 Then it was straight in to the ceilidh, ably called and accompanied by the Quiet Men. James and I danced the first together but in grabbing a drink I didn't make it back in time for the second

. At this point I realised Helen was leaving and raced after her in order to have a special photo taken on the secret staircase.

Somewhere I bumped in to Fraser and we tried to join in with the third ceilidh dance but had missed the walk through so bowed out gracefully. I think at this point the dinner/ evening buffet was announced so I went through to have a look but was too stuffed to eat. I remained talking for quite a while though, only going back through to help Mum find James. He had asked her for a dance but had disappeared and she, or more precisely Sam, was desperate to get to bed. James eventually slunk out in from the Lord Rissington balcony, reeking and tasting of cigar. The basket dance was announced, but we requested a slower one which was duly performed. I danced with Dad for it. 

Next came the basket dance where we paired with Poynter and Sorch but were completely eclipsed by Ross, Emz, Hugh and Klara who were spectacular. The band then launched into covers and James took to the floor with Emz. She looked spectacular spinning around but James looked just as good. I took to the floor with Lyn next and then Oli. Suddenly the band started up 500 miles, which I knew to be the last song, although they did it as a brilliant medley which lasted aged. Like all good things it came to and end and then there was more in store. James and I were ushered into the middle of the floor for Highland farewell. We spun slowly while everybody else was in a circle around us. Finally I shed tears because I was so desperately sorry that the day, our perfect day, had to end. I had composed myself by the end of the song and we all joined hands for Auld Lang Syne. We thanked the band profusely before heading out of the Lord Rissington. At this point I went to the Adams Room to admire the buffet and cupcakes. I sampled a slice of our lovely cake. I think I got the white chocolate layer although it could have been the vanilla - I couldn't tell the difference at the tasting! The chocolate orange layer never got cut up. 

Around 1am James and I said our farewells and headed for the bridal suite. As we started to settle in we decided to acquire more water. No-one answered the phone so we went down to the bar. Here Ross and Katy insisted on buying us drinks and we sat down. We were joined by Poynter and Sorcha, who although a little tipsy, had a really long and insightful discussion with me about criminal justice. Finally at around 2am I summoned James in from the terrace to join me in the room. 

During the course of the day I think I spoke to around 80 of our 90 guests. Without exception everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves and to be thoroughly complimentary. Everybody seemed to get on so well with everybody else. I think this started out on the coach but progressed to the tables and the mingling. Everybody who spoke to me said how lovely all the people they had met were. 

Other things to mention are just how wonderful Sam was. He was beautiful and tolerant and so many people complimented hi exemplary behaviour. Darcey loved him, as did everybody else. By the end of the day he was all cuddled out I think. 

Thankfully Sam and everybody else had lovely rooms to go back to. Even the 'basic' rooms seemed to be fantastic and everybody staying was raving about them. Each was huge and packed with individual character. Ian and Amy had the other bridal suite as it was their first wedding anniversary. Our room was so huge I got lost in it overnight when trying to find the loo! The Cameron-Tucker's were planning to have a party in their bathroom it was so impressive.

I truly can't believe how smoothly everything went. Sue sorted a small hiccup with the Stratford taxi. Ben sorted everything else and Katy made it to the church on time! I know I'm biased but it was by far and away the best wedding I have ever been to. Every moment was perfect and it seemed like nothing went wrong. It really was the very best day of my life. I am the luckiest girl in the world.

The Beginning

Almost the end

The past couple of weeks have been a bit tough. The post-wedding blues have started to set in and the realisation that the best day of my life (because in my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine a better one!) has been and gone is hard to stomach. Everything wedding related is being wrapped up and we now have our photographs and video - although the official album isn't due to arrive until just before Christmas. My passport has been sent off to start the process of changing my name and a number of companies have been informed. As I've already mentioned though there is the potential that my ribbon roses may start to take off...

With all the above in mind and with the important business to hand of getting on with married life, paying off the wedding, looking after the menagerie and dealing with my rota it seemed appropriate that the wedding blog should come to an end. By popular demand it shall do so with one final post - one I never really intended to share but it would seem a shame not to.

Read on for the wedding in detail, as documented over the course of the flight out to Kenya!

The speech I would have made

Even now people are saying to me they are surprised and disappointed that I didn't make a speech on the day. The truth is the thought had crossed my mind - many times. A draft speech had also been rehearsed. On the day itself though there were four things that stopped me:

Firstly I realised I really didn't need to pressure

Secondly everything I wanted to say was said by others

Thirdly I knew James was strongly against the idea (although I've no idea why)

And lastly I knew we were running over an hour behind schedule and the last thing that was needed was an impromptu speech on my part. 

If I had spoken though this is what I would have said:

Thank-you so much to everybody here for making such an effort to spend the day with us. It genuinely means the world and I'm overwhelmed to see you all here. I can't imagine a more wonderful bunch of people to share in what has truly been the best day of my life. I would just like to take a moment to mention the people who couldn't be here - most noteably my late friend, Alison, whose support and guidance I always cherished and my Grandfather, with whom I had the absolute pleasure of sharing an incredibly close bond for the first 18 years of my life. I know both would have loved to be here today and I also know they would have both been so pleased for me and for us. 

More thank-yous are due to my bridal party. To the simply gorgeous Darcey for looking so lovely and performing her duties to perfection; to Tabitha, my goddaughter, who is now a stunning young woman and who it's been a delight to have as a bridesmaid; to Klara, first and foremost for being the reason we are all here today. For those of you who don't know she is the mutual friend through whom we met and I can only hope that in repaying the favour and introducing her to Hugh they will find an equally happy ending. Finally to Emz. Thank-you for being my best friend for the last 15 years. Thank-you for sharing my laughter and my tears. Thank-you for always being there and I hope that that will never change. 

I wouldn't be here today without the love and support of my parents. Those of you who know them know what wonderful people they are. They have always surrounded my by love and I couldn't have imagined a better start in life than the one they have given me. Everything I am today is because of them and they have made me into the person that James loves and wants to spend the rest of his life with. 

To round off I have to say a special thank-you to my wonderful husband. Thank-you for making me laugh from the moment we met. Thank-you for loving cuddles almost as much as I do. Thank-you for indulging some of my girlish whims and for being my protective knight in shining armour. Thank-you for being you and for loving me.

The wedding video

As any readers of the blog will know it was a very difficult decision for us to make about whether or not to have the wedding filmed. In the end at the 11th hour we decided to go for it. We found a chap who seemed to appreciate our desire for discrete filming on the day and we hired him. There were w few bumps on the day itself regarding locations for filming, in particular in the church, but you wouldn't know this from the end result. On Friday night we sat down with our hour long video to relive again the magic of the day. The long video includes the guests and my own arrival at the church, the vows and the signing on the register. It then includes filming of the guests at the reception venue, our entry to down the staircase, the address to the haggis, the speeches in their entirety, our first dance and some ceilidhing. We are utterly delighted and very very pleased to have had it done. Anybody wishing to view the web version can do so here. Enjoy! We certainly have!

The surprises

After months of hinting I think it only fair now to come clean about the surprises that we kept up our sleeves prior to the big day:

1. The welcome to the church. When James and I had the idea of me being piped into the church to highland cathedral we simply couldn't resist.

2. The welcome to the reception. Whisky and mocktails are very us. The mocktail  of choice was a virgin sunrise which combines orange juice and grenadine. 

3. The wedding dance. It was a rumba to Rita Coolige's All Time High. For the uninitiated that was the theme tune to the James Bond film, octopussy

4. The wedding dress. By blue bridal my dress was an adaptation of the Bardot dress. The sparkle was removed and the straps were added to make it more me. 

5. The second wedding dress. Kept secret from all but James until the day I bought my second dress from monsoon in order to allow me to dance freely at the reception. 

C and J Creative Crafts

They say one thing leads to another and so has been the story of the wedding and indeed of the year. Yesterday I went down to Brides of Winchester to take my beautiful dress in for cleaning and storing. I also took along the photographs as I knew they wanted to see them. On the back of seeing the photos they have offered me an opportunity I feel I would be stupid to miss out on. Brides of Winchester have offered to exhibit an item or two of my silk roses and see if any interest is generated. As such I have placed an order for some business cards, started a facebook page and set up a dedicated email account so that I can start creating roses, calligraphy and favours, as seen at our own wedding, for future brides and grooms as well as for other special occasions. I had so much fun designing and creating various items for the wedding including table plans, posies, bouquets, favours and invitations that I would love to share the joy I found in the end result with others. My imagination was my limitation although I'm pleased with what I came up with I would relish being set ever more ambitions tasks so watch this space and feel free to get in touch to commission works for your own occasions.

The honeymoon

I don't think the wedding blog would be complete without a post about the honeymoon. As I've already mentioned we chose Madagascar because of our desire to go somewhere a bit different and to see some unique wildlife, given our shared love of nature.

Thus it was that the day after our wedding we set out for Heathrow where we boarded an air Kenya flight to Nairobi and then on to Antananarivo (Tana to locals) the capital of Madagascar. We were
collected at the airport and taken to the lokanga boutique hotel for our first night. The hustle and bustle of a busy capital city in a developing country came as a bit of a shock to me but our hotel was a charming oasis in the French colonial style overlooking the city. We stayed in the hotel for the afternoon, soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying the traditional food and fantastic fruit juices and appreciating the sunset.

The next morning (or middle of the night!) we started the next stretch of our journey with two connecting flights to antsiranana or Diego Suarez to the locals. Here we met our guide for the rest of our time on the mainland, Laurent. We spent the morning exploring the town and seeing the local markets although without our suncream and insect repellent we were reluctant to get out of the car! After lunch we drove out of the city towards the outskirts of the Montagna d'Ambre national park. The roads were somewhat bumpy to say the least and the drive took a number of hours. We spent the afternoon exploring the rainforest and seeing our first lemurs (common brown and crowned) and chameleons. For the next two nights we stayed at the litchi tree guest house. The beautifully appointed property was in stark contrast to the surrounding poverty. It's french owner was a superb cook and we enjoyed beautiful food. The room was lovely although we only had electricity for a few hours in the evening. We enjoyed a full day in the national park on the Tuesday and a particular highlight for James was finding the worlds smallest chameleon.

On the Wednesday we journeyed onwards to the Ankarana national park. I found this by far the hardest day as the heat in this arid area was oppressive and the walking was tough! The scenery was stark but magnificent and we saw our third species of lemur - the sportive lemur. By the time we reached our lunchtime stop I could barely stumble one foot in front of the other and I think James was quite concerned about me. I revived sightly as we sat in the picnic area and shared our lunch with a crowned lemur. Afterwards I agreed to walk down to a bat cave, where the footing was treacherous and where my newly dodgy knee almost gave out on me. The walk was curtailed due to my exhaustion and we travelled on to the Iharana Bush Camp where we were to spend the next two days. By the time we arrived I felt like I'd been through a spin cycle backwards. Iharana was not what I was expecting - it was truly a bush camp but a rather luxury one - all the same I had anticipated a honeymoon with locking doors and floor to ceiling walls. As it was we shared our room with a multitude of frogs but had a truly amazing experience and I wouldn't have swapped it for the world. Thankfully the bed was surrounded by an industrial strength mosquito net - so much so that I struggled to get in and on more than one occasion brought the whole structure crashing down.

The Thursday saw us start the day with an early morning walk - or so I naively thought when we set out, little knowing that we were to scale the nearby tsingy. It turned increasingly treacherous and was akin to rock climbing but without any safety equipment. It reached a point where going onwards seemed the safer option than trying to turn around and the panoramic views from the top were magnificent. The descent wasn't what I expected - we walked down the inside of the tsingy through a network of caves. Yet another life experience I'd never expected to have. On reaching the bottom we were given the afternoon to relax and enjoy ourselves. We reached straight for our books and sequestered two sunloungers overlooking the lake and the tsingy and spent a blissful afternoon. As the sun began to set we were ushered to a traditional madagascan rowing boat to sail around the lake with cocktails and watch the sun go down - very romantic! Following another fabulous dinner of fresh fish we retired to our room for our last night on mainland Madagascar.

Friday saw another prolonged drive along more unmade roads as we headed towards the honeymoon island of Tsarabanjina. Shortly before reaching the harbour for the first stretch of our journey by boat we stopped at a Madagascan plantation where we bought some vanilla and coffee. The scent of them still lingers and it is truly spectacular. At the harbour we had a very stressful experience with more hostile Madagascan officials and we were marched around the harbour town having to show our passport to all and sundry before being mobbed beside the boat as we embarked for the first speed boat trip. After 40 minutes on the water we arrived on the Island of Nosy Be. Here we were met by another car and driver and were transferred to the fabulous Manga Soa hotel. We enjoyed an A La Carte lunch and met 'African Sam' - a small cream coloured dog who reminded me of my parents. We then had a couple of hours to sit by the pool and enjoy the views and the passing dolphins before being collected by the Constance Lodge speedboat.

For me this was where the more traditional aspect of the honeymoon started. We disembarked onto a white sandy beach and were met and escorted to the bar area where we were given iced tea and introduced to the ethos of the island. Afterwards we were walked through the centre of the island to our bungalow where the massive double bed afforded us view straight out the patio doors to the balcony and beyond to the beach and the ocean. Flower petals had been scattered throughout the bungalow and it was beautifully appointed. This part of the honeymoon was all inclusive meaning that we had access to the mini bar, island activities and all meals and drinks at the restaurant. Given the company of my esteemed husband I was surprised that when we left the bar had not been drunk dry!

The ensuing week was spent in idyllic harmony and relaxation. We both consumed roughly a book a day, luxuriating in the warm temperatures and guilt free existence of being uncoupled from technology. Over the course of the week we went on a guided botanical walk of the Island, enjoyed sunset cocktails on the hill and on a boat. We went snorkelling most days, equipment being provided and saw some truly incredible fish. One day we went out snorkelling on the boat and saw an even greater variety in the natural reefs - sadly that day James got slightly sunburnt. One day we took a sailing lesson and James enjoyed taking the lead while I clung on terrified for dear life. Later that particular day he took me on a brief kayaking trip. We enjoyed a complimentary couples massage and I made a few forays to the shop where we bought a handful of souvenirs and gifts. We also enjoyed a romantic candle-lit dinner on the beach one night. Breakfasts and lunches were buffets, with a heavy bias towards fresh fish. Dinners were a la carte. The overall experience was one of indulgence and luxury and we've vowed to have a similar holiday once every five years. Here's hoping that that plan doesn't have to meet with reality too soon!

All too soon our week drew to a close and after a short flight back to Nosy Be we spent our last night in Madagascar back in the Lokanga Boutique Hotel in Antananarivo. Once again we appreciated the food and the hospitality. On Saturday 11th October we began the long and arduous journey home. Our flight back to Kenya was uneventful.  There followed 12 hours in the airport waiting for our connecting flight back to Heathrow. At the rate of approximately one second per second (a favourite phrase of James') time passed and with a small amount of duty free to show for our wait we were finally homeward bound. Our honeymoon was over but our life together was only just beginning. 

The Wedding: The Groom's View

Let me start by saying that I think my wife has done a fantastic job of cataloging much of the build-up to our wedding as well as documenting the day itself. However, on reflection, there were one or two details that were missed. Being a helpful sort of chap, I thought it decent to point out some of these. Forthcoming with encouragement as always, Cat eventually said, "Why don't you write a bloody post yourself then." So here goes...

As has been mentioned many times before, we were aiming to import as much of Scotland as possible to our big day (short of imposing passport controls should the independence lobby have won the prior referendum). Part of this was getting as many men in kilts as possible. Some conventional "wisdom" would dictate that the kilts of the groom and the groomsmen should be standardised however, to me, one's kilt is a personal means of self-expression. It's a way of identifying with one's heritage and showing one's personal taste. A kilt is also a fairly common gift for a significant birthday such as an 18th or a 21st which adds another layer of sentimental value. For these reasons, and the fact that I was adamant I wanted to wear my own kilt (snug though it is) we asked the ushers who were wearing kilts and my best man to wear their own. This had the additional advantage of ensuring several tartans were on show.

I was wearing the Modern Dress Robertson tartan; a base of red with green and navy blue elements. My dad was wearing the modern hunting version of the same. Unsurprisingly this had a green base. Part of the pleasure of kilts, as well as the initial visual impact, is the detailing that goes with them. My sgian dubh (translation: black knife, the dagger that is worn in the sock) had the clan crest engraved on it as did dad's kilt pin. Mine was a sword topped with the logo of my beloved alma mater St. Andrews. My cufflinks (another sartorial detail I love) were the graduate cufflinks. Dad meanwhile was wearing rowing themed ones; very appropriate given his history in the sport.

We did have a slight wardrobe dilemma... Hugh and Ross by sheer coincidence had the same family tartan. The ancient Douglas. This lead to detailed discussion the night before about which flashes and socks would be worn by each in order to differentiate themselves slightly. In addition Hugh, a serving army officer, wore cufflinks made from shell casings of bullets that had been fired (hopefully not at him) in action.

Finally, last but certainly not least, Fraser (Cat's cousin) wore the Help for Heroes tartan. He was the only non-Scot to wear a kilt and the gesture was hugely appreciated. We opted for that tartan a) because we liked the colours of the tartan and b) because a portion of the hire fee went to the above charity. The unifying theme through the kilts and suits was a purple cravat tie; the tying of which caused more than mild frustration on the day. Despite my spare shirts, I was determined not to spill anything to avoid re-tying.

Continuing with the Scottish theme, we had whisky at the reception. The one we opted for was a Chivas Regal 12 year old; chosen as it was a good all-rounder and should appeal to most palettes. There was another bottle involved too. I had smuggled (with the manager's permission) a bottle of Talisker 10 year old into the dining room so that I and the guys in the bridal party could have a dram with the toasts... I'm not being sexist, the girls just didn't like it. This one was chosen because it's the only malt my father-in-law likes and I wanted him to be able to join in this ritual.

The bottle made a re-appearance later in the evening. I had given all of the ushers quaichs as a thank-you for helping (along with a miniature of Cardhu 12 year old - the whisky I drank while planning). This is a shallow bowl for drinking whisky and I think translates roughly to cup. Traditionally whisky is consumed from this (in no small volume) as part of a ceremonial toast. As the lads had given me a quaich too (great minds thinking alike) I'm sure you can see where this is going. Helen managed to get some fabulous photos of it.

As favours we gave our guests another traditional Scottish touch; tablet. For those of you reading that haven't encountered it, it's a concoction of sugar, condensed milk, butter and milk with a flavour similar to fudge and a texture like kendal mint cake. If you weren't diabetic before hand, you would be afterwards. This was home made to a recipe I pinched off a family friend many years ago. I hope I did it justice. I was also glad to be able to contribute materially to the craft efforts of the day.

A final food and drink touch was one of the beers behind the bar; Bishop's Finger. This was the first beer Cat ever got in for me and confirmed that she was a keeper!

It has been mentioned that I made a strong (nay winning) case for our first dance to be a Bond theme tune. Being a life-long Bond fan this mean a lot. The Bond theme continued accidentally in the form of the Piper, Steve Duffy, who also played the pipes in The World is Not Enough. A fact I only found out after we booked him. We did briefly toy with the idea of hiring an ex-Bond Aston Martin as our wedding car however getting in and out in a wedding dress was decided to be impractical. I also didn't fancy having to try and peel my wife (and possibly my mother) off the Daniel Craig lookalike (and stunt double) who drove the car. Instead we opted for a 1929 Rolls Royce; a truly beautiful car and ideal for the day.

Finally, from my part was my speech. From the length of this post I'm sure you will get the impression that finding words isn't usually a problem for me. The trouble in this case was finding the right ones. I have a fairly active sense of humour as many will testify (ideally at my trial for crimes against jokes). Although the day was a serious occasion, I wanted to get a few laughs in. Not to would have made the speech sound like it was ghost written for me. After all, my function was as a warm-up act for Ross. In the end, I'm happy I judged it right. I got laughs where I was aiming for them and dignified silence (punctuated with a couple of quiet sobs) where I was being serious. Performing the speech was rather good fun too although if ever I was going to have a sympathetic crowd, I hope my wedding would be it. Feedback afterwards confirmed it had the effect I was looking for.

So that's it from me; the gap-filling is hopefully complete.

Thank-you

The thank-you's are finally completed. Over the next few days a variety of shapes, sizes and designs of thank-you cards will be winging their way around the world. I've taken sole responsibility for writing all the card on the basis that James would never get around to it and if he did the recipient would be unable to read his writing! We're yet to receive all the gift list items - I think they're being delivered on Monday so there will be more excitement when they arrive. I've sent out preemptive thank-you's anyway. 

The photos!

Probably the thing I was most excited about in the aftermath of the wedding was seeing the photos. Four weeks to the day following the wedding we therefore made the journey down to Salisbury to Helen's studio to see what she had in store for us and to choose the photos for the album. We'd been looking forward to it not just to see the pictures but also because we love spending time with Helen and always end up having a laugh. The fact we get on so well was almost more important than the brilliant quality of her work when it came to us deciding to use her. 

Almost immediately upon arriving our dog Henry disgraced himself. Things were set to get better though and we sat down with hot drinks to watch a slideshow of the photos. I might be biased but I thought they were extraordinary. The creativity of some of the compositions blew me away. Overall when seeing the photos two things struck me - first the sheer joy, not just on my face but on everybody's faces, and second the vibrancy and colour of the photos. Everything was so vivid and it brought back the most amazing recollections of the day. 

Then came the hard part. From the 547 photos we were shown we had to narrow them down to 60 for the album. Needless to say we failed. Our initial shortlist was 127 photos which we managed to narrow down to 120. At the end of the day I don't really mind the extra cost as the album will be with us forever and I want it to be the best reminder of our perfect day as it can be. We're currently busy being very picky customers and are embroiled in the process of approving the album. Thus far we're on the third version with most of the revisions being to reinstate the original images/ sizes/ colours. Seems like Helen knows best after all. With any luck we'll have the albums in time for Christmas. That's a big tick beside Christmas presents for parents! 

The photos are up!

Click Here to see our fabulous wedding photos by the wonderful Helen Rushton. Password is Sammy2014

Generosity

In the last few weeks since the wedding - and even before - presents and money started to pile in, alongside good wishes from far and wide. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family and could never have believed some of the wonderful ideas that people would come up with as presents for us. 

In cash alone we have been given almost £1000 and we have decided to start a holiday fund with that money, which will hopefully take us on a luxury holiday to Canada sometime in 2016 - before we plan to start a family (for those of you who looked at me suspiciously when I wasn't drinking on the wedding day - you know who you are! -  there wasn't a reason behind that besides the fact that on the whole I don't drink and haven't done so for a number of years!).

There was of course our gift list, which saw about 90% of the item on it purchased - something we were both amazed by. We had a fairly eclectic range of items on there with a heavy bias towards kitchen equipment as we both love to produce and eat delectable delicacies. Some people favoured vouchers above money and we have been able to purchase the few remaining items on the list with those vouchers. 

I can't possibly mention every single gift we received here as it would take far too long and would bore everybody. I would however like to highlight just a few that were particularly impressive. My university friend, Lucy, who has read my blog from the beginning had a book of it published. I'm yet to read my ramblings back but as a present it was just inspired! James' aunt made us a lace picture and my cousin gave us a painting of the church where we married. These are just a few examples of the thought and effort that went into everything we received and I am currently working my way through pages worth of thank-you cards. I'm writing each one with a personal message to reflect the kindness of those people who sent us gifts. 

In return we put a fair amount of thought into the presents that we have the key members of our bridal party. James' dad received a book on rowing Blazers. His mum received her favourite perfume. My dad received two general knowledge books and my mum got a bottle of my wedding scent, honey by Marc Jacobs. 

Our ushers and best man all received quiachs, with two being university of St. Andrews ones as that's where they'd met James. They also received miniature bottles of cardhu whisky, James' choice for all things wedding. Our page boy Zachary received a penknife. 

On the girls side my adult bridesmaids received Waterman fountain pens and my younger two received charm bracelets, tabitha's with a 't' and darcey's with a cat. 

Other gifts that we handed out included a cupcake themed surface protector to my cousin, and bottles of wine to the readers, flautist and car park attendant aka my cousin's husband! 

The details I didn't mention

It's been pointed out to me by a friend that there were certain details about the wedding that I failed to mention. Predominantly these were the details handmade by myself, Mum and James. James made the tablet that was given to guests as wedding favours. I then painstakingly wrapped them in organza and tied them with purple ribbon. I think they were well received by the guests.

The tables themselves were named after whiskies, with the top table being James' favourite, Edradour. Each table name had been printed out by dad and coloured purple by Mum. At the bottom they had a related fact about the whisky or the distillery. The theme of facts was carried on in the place-cards where each one had a calligraphied fact inside, some specific to the person receiving them but mostly pot luck. James came up with the factoids and a lot were focused on our areas of knowledge or interest. The outside of the place-cards had the person's name calligraphied by mum and  purple mosaic corners, a theme which was also an element of the handmade invites, the table names and the menus. The children's placecards had felt animals in the corner - about the only concession we made for their ages! Mum was also responsible for the covers of the orders of service which were handed out at the church. 

The table plan was a post in itself. The ribbon roses, which I had made of evenings over many months, were mounted in oasis around the border and Mum calligraphied the names once the seating plan had been decided upon. In hindsight I have to commend myself for the seating plan as the tables all seemed to gel remarkably well. The overall effect was one I was very happy with and incredibly proud of. I think it is set to be mounted in a frame and will invariably adorn one of our walls in the not too distant future. It will also remind us of all the fabulous people who were able to share the day with us. A further reminder is our very individual take on a guest book. Every place setting was laid with a postcard of scottish scenes and we asked everyone to write us a note and post it in a box. We read them the night we got back from honeymoon and they were great - a very eclectic mixture of characters and I personally feel that it allowed everybody to express their own individuality rather than feeling the need to conform to a standard guestbook message. 

Ribbons were a theme that was also carried on through the whole wedding. The main element was of course the ribbon roses in various hues of pink, purple and cream. However there were also ribbon pew ends which I was able to knock out fairly quickly. My second dress - aka the dancing dress - was also customised with a thick band of purple ribbon. The house is still overflowing with ribbons and there's an outside possibility that I might think about taking on a few small commissions or even trying the break into the wedding industry with handcrafted ribbon products in the future. 

I have also been asked to mention a bit more about the wedding dance. We had been having dance lessons for many months prior to our engagement but we started to focus on the wedding dance fairly early on into our engagement and I very much think that we needed all of that time. The dance may not have had any lifts - although some of the dances in the ceilidh did! - but it had plenty of dips, kicks and flicks. There is video evidence of the dance and I can remember quite a few 'oohs' and 'aaahs' as we were performing it. Music is one of the very few things about which James and I tend to disagree and the choice for first dance had the potential to become quite a sticking point. In the event I submitted to James' suggestion fairly quickly. While I would probably have opted for a more obvious choice such as Angels by Robbie Williams, a song James loathes, he naturally preferred a Bond theme tune. He suggested three options, of which I felt All Time High was the most meaningful and it seemed to work very well for us as a dance routine. 

It would be wrong of me not to mention one of the most important guests of the day... Sam! The only reason we hired our venue exclusively was so that we could have the little cockapoo there. In hindsight it was a great decision anyway but for us both Sam was a VIP - that's very important pooch. Although he missed out on the role of ring-bearer - with us opting to allow the best man this traditional privilege - he instead came up the aisle with my bridal party, joined us at the front of the church for signing the register and was in all the group photos. He sat good as gold under the top table and looked very dapper in his newly acquired purple tartan lead and collar. By the end of the day you could see that he was absolutely exhausted and the main reason that Mum and Dad called it a night was because it was so clear that Sam was all partied out. He was an absolute credit to himself on the day and seemed to be a huge hit with all the guests, and certainly us!

Even now, almost four weeks after the event, the wedding is still the main topic of conversation amongst family and friends and there are still so many treats to come. A particular highlight for me will be seeing the professional photographs on Friday. As I've already mentioned many times James and I adored working with our photographer and I can't wait to see the shots she got of the day - I just hope some of them are of us as every time I looked at her she had eyes only for Sam! 

The wedding day!

I'll start by saying it was absolutely the best day of my life. Someone was watching over us as the early morning rain (I was awake at 0530!) gave way to glorious sunshine for our 1300 wedding ceremony. I won't bore you with all the details - for my own benefit I wrote about 20 pages of literally everything that happened on the day - but I will cover some of the main elements and in particular mention some of the surprises that we had up our sleeves. 

The getting ready period went by in a flash. My brilliant and superbly efficient hair and make-up artist Heidi made my four bridesmaids and me look absolutely gorgeous and kept perfectly to time. We had some lovely photos taken in the garden and the bouquets arrived looking utterly gorgeous and deliciously feminine, just as I had hoped. Massive thanks to Nicole Gamlin for her inspired creations!

Many people asked what my traditional items were:

Something old and something blue - my heirloom sapphire and diamond ring inherited from my pseudo godmother, Alison 

Something borrowed - mums pink pearl necklace

Something new - the dress and everything else!

My incredibly tacky singing tartan garter also had blue in it! 

The cars all arrived on time with only one needing to ring for directions to the house. We set of at 12 even though the journey to the church wasn't going to take an hour - in the end my driver was able to have a cigarette stop in a country lane so that I arrived on time rather than ridiculously early. 

I didn't suffer from nerves on the morning. I kept expecting them to kick in but it wasn't until the doors of the church opened and the piper (Steve Duffy) started up (the first surprise for our guests) with highland cathedral, that I was overwhelmed by emotion. Seeing school and uni friends smiling at me from the pews and my beloved granny sitting at the back with her friends from tredington had the tears welling up and I said to dad 'I'm going to go'. What I meant was that the tears were going to come but he took it to mean that we should start walking. Cue a small tussle as I collected myself before we started the walk down the aisle. I broke off to give granny a hug before focussing on James for the rest of the way. I thought he looked amazingly handsome. 

The ceremony itself was gorgeous. The readers were superb, the vicar was amusing and the vows were lovely. My flute teacher, and friend, Julie, played beautifully while we signed the register and then it was official - I was Mrs Reid! 

We had some photos at the church before the car journey to Wyck hill house for the reception. When we arrived we had some more photos and were met with our requested welcome drinks for ourselves and the guests - mocktails of Virgin sunrise and whisky. 

Then James and I had another grand entrance down the stunning staircase at Wyck, again accompanied by the piper. Photos followed and took us through to the start of the wedding breakfast. James and I nipped into the Lord rissington suite for a sneak peek before everyone filed in and the room looked amazing. In trying to escape in order to prepare for yet another grand entrance we ended up having a very informal receiving line after all! 

The meal began with a grace said by my uncle and then a very dramatic rendition of an address to the haggis by one of our ushers. Most people hadn't seen this before and ours really was a shining example of how it should be done. Well done Hugh! 

Then it was down to the main event. Our breakfast menu was a starter of haggis neaps and tatties with a balmoral sauce. Main was a slow cooked blade of beef with mashed potato and a red onion jus and dessert was a delicious sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Credit has to go to the Wyck hill kitchen for the quality of the food - quite simply superb! 

The speeches followed the meal although James and I did creep out beforehand to enjoy both the moment and the view of the rolling hills that our venue afforded us. Dad kicked off the speeches with some background to the decision to marry in tredington and a moving tribute to my strong bond with my late grandad. He proceeded to thank the race horse who came good and helped him fund the wedding and spoke about me as a daughter. He ended with some advice to James. 

You can imagine the laugh that got!

James' speech was next. He was very amusing and thanked the many people who had contributed to the day - in particular saying lovely things about me, both sets of parents, and the wedding party, especially best man Ross. He told a slightly doctored version of how we were set up by my bridesmaid Klara and then handed on the baton to Ross. 

Ross's speech was one of my highlights. He managed to allude to James' nefarious past without divulging too many of the gory details. He talked hilariously of their shared past and made sure James was embarrassed in the present by letting all the guests know his mum had ironed him three shirts for the day - in case he dribbled! 

After the speeches we cut the cake and our bespoke cake topper by Julie patchouli was revealed. The cake, by cake sweet cake of kidlington had layers of vanilla sponge, white chocolate and chocolate orange. The piece I tasted was delicious!

Afterwards we all cleared the room and spread out into the bar, the outside areas, the library and the hallways while the dance floor was prepared. I meanwhile snuck upstairs to change. Yes that's right - I had a second dress up my sleeve. The off the peg monsoon gown was modified by the addition of a purple ribbon belt. Falling to the knee and lace covered it allowed me more freedom of movement than my original dress meaning that when the time came for our first dance - a choreographed rumba to Rita Coolige's All Time High (the words inscribed within our wedding rings) I could do the dips and the ganchos and even walk backwards as required! After that we ceilidh'd the rest of the night away to the accompaniment of the Quiet Men. 

There was an evening buffet which I certainly didn't have any space for. This was served in the Adams suite where the centrepiece was a cupcake tower made by my incredibly talented cousin Louise. Her children, Zachary and Darcey were the youngest members of the wedding party and both were fantastically well behaved throughout the whole day with darcey in particular looking and acting like an angel for the entire day. 

My overriding memory of the day will be the sheer happiness that I felt and that seemed to be shared by everyone around me. I shed tears at the end of the night when our song 500 miles by the proclaimers morphed into a compilation of scottish melodies followed by auld Lang syne simply because I didn't want the day to ever end. It was simply perfect in every single way. I know I'm biased but it's the best wedding I've ever been to and I loved every moment. It wouldn't have been the same without all our fabulous guests who threw themselves into the scottish twists with gusto or to all the people whose love and support over the years has made us into who we are, both as individuals and now as a couple. I cannot thank those people enough. 

I would also like to thank Amy, Ben and the rest of the team at Wyck for being so brilliant and for putting up with a burst of control freak behaviour in the final run up to the wedding. My bridesmaids, emz, Klara, tabitha and Darcey were both wonderful and beautiful. James' team of Ross, Ian, Hugh, Poynter, Fraser and Zachary all did a fantastic job. Biggest thanks of all has to go to my parents who have been the best parents in the world and always loved me unconditionally and also very generously funded the wedding. Last but not least I want to thank my husband (that word still sounds weird!) for being the amazing person he is and for being foolish enough to love me and want to spend the rest of his life with me. 

Surely for the last paragraph I should have been accepting an Oscar??  

It'll be a few weeks before we get the video, discretely filmed on the day by David grange, back but next week we see the professional photos taken by the amazingly talented and incredibly charismatic Helen rushton but for now here's a sneak peek of our wedding look and of course Sam! 

The dresses

The dress I wore was a variation of Bardot, from Blue Bridalwear. The original dress had a very plain silk Cymbeline skirt, with modest train and sculpted bodice. It had a bow belt and a lacy overlay that buttons up the back. I loved the simplicity of the lines of the dress and the feeling of quality of the material. As I stepped into it I knew it was the one. However I didn't feel that the overlay suited me as it detracted from the simplicity that I loved and that seemed to suit me. Thus the overlay was out and in its place I designed my own straps, which were beautifully crafted by the seamstress at brides of Winchester. The straps were inspired by the wedding dress in sweet home Alabama. I didn't like the dress but the moment I saw the straps, way back in 2003, I fell in love with them and knew that that was exactly what I wanted. The bridal shop printed out pictures of the dress in order to work from them. 

The dress has needed to be synched in by 5 inches since I was first measured but this has been done beautifully. Many little details have been added behind the scenes to make sure that my underwear is concealed and that the dress stays exactly where it should for the duration of the day. 

I accessorised with a beaded tiara which highlighted my long two-tiered veil encrusted with Swarovski crystals. I chose not to wear the blush down as I walked down the aisle. 

My shoes were very simple cream satin heels with a rounded toe and a strap to make sure they didn't come loose. I felt like an absolute princess for the whole day. 

Of course I didn't wear the Bardot for the whole day though... 

Ps. Good news

As things stand right now wheelchair bound granny will be coming after all!

Wedding whirlwind

From yesterday morning there has been nothing but wedding mania in my household. The animals have been safely delivered for their holidays, family are starting to converge on the hotel and yesterday evening we went to the venue and the church for a rehearsal and to show the photographer round. This was followed by a family meal. 

This morning I had my shellac wedding manicure and pedicure and had such fun. I have a french polish on my fingernails and fantastic tango - the wedding purple shade - on my toes. I feel all glamorous. I am now snatching a few moment peace before we ferry most of my house across to the hotel for the big set up. This evening James stays at the hotel while I stay at home and we are each gathering our friends and family for pub dinners this evening. 

Tomorrow is D-day and from 0630 people will be arriving at my house to beautify me and my party before we set off. Being called away now. 

23 hours to go. Xx

Socially no media

This morning I politely requested via the medium of Facebook that those guests coming tomorrow refrain during the course of the day from 'checking in' at the venues and tagging themselves in selfies. I want my guests to be focussing on me and James and our day and not focussing on publicising it to the world. Given this blog and my own regular use of Facebook some may see this as hypocritical but it's my day and this is what James and I both want. 

The wedding in numbers

Age 26 years, 3 months and 6 days

Together for 3 years, 10 months and 26 days. 

Engaged for 9 months and 5 days. 

93 guests for the wedding day. 

102 guests for the evening. 

28 pounds weight loss since we got engaged. 

17 miles between church and venue

3 bridesmaids

1 flower girl

4 ushers

1 page boy

1 best man. 

Over 12,000 miles travelled by some guests to be here. 

Roughly £30000 on wedding and honeymoon. 

14134 page views since January. 

Less than 24 hours to go. 

This is Miss leonard posting for the very last time. 

Bad news

When you know someone well you can tell from the first word they say that there's a problem. When you know them really well you can even have a stab at how big that problem is. So this morning from the choked 'hello' I knew we were in trouble. The only comfort I have is that noone's died. The devastating news for me though is that with just 48 hours left before the wedding my 93 year old granny is being admitted to a nursing home and won't be able to make it. This is upsetting for so many reasons. It's the acceptance at last that after months of struggling things have finally gone too far and in all likelihood will never be the same again. 

In terms of the wedding I'm upset for myself and for her for so many reasons. She's the last survivor of her generation but more than that she and granddad and the many fond memories I have of tredington are the reason I wanted to go back there to be married. I'd been in touch with the friends granny still had there to invite them to the ceremony and I know she would have loved to have seen them. More than that she would have loved to watch her granddaughter get married and adopt the surname Reid, her own maiden name. My scottish granny would have loved all the nods to her and James' shared homeland that we have in store. She would have loved to be at the centre of the family one last time. 

Thus with this mornings news the happy, smiley bride to be is just a little more fragile. A small part of the magic has been erased, a little bit of the shine tarnished. Just goes to show that no matter how meticulously you plan you can't control everything and that at the end of the day nothing is more important than your family and their health. 

Wrong

There is no other way to describe the farce that debenhams have made of our suit order for the wedding. From the wrong delivery store to the wrong length trousers, the wrong type of cravat to the wrong number on our order and finally the wrong size of jacket and orders being issued incomplete. 

Are we really the first people to request self-tie cravats?

Are we really the first people to have ushers based around the country?

Are we really the first people to require extra cravats for ushers wearing their own kilts?

I cannot comprehend that the answer to any of the above is yes. And yet somehow debenhams have managed to make such a catalogue of errors that it beggars belief. Not only have they got almost everything wrong - and we have receipts to prove it - but the manner in which they have dealt with the multiple issues we have had to raise has been uniformly surly and defensive. 

Safe to say if debenhams think they will be getting our custom in the future they are frankly... Wrong!

The last labour of love

Today, as I recover from my cold, I have devoted myself to a last push on the craft front. Another bouquet of silk roses has been made up. Ten pew ends have been made. Three more pots of silk roses have been assembled. Lastly the presents for the bridal party have all be wrapped. This represents hours of work at the end of many months of beavering away in the evenings. I can't believe it all seems to have come together. Yes there's plenty of ribbon left over but who knows when and how that might come in handy...

6 days left...