Sorry it's rather long so feel free to skip to the photos!!! We don't have our professional photos back yet so as these are from our guests there are unfortunately none yet of us getting ready.

The Day Before - Friday 12th June

Unfortunately it seems that final wedding preparations prevent any form of a lie in, much to my disappointment. All attempts to fall back off to sleep were not really working out so sneakily, slowly and silently I rolled out of bed hoping not to wake the only partially disturbed fiancé lying next to me.

I crept downstairs to go do what had become my daily ritual... I turned on my laptop and instinctually opened up the wedding forum and met check. It was looking good! The signs of rain seemed to have pretty much disappeared! Like a fool I thought I'd double check and went on to the BBC weather page. Yep, once again glorious sunshine was being predicted. Maybe I should triple check. Arse.. the blimen met office predicted rain and a much much cooler day.

After helping myself to a little food (hardly anything as nerves were already preventing me from having a healthy appetite) I got showered and dressed, ready to go get my nails done at the salon near my parents' house. Promising I'd only be gone a few hours, I kissed Donal goodbye and headed off.

Although still reasonably calm, throughout the pampering session I was concerned as to what the time was, constantly worrying about whether anyone was trying to call my mobile. It didn't help that the salon was next to a dentist and there were roadworks going on outside.. I kept thinking the faint drilling noises was the vibration on my phone. After several checks I realised all was ok.

After 2 1/2 hours (!) my nails were done and I could finally head over to my parents' house. My Mum had put together 2 beautiful bouquets of country-style flowers for me to lie on the graves of my grandparents. Each one was in a glass jug or vase. My parents drove me to the first church where my Gran was buried recently, where my little sister met us from her lunch break at the neighbouring school. All four of us walked around the church over to the beautiful spot where my Mum’s Mum rested. After several minutes of trying to hold the tears in we headed over to St John's; the church we were to marry in the next day and also where both of my Dad's parents are buried. This time both myself and Mum arranged the flowers into the holder before setting home.

I had now been some time so called Donal up only to be told to take my time and relax. I was later told that the poor guy had, however, felt a bit like a caged animal. My car had broken down days before so we were both sharing his. He, therefore, was not able to do anything but sit, wait and practice his speech.

I was greeted back at home by not only my fiancé but my future in-laws that had made their way down from Stoke, still slightly suffering from the jetlag that their trip to Canada had caused. They presented us with maple syrup, chocolate fudge and a wedding card handmade by their fair hands! On the front was written 'To Donal and Ann with much love on your wedding day - the next chapter in your LOVELY LOVE STORY'. Below it was a picture of the dinosaurs from Edward Monktons short story that Don’s Dad would be reading at the ceremony.

Inside we both had our own messages. Mine read..

'You were the blessing we couldn't yet see,
When we wiped his tears & bandaged his knees!
You brought him such joy, right from the start.
And we could see love growing in both of your hearts.
Now you know we both love you, our hearts you have won...
Because of the love you have brought to our son'

Below of was also written:

Hawaiian song:
Here all seeking is over,
the lost has been found,
a mate has been found,
to share the chills of winter.
Now Love asks that you be united,
Here is a place to rest,
as place to sleep,
place in heaven.
Now two are becoming one,
the black night is scattered,
the eastern sky grows bright.
At last the great day has come!

Ogden Nash:
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong admit it,
Whenever you're right shut up.

Once again I had to compose myself quickly in order to stop myself crying. I was so touched to have such a personal and thoughtful message from my future in-laws.

Realising I was not going to be coming back to the house until after the wedding I quickly ran upstairs to pack an overnight (or two) bag. All the wedding gear was already at my parents' house so it didn't take too long.

The cars were then loaded up with the final wedding gubbins and we set off to the Rose and Crown where our reception was to be held the following day.

We were met by Katy and Ralph once again and shortly after by older sister Rebecca and her two children; Ella and Tommy. Unfortunately the pub were running behind and the room we were hoping to set up was still suffering the aftermath of a business conference which was held earlier in the day. Not to worry though as we could just focus on the garden until it was cleared... that is if my parents would ever arrive with the garden decorations!

Nothing really mattered... the sun was shining, the family and future family all gradually arrived, drinks were drunk and children played. It could not have been a more relaxing, fun filled day of preparations.

Rebecca and I hung up the bunting, Ralph and Katy kindly put up the fairy lights and then assisted us with the bunting (which also involved Donal jumping up into a tree... one of his favourite activities!). There were offers a plenty from all other family members but all was pretty much covered.

We soon realised the inside was never going to be ready in time so we mocked up a table for them to copy in the morning. At this point my Grandfather arrived and I had a wave of emotion when I realised how much I loved my Mum's Dad. It made me miss my Grandparents that were not going to make it but also so so grateful to have him there with us.

He could see me cracking when I gave him a hug and told me not to start crying, in the jokey way he always says heartfelt things. So I showed him out to the garden, where Mum was, and carried on with the prep work.

Despite the table not being 100% completed, it was already obvious it was going to look amazing. Donal's homemade shortbread and fudge, the flowers that Mum had put together with the candles, Rebecca's place holders, the place name swing tags... all of it came together beautifully. I left it in the Rose and Crown's most capable hands telling the Manager she can tweak away to her heart's content. It was becoming increasingly obvious that I was more than happy to put my faith in all the others that were there to help.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on 03 July 2009 21:45:22 ]

So it was time to say goodbye to Donal for the last time as a single lady. Surprisingly, although it was emotional, I was once again ok and was more excited than anything else.

Once we realised no more could be done, Granddad drove Mum and myself back home to my parent’s house to meet up with my little Sister and Dad who had to head off moments before.

On arrival, a Chinese takeaway was promptly ordered and soon after we were sitting down munching away in the conservatory. My Dad had told the Chinese restaurant about the imminent wedding and as a gift they had given him some glasses to go with his beer!! Karen had previously ordered Dad and Granddad to go pick up Mamma Mia from Blockbusters whilst getting the food, which apparently falls under the category of 'a cool film', so after the meal we all slumped down on the sofas and watched the movie. Granddad was being his hilarious self and kept making witty comments all the way through. I'm not entirely convinced he particularly enjoyed it! Each time he apologised, asking if he was ruining an important bit.. the cheeky monkey!

As soon as the titles ran I was off to bed, despite protests from Dad whom spent the entire film grinning and tapping his feet to all the Abba songs. 'Don't go yet... you've got to see this bit'... this bit being the lead characters singing waterloo in Abba style outfits. Nope, bed is strangely my priority.

After a quick call to Donal, who was apparently extremely excited, I fell quickly off to sleep...

The Big Day - Saturday 13th June

Birds were singing and the curtains were letting in a reasonable amount of light. Could it really be time to get up?!! Is it fairly light in the room because of beautiful sunshine outside??!! A creak from the floorboards from next door means someone is up. I quickly checked my phone and as well as finding a lovely message from one of my bridesmaids, I also discover the time is about 5.15am. Ah. No, I need to sleep. I can't get up. This is stupid. I will be too tired otherwise. I must go back to sleep.

The dogs downstairs then start to bark and I hear the kitchen door opening. Well, if someone’s up then maybe I should just admit defeat and join them. I rush over to the curtains and pull them back to find a pretty miserable, cloudy day. No need to panic though as the weather still has time to pick up. I open the door and Mum is carrying 2 cups of tea back to her bedroom. She kindly offers me one and I follow her downstairs only for her to head straight back to bed. Never mind, I can just drink my tea in piece and quiet and check the weather forecast!!

The grey cloud was only temporary and the weather folks predict a glorious day of sunshine!!! Hooray!! Stupidly, this small fact makes me have to once again hold back a little tear. This is going to be a tough day of tear holding backing!!!

It wasn't too long before a fully clothed Mum and Dad came down to join me. Dad came in to the living room to give me a big hug, asking how I was feeling. I was still surprisingly calm although whenever I thought about what was soon going to be happening, butterflies would fly around my stomach.

Just after 7am Mum agreed that it was an ok enough time to risk waking up my little sister and Granddad with the noise of the shower. No special preparations there... just a good old fashioned shampoo, shave and soap! I was meant to wash my hair the day before but no such luck. Hey ho.

At 7.50am the manicurist that my sisters booked arrived to do their nails. Whilst she got to work on my little sister, my older sister who had arrived with my little niece, heated up some croissants which we all soon enjoyed. Soon after I was running around with Ella on the slightly damp lawn. Sun began to shine through the clouds and garden lit up into a multitude of colours. My amazing Mum had planted various flowers and shrubs in preparation of the big day. It looked the best I'd ever seen and I became a bit sentimental about the house and garden in which I had spent most of my life.

At 9am both my makeup lady and the girls' hairdresser arrived and set about their transformation. We were soon joined by the other two bridesmaids; my two good friends Emma and Katherine. They both busied themselves with their makeup and hair. Both looked stunning. I was at first a little concerned that my eyeliner wasn't going to look very good but I needn't have worried as Lucy did an amazing job.

At this point I decided that Don would definitely be up so gave him a call to see how he was feeling. A very excitable voice answered the phone! He too didn’t sleep particularly well but he was feeling good, just incredibly happy. He had had the boys round to our house the night before and apparently they had all had a great time with drinks, BBQ and games. I mentioned that I had a little gift from him in my wardrobe which he opened whilst I was on the phone. I had written a poem and had had it printed with lots of photos of us around it, acting as a border. I also had it framed. Also in the frame, behind the poem, was some more photos of me and 2 signed photos from Gordon Ramsay and another celebrity chef. He really seemed over the moon with the present so I could breathe a sigh of relief. The second part of his present was hidden on the back seat of my car but stupidly I had taken my car keys with me so I told him to go look through the window!! It was a small Japanese Maple; an ornamental tree which i knew he wanted. I thought it would be nice to plant it together and watch it grow over the years. Again he gave me a heartfelt thank you and told me that I would have to wait for my present.

At 10.20am, after a very brief hello and goodbye from my future Mother in law who was getting her hair blow-dried (She told me that the Rose and Crown was looking brilliant and the fete games were all being put out in the garden by all Don’s family) my little sister Karen drove me off to the hairdressers which was a good 30 mins away. She had to stop to get petrol, after which the car failed to start. We both looked straight ahead thinking don't panic and Karen calmly tried again. It started. Hurray! After a relieved look and a few giggles we set off on the journey once again.

The hairdresser was amazing and turned my thick, unkempt hair into a stunning mass of pinned up curls. Once finished, she placed my tiara on my head and the transformation was complete. I finally could see that I was going to be a bride.

After we got home the pace really picked up. As we pulled up I could see the van from the florists parked outside the house and there were my flowers. They were perfect. As well as my bouquet there were 4 others for the bridesmaids and one mini version for my flowergirl Ella. I went inside and then had a little peak of the buttonholes which were all freesias; one of my future mother in law's favourite flowers.

My older sister Rebecca told me the others were getting into their bridesmaid dresses but that I should eat first and then go join them. I quickly ran upstairs to have a peak at Katherine and Emma and I was over the moon that the dresses we choose 10 months or so previous were a really good choice. They both looked amazing.

I made myself a quick sandwich and joined my Granddad outside. My appetite had completely gone and I could only manage a few mouthfuls. The photographer joined me and advised that maybe I should get into my dress soon so that we can start taking the photos at 1pm as planned. That was enough to get the butterflies whizzing around and I admitted defeat to the sandwich.

Excitement kicked in as I walked up to the bedroom where my dress was hanging from the curtain pole. I met my sister Rebecca upstairs who agreed to help me. First I needed to get into my posh pants and bra so I closed the door behind me. Rebecca had to guard the door as my little niece Ella was very insistent that she needed to join Auntie Ann in the room!

Once in my underwear, with shoes and hoop on, I was ready for Rebecca who did a great job in getting me into my beautiful dress without messing up my hair or makeup. With the help of a crochet hook, I was soon into my Benjamin Roberts masterpiece. With all the many layers, my poor big sister had to crawl about underneath the dress to sort it all out! At the same time she helped me put on my garter which I stupidly forgot to do before. My friend Louise had given me this when we were on my hen do, which was a lovely and thoughtful gift. It was from her wedding and she asked if it could be my something blue.

Once the dress was ready I put on my pearl jewellery and my Granny's emerald engagement ring. My sister then very carefully slide the comb of my veil into my hair.

By this point Rebecca had allowed my little sister to open the door for Ella to see her Auntie Ann in her dress. She seemed pretty impressed!

I then made my way down the stairs, which suddenly seemed very narrow. Everyone was outside so I negotiated my way through the living room hoping that maybe the patio doors had been opened to allow me easy access into the garden. No such luck. The only option was to go via the kitchen which involved getting through the door which had a child gate on it which normally stops the dogs getting out. This was no mean feat and it became pretty obvious that moving around in my dress was going to be a pretty challenging task!

Once out in the garden I caught the attention of the rest of my family and my bridesmaids who were having their photo taken by our photographer. One by one they all came over and gave me lots of hugs, kisses and praise!

Right! It was time for photos. Walking on the lawn which had thankfully dried more of less, was even more of a challenge as my heels easily sunk into the ground. Walking on tip toes with an enormous gown on is a pretty impressive talent! I was positioned by the opening sweetpeas and told to tilt my head this way and that. I was then joined by my bridesmaids. Ella didn't really want to play this game so sat on the floor in a bit of a huff. The photographer wasn't fazed though and just worked with it!

Rebecca's Godmother with her husband Fen, soon arrived announcing that I scrubbed up well... typical! Fen had kindly agreed to drive us to the church and was in his full chauffeur gear. We were then pretty much done with the photos as Nick the photographer, had to run off to the church to meet the boys. We therefore all went back inside and were given a glass of bubbly by my Dad. It took a little while to get everyone ready for a toast... people kept disappearing, ties had to be re-done (it was very amusing seeing Fen try and help my Grandad do up his tie!), poor Rebecca had to do a little work on Ella's dress as the seam around the waist was itching her, but this slight delay meant my sister's husband Keith and their son Tommy could join us in the toast.

Keith and Fen's cars were then loaded up with all our bags. Both the cars looked amazing with ribbons on them. Fen and Gaile had put an amazing flower arrangement in the back of the car... it was incredibly thoughtful. Rebecca then caught me on my own and told me that in case she didn't have a chance to say this before the ceremony that I looked amazing and she was very proud of me. Both of our eyes filled with tears so she quickly walked off towards the dining room and I looked away and tried to compose myself.

Everybody disappeared off to the church leaving just me and my Dad who had to wait for Fen to drop off the bridesmaids before coming back for us. This gave us just enough time to breath and soak it all in. My Dad told me that he hoped Donal and I would have a long and happy marriage together, just like him and Mum. We both had to look away and busy ourselves with other thoughts to stop ourselves from crying. Dad started to dislodge moss from in-between the brickwork drive and commented that this was a silly thing to do to his smart, clean shoes. After wiping them clean on the grass he soon proceeded to do it again. I reminded him that he'll just make them dirty again and he told me he needed to keep himself busy.

As several neighbours from down the road came out to look and several cars drove past with their occupants staring out the windows, Fen soon returned to pick up us two stragglers.

Getting into the car was a little bit of a challenge but we soon managed it. Rebecca had previously suggested I hold Dad's hand in the car as he wouldn't make the first move. It was a great tip and as we held hands we both once again concentrated so as not to cry.

In seconds we were pulling up outside the church. This was it. It was really happening. After being helped out the car I was greeted by my bridesmaids and our lovely vicar Denise who told me that Donal was extremely excited, waiting inside the church. She also told me it was full to the brim with our friends and family! Standing by the entrance to the church were two of the ushers who gave me the thumbs up before heading into the church. We were all put into place, just by the side of the door, and my veil was placed over my face. Denise told me that she will tell the congregation to stand and then the organist will start playing the Bridal March. This would be my queue.

At this point the butterflies turned into beasts and I actually realised there was a small possibility of me being sick. I started breathing incredibly quickly as I realised it was going to start any second.

Denise walked off into the church and after what felt like a lifetime I heard her say those words. The Bridal March began to play and I felt myself turn the corner and enter the church.

I took my first glimpse of the our village church with it's beautiful stain glass windows shooting colour on to the alter and the ground before it. I was extremely thankful of the veil which acted as some sort of barrier to the explosion of emotions going off inside me.

There were hundreds of people standing there looking at us but all I saw was Donal standing there at the very end of the aisle with the biggest grin on his face. My nerves began to fade and I became just incredibly happy. I couldn't stop smiling and I soaked up the feeling of being escorted down the aisle by my incredible Dad.

I must have smiled at only a couple of people as all I could do was look at my beautiful Donal standing there waiting for me.

Apparently we pretty much ran down the aisle although I thought we were taking it really slowly. I guess I just couldn't wait any longer.

I joined Donal at the front of the church and turned around to hand my flowers to Rebecca and let my little sister Karen lift up my veil. I then turned back round to Donal and we just stood there transfixed, grinning from ear to ear.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 03:48 PM]

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 09:51 PM]

He immediately held my hand as Denise began the service. We both had mentioned before how we really wanted to absorb what she was saying and actually that really helped me keep my composure. Having said that, I was just so overly joyed (and nervous) that the tears were pretty much held at bay.

We spoke our vows really clearly and forcefully trying to show each other that we really meant what we were saying. I stood there looking into Donal's eyes and could see him welling up. My voice cracked but I just focused and got through it without crying. Hurray! I even gave a little 'yes' gesture.

At one point during the service I heard little Ella calling my name which made me smile and distracted me a little from the tears that were threatening.

We were handed our wedding rings by our two best men (one each). Donal’s had been painstakingly handmade by myself during the jewellery evening courses I had been attending. It had been such a nerve wracking exercise as the materials alone cost so much money that I couldn’t afford, quite literally, to make a mistake. Thankfully it came out really well. We then had both our wedding rings engraved with personal messages to each other.

Soon we were announced as husband and wife! Donal kissed his bride before we turned to the clapping congregation and I did a little curtsey.

We then signed the register which made it all the more real! Whilst our Mum's signed their names as witnesses, we scanned the faces smiling and waving at us. We then just kept kissing and hugging each other. We were married!!! My Mum used this opportunity to tell me that my little sister Karen had cried all the way through the service, just as we both had done 4 years earlier, almost to the day, when Rebecca got married. Karen later told me that Mum had given her a handkerchief that was almost the size of a table cloth which completely engulfed Karen. It brought them light relief and they then spent some minutes trying not to laugh!

The readings were beautifully given my Donal's Aunt and Dad. Firstly Ralph gave us A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton which had everyone laughing and gave Donal and I the opportunity to pull agreeing or disagreeing faces throughout it. Sue's reading was beautiful. You could tell it had not only been well practiced, but that she new and meant everything she was saying. We were honoured that she agreed to do the reading as she has always been so loving and supportive to Donal and looked after me when I was at Don’s brother’s wedding several years back, when I didn’t really know anyone.

Our Vicar then gave us our address which again was beautiful and personal to us. She was extremely complimentary and made it obvious that she had become more than just a vicar in the last few months.

The church was now getting reasonably warm and with us sitting in the sun, along with the pressure of the dress, I began to feel a little faint. I told myself to overcome it and busied myself with absorbing all the little details in the church: The two baskets of flowers that Mum and Margaret had planned together, the sun shining through the church windows, my lovely bridesmaids sitting there looking happy.

Once we were back up and on our way to the alter for a prayer, I felt immediately better. Our bridesmaids and best men followed us and I was so glad to have them all by my side, although Ella had fallen asleep so stayed behind with her Daddy. I was over flowing with happiness and it was great seeing them next to me smiling away.

It was then time to leave the church. After being handed my flowers again the violinist started playing Air on G String. This beautiful piece of music nearly always has Donal in tears, especially when he heard it being played for the first time by our violinist.

I had to remind Don that he had to walk around me to the other side and thought how funny it was that I was already having to boss him about!

And off we went, grinning away to all our family and friends as we walked passed. I tried to catch the eye of as many people as possible but I didn't do particularly well.

We stopped at the door and our lovely photographer Nick took a few quick shots before we moved to one side to let everybody follow us out.

I was very aware that there were two couples that couldn’t make it to the reception so I was constantly on the look out for them. At the same time there were many friends and family that came over to congratulate us. I managed to spot one of the couples and beckoned them over so that I could thanks them for coming. I was so grateful to see that so many people had made the effort to come and see us get married. I really felt honoured.

We knew we didn’t have much time for photos as our schedule was really tight due to inviting our evening guests far too early. We therefore quickly assembled by the doors of the church to have a few formal photos taken and were then free to leave for the reception which was only a few minutes drive away.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 09:56 PM]

As we walked through the church gates, Fen greeted us with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne and two crystal cut glasses with flowers and birds etched on to them which we were told were ours to keep. He poured it out for us and then helped me and my dress in to the car which wasn’t easy. Once in, I was handed my glass along with my beautiful bouquet.

I waved to everyone we passed as we drove off and I just couldn’t suppress my extreme happiness. Don and I kept kissing and hugging.

Although only a short drive, it was a beautiful one. In the bright sunshine we could see miles and miles of rolling Chiltern hills. I was so happy that we had been able to marry in the area I have grown up in.

As we pulled up, we got a sneaky peak of how the garden looked. The venue had arranged for all the welcome drinks to be outside and I could see them all lined up on a long table covered with a crisp linen tablecloth. There were several members of staff standing behind waiting for us all to arrive. I could also see that our table plan was outside by the drinks table which was a great idea. Don had designed the plan and arranged to have it printed. It looked brilliant – simple and classy, using the patterns we had picked out for the Order of Services, just what we wanted.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 05:22 PM]

As we got out of the car, we were joined by Gaile who reiterated that the champagne glasses were ours to keep. On entering the garden we saw it for the first time in all it’s glory. It looked beautiful, even more so than I had envisaged. The colourful bunting was a master stroke. It was loaned to us by Don’s sister in law, who had made it for their wedding two years ago. There were also tables and chairs dotted about. Some of the wooden tables were covered with white tablecloths whilst the Victorian style, iron tables were just left as. The glass jars that some of our friends and family painted were either hanging in the trees or placed on the tables. Also on the tables were candles in little terracotta pots with some twine wrapped round as well as a few silver tin pots with potted flowers in.

The fete games that again some of our friends and family had either made or organised, were dotted around the edges of the garden with our corresponding signs/game instructions (using the same patterns as on the table plan and order of services).

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 04:06 PM]

The icing on the cake was the afternoon tea we had decided on instead of canapés. There were plates on the tables full of scones with jam and cream or cakes and mini éclairs. This idea, thanks to the ladies on the wedding forum, not only saved us money but also fitted in with our village fete theme perfectly. Although we didn’t get to eat any of the treats we were later told they went down a treat, with all our friends and family immediately tucking into them.

We had a few moments to chat to our guests before we were escorted off by Nick for some private photos in the field at the back of the garden.

I very much enjoyed posing in my beautiful dress and veil alongside my handsome new husband. We thanked Nick for how he was handling the rather rushed nature of our photos. He totally took control but in a very friendly and gracious way! He got things done quickly and always remained very professional. He told us he would have happily done it for free as he was having such a good time. I’m pretty sure this was a slight exaggeration seeing as we had only just arrived and he still accepted our payment, by it was lovely to hear none the less!!

We were then taken back into the garden to the play area where I was asked to sit on one of the swings. Although a bit of a challenge due to my dress, I soon managed it and Don started to push the swing with our photographer shouting “higher, higher!”. All our guests were now looking our way as my dress leapt up around me. As I got down Nick cheekily told me he got the garter shot at the same time!

The last photos of just me and Don were of us playing some of our fete games. It was the only chance we got all day, so although a bit brief I was glad that we actually to play them.

Hi,

Congratulations Ann & Don, what a beautiful picture you are painting!! I can't wait to read more! And your pictures are stunning!!

xx

[Modified by: mrsandynicky2b on July 03, 2009 04:23 PM]

Gaile had kindly given our bottle of champagne to the bar staff to keep cool so when we were back with the group she made sure we once again had a full glass to sip on. On noticing how most of the contents had already gone, Fen told us that it was meant just for us, thinking that perhaps others had been enjoying this luxurious drink. We advised Fen that actually only we had been drinking it but it was just going down too well!

Little Ella came running over to me with a lollypop from one of the fete games she had been playing, in her mouth. Rebecca asked Ella to stay away as she was worried about my dress but as far as I was concerned my dress had done it’s job and I wanted nothing more that a cuddle from my favourite little girl.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 05:23 PM]

After the photos, it was time for the speeches. We had previously decided to have them outside during the drinks reception, weather permitting,, so the wedding party stood on top of the raised, decked seating area and all our guests crowded around the front . One of our Ushers: Matt, had kindly agreed to also be our Master of Ceremonies. He had found himself an old hooter which he sounded every time he made an announcement. Again, it was perfect for our village fete theme. So he sounded his horn and announced the Father of the Bride.

My Dad’s speech was lovely, funny and at times sentimental. He told everyone about the day of my birth and the subsequent years , telling everyone how proud he was of the kind and loving lady I had become. He also mentioned those that couldn’t be with us. First my Godmother, Avril, who had recently passed away after an accident on her push bike and then my Grandparents. For the first time that day, I cried. Don was standing on the other side of my Dad and as soon as he saw, he came straight over and comforted me. Rebecca also ran over to me with a tissue.

After Dad, it was Don’s turn. He said so many lovely things to our family and to me. So much so that once again I wanted to burst with happiness. He also presented flowers from us to our Mums as a way of a thank you for their love and support over the years.

The best men gave suitably funny, yet loving speeches to which a lot of Don’s friends cheered or shouted out in unison. It was very clear that I had married a much loved man. Matt then gave me a little look to check I was ok, before announcing my speech.

Before the actual day, I was unsure if I wanted to do a speech as I was worried I would be too emotional or nervous, however as I had been so composed in the church I honestly thought I would be ok and I was really looking forward to thanking everyone. I was, however, not so composed this time!! Pretty much as soon as I started I began to cry.

I thanked Don’s parents for not only welcoming me into the family but also for raising such a perfect man in Donal. I went on to thank my parents, which was a real task as I was sobbing like a baby! I told them both how proud I was of them and that they were my role models. I then thanked my sisters; Rebecca and Karen for being my best friends and for all their support. I tried to thank Ella but she was too busy on the swings with her Dad! Then I thanked my two great friends and bridesmaids, Katherine and Emma. During my address to Katherine, I noticed that the usually very composed PE teacher was crying as much as me! Finally I thanked my husband. I told him how I was so lucky that such a beautiful person, both inside and out, had chosen me to be their wife and that I looked forward to growing old together.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 04:44 PM]

Several people mentioned to me later that nearly everybody was in tears so at least I wasn’t the only one!

Matt then announced that dinner was being served. Unfortunately or not, depending on how you view it, I had shrugged off all responsibility on the day so completely forgot to form a receiving line. To be honest there were several things that didn’t happen but although a shame, it didn’t ruin the day. The fact that I managed to just relax and enjoy myself was far more valuable.

As the guests started to make their way into the building Don mentioned that several of the evening guests were at the day reception. They had noticed they weren’t on the table plan so asked the best men what the situation was.

Whilst I had been enjoying myself talking to the guests, the best men, Don and the pub manager had all been working out a resolution. Don told me it was all in hand and that if I was happy with it, the pub could fit them in. No worries! Although the poor guests probably realised, no big deal was made of it. Don and I laughed for days afterwards thinking of two of his poor friends that had come all the way from Bristol who were stuck on the end of a table full of our parent’s friends!

(spot the odd ones out!!)

Don and I hung back so that the guests could be seated first. There was a small area just by the doors from the garden into the pub, which is covered with a beautiful Wysteria plant. There were a few chairs there and a table with a small vase of flowers from the garden. Don sat me down and presented me with his wedding present. It was a beautiful bracelet that matched my wedding and engagement ring perfectly. He had also enclosed an emotional note telling me how much he loved me.

It was then time for our big entrance into the pub however Matt was nowhere to be seen! Don tried calling him on his mobile but no luck. I think he was just busy having a good time with his friends and had probably had quite a bit of champagne by this point! Don used this time alone to tell me again how beautiful he thought I looked. He then took a photo of me using his phone camera. Shortly after we were joined by one of my Aunts who had been such a great help over the previous few days with organising fete games and making our wedding cake.

She told me that she had decorated the corners of the cake with little decorations that she had saved from various family weddings in the past. There was even a sugar slipper which was on my Grandparent’s wedding cake! She asked me if this was the right thing to have done and I just hugged and kissed her, thanking for this most amazing gift.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 05:25 PM]

Eventually Matt appeared and announced us as the Bride and Groom. We entered to a massive round of applause and I tried to negotiate myself through the small gaps in-between the tables.

It was the first time I had seen the room set up and I was so impressed with how much the venue had done for us. The tables were just like the one I had mocked up the previous day but with some extra lovely touches. The flowers that Mum had put together to go around the candles were beautiful.

As well as helping sort out what I shall now call ‘evening-guest-gate’, unknown to me until this point, Don had also spent quite a bit of time with his Mum making sure everything was in place. He had put out all the gifts by the place names of our wedding party as well as the party bags for the children.

Congratulations to you both, it looks like you had the most amazing day...
x

The Ushers had boxes wrapped with a small, black velvet ribbon, with a card tucked inside. Don had printed off notes with individual thanks for each of his boys. Inside the boxes were silver hipflasks each engraved with a personal message that only they would understand and find funny. Each hipflask had been filled with a special whiskey that Don had found for the occasion.

My Flowergirl received a solid silver wand that I had made. It was decorated with purple beads and a little silver fairy. Rebecca told me later that her face was a picture when she saw it for the first time. I wish I could have seen it, but I did see a photo of her shortly afterwards.

Each of my bridesmaids were given two presents. One was a little mirror with a suitable embroidered image on the back, such as a shoe for Emma the shoe-aholic. The second gift was some silver jewellery that I had made. Each piece was again individual to the person. Rebecca and Karen both had charm bracelets; Rebecca’s had little detailed charms but Karen’s was decorated with silver buttons. Emma and Katherine were given pendants. Emma’s was a small blue stone and Katherine’s was large and green. I chose this colour for her as she is getting married a couple of months after me and her theme is emerald green. Obviously it’s not for her to wear on the day but more just a little homage to her wedding which is just round the corner. As a last minute thought I also bought some cheap silver flip flops and wrapped them up with a swing tag saying ‘just encase your feet get tired’. These were also with their gifts.

Lastly we had placed a card in front of our Dads and the two best men. Inside we wrote a thank you message telling them that the suits they were wearing was our gift to them. We had got a great deal at our local wedding centre and the suits were actually the same price to buy as hiring a similar style.

Once we were sat down, each of these people came over to thank us. Although it was a shame we didn’t get to see their faces as they opened their gifts, it was nice to receive such a welcoming. I was particularly happy when Rebecca came over to thank me. She hadn’t seen the little note I had included so didn’t realise I had made it.

The first course was soon served. All our guests had been given a choice prior to the wedding, which they included with their RSVP. The entire menu had been designed by Don who is a budding amateur chef. Don and I both had the caramelised onion and goats cheese tart which was lovely. This was then followed with pork fillet wrapped in parma ham. Again this was delicious although I only managed two mouthfuls. Whether this was down to my general excitement or the corset of my dress I’m not too sure. I pretty much decided not even to bother with the pudding so after only one mouthful Don and I started to visit each of the tables to chat with our guests.

Whilst we were enjoying our food all of us on the head table were entertained by my gorgeous little nephew; Tommy. who sat for ages just smiling, waving and generally trying to attract our attention! As we had quite a few bridesmaids and best men, we had decided to only have parents on the head table. Therefore there were several tables right next to ours where the rest of the bridal party sat, along with their partners and family.

At one point the table with my sisters on began singing Happy Birthday to Ella, despite the fact it wasn’t her birthday. We found out later that because she was dressed in a pretty dress, had presents and was going to have cake, she had assumed it was her birthday! Instead of correcting her, the whole table had decided to go with it and sing to her! It wasn’t too long after this that a tired Ella made her way over to our table to sit on my lap and show me the butterfly tattoo she had on her arm, along with some toy jewellery and a book about princesses, all from the party pack we gave her.

It was already 7pm so our evening guests had started to arrive. They were welcomed with some bubbly and invited to enjoy the garden where the games were still being played. After the meal and cake cutting we spent most of our time chatting with the evening guests, although we by no means managed to speak to everyone.

After a short while our photographer Nick told us he had set up a slide show of pictures from the day for our evening guests. There were approximately 20 or so photos showing images from us preparing at my parent’s house right up to the end of the day reception. I’m not too sure how many people got to see the slideshow but unfortunately it couldn’t play for too long as the band needed the space to set up.

It was around this time that I decided to put on my beautiful bolero which for many months I could not decide whether to buy or not. I am so so glad I did as it was perfect. A while later I also decided to put an ivory fabric flower, with pearls in the centre, into my hair.

At quite a bit later than planned (whoops!) the band were able to begin the first of their two sets which meant it was time for our first dance together as husband and wife. We had gone to several classes with a sweet guy called Terry and learnt a foxtrot routine to the Frank Sinatra song ‘For once in my life’. We had known for quite a while that when we would get married, this would be our song. The lyrics are beautiful and it totally sums up how we feel for each other.

On the 5th July 2008, the day before my 29th birthday, Don had organised a treasure hunt for me. With each new clue, I received a gift. One of these was a CD he had put together of songs I liked. After the treasure hunt he drove us back home where I was told to stay in the car whilst he popped inside to get the food for a picnic. Whilst he was inside this Frank Sinatra song came on. I realised instantly that Don had included this as he still felt that way about me and through the song he was saying these beautiful words. By the time he got back in the car, I was crying happy tears. It was at the picnic afterwards that Donal proposed and I accepted immediately crying ‘yes yes yes yes!’. Therefore there was never any doubt that this would be our first dance.

We were a bit worried as to how the dance would go as we had never practiced with me wearing a rather restrictive dress before. Neither did we practice after several drinks! Our teacher looked on from the corn as Don and I danced around the room. A little improvisation was needed at times but we did it!

The band then began to play but I had to go back outside to cool down as the pub had become rather hot inside and the dress wasn’t the coolest.

Ella and her little brother Tommy didn’t make it to the evening unfortunately. They were both curled up in their pushchairs in the quiet part of the pub, absolutely exhausted from too much excitement. Apparently they both slept until 8.30am the following morning for the first time every in their young lives, much to their parent’s delight!!

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 03, 2009 05:01 PM]

The next few hours are all a bit of a blur but they mainly involved mingling with as many people as possible, interspersed with a bit of a dance on the dance floor.

I had the most amazing dance with my Dad where all we did was hugged and swayed. My folks are generally quite reserved so this public display of affection really surprised me. Once again the tears threatened to return!

My shoes were killing by this point and despite my new sister-in-law kindly massaging my feet for me, I decided it was time for my sparkly flip flops! I am so glad I thought to bring these with me.

Don and I decided to sneak outside for a moment alone in the cool night air. It had begun to drizzle a little so we moved a bench under a tree and rested our feet on two chairs opposite. The garden had been transformed into a magical evening paradise as one of our Ushers, Barney, had been around lighting all the candles including those inside the painted jars hanging from the trees. Beneath one of the trees, Donal’s parents were sitting having a moment of their own.

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 04, 2009 09:31 AM]

We waved and Don went over for a quick chat. We were soon joined by a few of our closest friends who all pulled up chairs and sat chatting with us for a while, before we all headed back in for a dance.

The last hour was a bit of a struggle as the weight of the dress, the tightness of the corset, along with my early start meant that I was seriously flagging. I could only manage short stints on the dance floor without then having to go cool down outside. As people gradually said their goodbyes I decided that enough was enough and Don assisted me upstairs to our room where he kindly, and much to my relief, unbuttoned my dress with the help of a crochet hook my alterations lady had given me. On then went the jeans, top and Birkenstocks! We cuddled for a bit before heading back down to say goodbye to the departing guests.

Unfortunately the change of clothes didn’t stop me from feeling incredibly tired and I was just too exhausted to carry on, despite moments before agreeing to grab a couple of bottles of wine and sit outside with a few of our friends that were staying at the pub with us.

I bade everyone goodnight before Don once again escorted me back up to our room. After I was tucked up in bed and after many cuddles, Don left me to go to sleep as he had also promised to meet everyone in the garden. Being the gentleman that he is, he could not go against his word. So I kissed my new husband goodnight for the first of many times and drifted off into a very deep and fulfilling sleep!

The End x

[Modified by: Annp was Anng on July 04, 2009 09:34 AM]