James and Rox started going out eight and a half years ago, and he felt very fortunate at the time. 18 months ago, James asked Rox to marry him. She accepted, and he felt like the luckiest man on the planet. On August 6th 2011 they got married, and had the most wonderful day with all their friends and family. This is what happened.

I’m writing this blog from a gorgeous beach in Mauritius. Above me is a papaya tree framed by a clear blue sky, beneath me is golden sand so clean that it squeaks when you walk on it, and next to me is my sun-kissed wife and my third pina colada of the day. There is nowhere on this earth I’d rather be right now.

Sadly, by the time you read this, my honeymoon will be over and my tan will have already washed off in the shower. By the time you read this, above me will be cobwebs where I haven’t dusted recently, below me will be brown carpet in need of a damn good vacuuming, and next to me will be the stack of bills that kindly accrued in my absence. But not even the unavoidable horrors of domesticity can dampen my spirit. Right now I am invincible because I just got married and my feet haven’t touched the ground since.

I desperately want to articulate my feelings about my wedding day without coming off like a cheesy fop, but I’m in constant danger of sounding like some nauseating Jennifer Aniston romcom. I’m pretty sure my mates were bored of all the marital chat before the wedding, so they’re really going to hate me now.

The day was perfect. It wasn’t flawless, but it was still perfect. It rained a bit, but so what? Rox forgot to toss her bouquet, but who cares? And my Dad got introduced to Jägerbombs and spent all night dancing like an uncoordinated teenager (actually, I could’ve done without that!) The point is that despite our best efforts there were plenty of things that didn’t go entirely to plan, but that was precisely what made it perfect for Rox and me. It had our DNA woven into every tiny detail, but still there were surprises that delighted us on the day. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t plan thoroughly; you absolutely should. For starters the whole process is great fun. But also your wedding needs structure, just don’t be too rigid on the day because anything’s possible.

I knew I was in for an emotional day from the very start. The instant Rox and I saw each other for the first time at opposite ends of the aisle, she burst into tears and I felt completely overwhelmed. A light breeze could’ve floored me at that moment. Nothing on this earth could prepare me for the first time I saw my little girl in her wedding dress. Luckily I had about 30 seconds to compose myself before Rox reached the altar because I was a mess.

And that just set the tone for the entire day. Lots of smiles, hugs, kisses and tears. If, like I was, you’re concerned that your wedding can’t live up to your impossibly high hopes and expectations, don’t be. I promise you, it’s better than you could ever imagine.

I’ve come to the conclusion after all these months of planning that there’s no formula for the perfect wedding. Ask any happily married couple and they’ll tell you that theirs was the perfect wedding – and they’d be right, because their weddings were perfect for them. For Rox and me, the crucial ingredient was our friends and family. Cheesy fop alert – there was so much love, happiness and goodwill sloshing around all day, that we were bound to have the most magical time. Although there were other factors that certainly helped to make the day, including the free bar to keep everyone well-oiled, and the band (Evolution) who had us all eating out of the palm of their hands.

Happily, the night before my wedding I got a half-decent night’s sleep (no doubt the booze and sleeping tablets helped!), so I was fully alert and able to enjoy every minute of the day. But on my actual wedding night I barely slept at all. Shame on you if your mind immediately raced to thoughts of consummation! The reason I barely slept was because my head was swimming with blissful memories from the day. I was consciously aware that this had literally been the happiest day of my entire life, and I was in no rush to let it end.

So I just lay there in bed all night with a goofy, delirious expression on my face, replaying every second of this most extraordinary day. Rox, on the other hand, got a fantastic night’s sleep. This was not unexpected though, since she has the enviable ability to pass out at will – a sort of voluntary narcolepsy.

As for my concerns about post-wedding blues, so far so good. Granted, I’m still on my honeymoon and half way through my fifth pina colada now. But I’ve been floating since the day I got married, and I’m showing no signs of coming down soon. So if your big day is rapidly approaching, be excited. Be very excited. It will be the best day of your life, and you’ll treasure it forever. My parting nugget of wisdom - don’t let your Dad anywhere near the Jägermeister because it’ll result in all sorts of images that you’ll never be able to erase.

Catch up on James’ final week of wedding planning (and links to earlier weeks) here

Coming soon: James' honeymoon report next month!