Thursday May 5th
Mum picked me up at lunchtime to load all of the stuff into the car. Got the bridesmaids dressed, mums dress and my dress in along with flowers, table plan, birdcages, bunting. The list goes on.
I had to say goodbye to Daniel so mum left us to have a cuddle. I knew I was only going to be without him for 24 hours but I think by then the emotions had kicked in and I had a little cry. Daniel came out to the car with us to wave us off with me still crying and saying I love you lol.
So we started our journey to Ipswich to firstly drop all of the stuff of at the venue. After a lovely sunny drive down we got there and with our wedding coordinatoers help we took everything in to the wedding room ready for them to set everything up the next morning. I stood there taking a deep breath thinking “this is where I will become a Mrs tomorrow!!”
As neither me or mum had, had any lunch we decided to stay for a drink and something to eat. I chose lovely bangers n mash with onion ring garnish, mmmm.
It felt strange sitting there trying to be relaxed knowing that the next day id be back there and it would be totally surreal.
I started to chat to mum about these stomach achesid been having ( ive mentioned them before in the may brides thread when I was off work sick with stress and I thought it was stress.anxiety that was causing the pains etc.) Mum has been a nurse for 40 years and as I was telling her all the symptoms she said she thinks I have IBS! So she said once we finish we could go and get some tablets over the counter so that I wasn’t uncomfortable on the day. God I really didn’t want that!
After refuelling on my sausages we made our way over to the hotel where we were staying the night and unloaded everything. We hung all the dresses up and had a quick cuppa.I hadn’t seen the hotel as mum picked it and booked it for us. The gardens were lovely and the hotel itself fit in very well with our vintage theme! Very elegant.
We then went to look for a pharmacy that was open late and to have a little gander round asda to see if they had any magic/gok style body shapers (as mum reckon I was too long in the body for mine and it squashed me boobs flat! Lol) and maybe a new top for my honeymoon . We walked round for a while but couldn’t find any there so went on to sainsbury’s when we then realised it was getting closer to 8 when their pharmacy closed so we bombed it over there and got my tablets thankfully found a lovely body shaper. Right all sorted! Then as we left there we realised we hadn’t remembered to get our selves some tea! So we nipped into tesco on the way back to hotel and picked up a sandwich meal deal. God anyone would have thought we were doing a supermarket tour! Haha. So back to the hotel to relax…..HAH!! YEAH RIGHT.
When we got back to the room mum made me try my dress on with the new body shaper and although it fit much better it made me realise that the straps were too big and loose! I said I would tolerate it but knew I wouldn’t be comfortable in it all day they just kept sliding down. Mum could see I wasn’t that happy with it and she even offered to drive back to saxmundham from Ipswich and go and get her sewing kit so she could try and adjust it some how. We both got a bit stressed at this point because neither of us are capable of doing an adjustment on a wedding dress. We panicked and talked about what to do over and over. I had a bit of a cry again (lol) as I just couldn’t think what we were going to do. Mum kept making get in and out of my dress so she could see what she could do. All she kept saying was “ oh god im not a seamstress by any means Helen I just don’t know what to do” lol I spoke to h2b to say goodnight and speak for the last time and we spoke about the probs with my dress. He said just leave it Helen its too much hassle. So I had kind of resigned myself to the fact that I would be uncomfortable all day. Then mum had a brain wave. I had to get in it again and as I was doing this I turned to look at the painting that was on the wal above the bed. Just quite a plain painting of a landscape or suchlike. I then happened to glance down at the signature of the artist who had signed it…”OH MY GOD” I shouted! I couldn’t believe it when I saw it and I had to take a picture and send it to h2b.
Anyway this getting longer and longer, so will cut it short lol after a little adjustment I was happy with my dress. I ran a nice hot bath and used lavender bath foam so I could lay and relax in it. Mum had hers and we finally got to bed about 1.15am!
Friday 6th may – Our Wedding Day!
I woke up really early and struggled to get back to sleep but managed a dose about 6am. We asked for a 7.30 alarm call which didn’t happen. I woke again and 7.38 me and mum stumbled out of bed and had a cuppa and got ready to go down for breakfast. My stomach felt so strange! It didn’t feel like a nervous tummy ache or butterflies it just felt really really odd and uncomfortable. I wasn’t nervous so wondered why I felt like I was going to pass out!. Anyway I tried to eat at breakfast as I knew it would be quite a while before I ate again. I had a mini croissant and some cereal from the breakfast bar which I just managed then the waitress came over, brought us our tea n coffee and said right what can I get you for breakfast! I thought id had it but we got offered a full English! Mum had a bit of bacon and egg and tomato but I couldn’t face that I had a poached egg on toast but couldn’t finish it all.
Back up to our room for a nice soak again in my lavender bubble bath. By this time we were a little on the drag as I was still in the bath when the hair dressers turned up. She was about 10/15 mins early and is mums regular hair dresser so she made a start on mums hair styling. By the time I got out of my bath and put my bride dressing gown on, it was my turn to have my hair done. I sat there with a peppermint tea trying to settle my stomach. It took some time to curl all my thick hair and what seemed like hundreds of hair pins!
Natasha and Kirsty my bridesmaids arrived while my hair was being finished. Natasha had already had her hair done but Kirsty was having hers done by our hairdresser and she had her make up done. Then they girl who was doing my make up arrived too. The room was beginning to fill up with people now as shortly after the photographers knocked on the door as well!
They started taking a few detail pics and some of the bridesmaids and of me while my hair was being done, then Kirsty stepped into the chair and had her hair done and I swapped to the make up. We all sat there talking but I was starting to get very warm by now and a little nervous.
Me and mum chucked everyone out of the room so I could get my dress on lol Those few mins just me and her while everyone was outside in the gardens was lovely. Peaceful, calming and just what I needed.
Mum got me in my dress being careful not to mess up my hair and tiara I struggled to put on my jewellery as my hands were shaking by now, sprayed my perfume and took several deep breaths. Mum went to go and fetch Trudy and Martin so we could have some pictures taken. As she opened the door one of the staff walked past with her mouth open! Haha
Piccies taken, I made my way down to my beautiful car where the bridesmaids and the driver where standing waiting for me. We all got into the car and the sun was shining, it was so wonderful. On our way to the venue with the top down on the car people walked past staring at the car and waving it felt so surreal but I couldn’t keep the grin off my face!
We pulled into the car park at the back of the venue as I looked up at the door of the wedding room I saw my brother standing there waiting to greet me as he was walking me up the aisle. We were still waiting for some guests to arrive so the videographer got some footage of me and the bridesmaids. The wedding coordinator Tanya came out to see me and told me Daniel had left his suitcase in the taxi that dropped them off at the venue!! They phoned the taxi firm and said they would bring it back when they picked the lads up at midnight. I panicked then because I saw Daniel put the rings in the case!!! Luckily he had already given them to the the best men! Phew.
The last two guests arrived rushing in after having got lost and we were asked to make our way through our private courtyard and up the stairs to the wedding room. I saw my little page boy and flower girl standing there waiting with their parents. They looked so smart. My brother stood there looking nervous but insisted he wasn’t. I heard the music start and the door opened for bridesmaids plus the page boy and flower girl to walk in and I saw two face my old friend from work and her mum.
My turn to walk in now. I tried to keep the pace slow but it kind of felt like a ran in! I was grinning from ear to ear and I could feel my eyes watering. At that moment I couldn’t have told you who was in that room with us. I saw everyone standing up but nothing else I just kept looking at Daniel. He looked so nervous and like he was trying to hold back his tears. When my brother had presented my hand into daniels and lifted my veil, nearly pulling it off my head in the process haha, I looked at Daniel and we both said I love you, I missed you. As my hand went into his I knew hw was nervous Because he had very sweaty palms. We always joke how he gets sweaty hands when he gets nervous. It felt like he’d just been swimming lol So me being the idiot I am said “god your hands are sweaty!!” haha
The ceremony was lovely. My mum was far too emotional to do her reading so the registrar read it for us and then Daniel’s sister read captain corelli’s mandolin.
We exchanged vows and rings and Daniel had to be prompted a few times coz he was so nervous he couldn’t remember what it was he was supposed to be saying.
All the time I was standing there I could feel my legs shaking! I thought to myself I hope no one can see how much my legs are shaking under this dress!
We signed the register and had the dummy one for some pictures and the registrar said just doodle a bit while they take pictures. I felt more relaxed then so I wrote “Than god that’s over!” lol
We walked back down the aisle as husband and wife to the carpenters, we’ve only just begun. I hadn’t told my mum what the song was as it always reminds me of her when we were young and I think dad had left by then and she used to play that song loud while she did her housework. As I heard it start I looked over at her and saw her give me a look, then she started crying. It’s making my eyes well up now just typing it
We went out to our private courtyard and people took a few snaps then we saw our car waiting for us, Daniel was really pleased as he didn’t think he was going to get a ride in it. But when I left the car to walk up to the wedding room, the driver said “I will be right here waiting for you when you’re finished.” I don’t know why but that seemed to comfort me a bit. He was such a nice man and when we got into the car he poured us a glass of champagne and there was a little box of chocolates there too. He then said “you have had your health so now have your wealth” and handed us the cork with a 20 pence in it. That was really touching and nearly made me cry again.
We went of on our little ride around the town with more people waving and then the car pulled in at the front of the building with everyone there waiting for us. All the people were watching this lovely car and everyone started chucking the confetti at us while still in the car. I said this poor man has to clean all this out now! I wanted them to wait really so we could have photo’s standing up with them throwing them but I guess what will be, will be on the day.
We had more pictures and video taken and mingled for a bit in the gorgeous sunshine, the wind from the beginning of the weeks nowhere to be seen. Then we went up for our meal. Everyone loved the food and all the personal touches id worked so hard on. My auntie and uncle said it was the loveliest most personalised wedding they had been to.
We had some speeches which went really well and when I did mine and mentioned my grandparents, none of whom are alive now I made my sister in laws, 6 foot 5 rugby playing boyfriend cry!
We cut the cake at the top of the muffins on our stand. Everyone loved them and said we should start our own business! Haha We all enjoyed our ice cream dream machine. Then we went off with our photographers to take some pictures along the waterfront and in the room of our hotel and on our balcony. Daniel then started getting a bit grumpy (he hates having his picture taken at the best of times) and he was worried about leaving the guests. So we headed back to Isaacs and waited for our first dance. I didn’t even hear the song I was just so happy and just kept hold of Daniel tightly!
Just after the buffet at 9pm we went back on to the courtyard to let off a few lanterns. The one Daniels dad had didn’t last long as the fuel cell dropped off onto the floor, ours wouldn’t even light, but everyone else’s seemed ok and they all started drifting off, one nearly came back down again. I had my first bridezilla moment now as I was really pee’d off that our one didn’t even light! I walked over to my mum I think and as I got closer to her I heard everyone shouting. I had walked over the fuel cell that was still alight a little and the very edge of my dress had caught on fire!!! They all stamped on it to put it out but it had melted a circle in the chiffon that laid over the top of my train. I couldn’t believe it! I was heart broken and cried again! Everyone said it didn’t matter and that it could be repaired as it was only on the edge. Its was filthy from being trodden on all day and my brother spilt a bit of beer on it earlier in the day where he nearly tripped over me! After id had my cry it didn’t seem to matter as much I just wanted to enjoy the rest of the night. Although it does still make me a little sad to think of it now.
I can honestly say it was the best day of my life. I had done all that work leading up to it and on the day I didn’t give a monkies! I was so relaxed and happy and it was Daniel doing all the stressing about timings and things. I just had a blast. I was worried about guests being bored but everyone seemed to say what a lovely day it was. I feel a bit sad that its all over now and the honeymoon has been and gone. But I still feel so lucky that we had such a wonderful day.
