Okay so the ceremony! We had chosen the words really specifically, and we had bits in about how marriage is a choice and a journey, not a completed thing that is done and dusted on the day you get married. My colleague Lisa was the celebrant, and she did an excellent job and I'm really glad we asked her. We had four poems - one read by our friend Leanne that she and her husband had had at their wedding, one read by my friend Katie who was a bridesmaid at our wedding, one read by my cousin Rob who we both love, and one read by Lee's brother Andrew who we also adore. I loved the readings, they were so perfect.
Oh and then I'd found a poem called Atlas by a woman called U A Fanthorpe, and it was perfect for me and Lee because he does maintain me, he does do all those useful things that I can't do, and I'm so grateful for it. I added this poem in as a surprise for him and he loved it. I read it to him and managed to keep it together but I was very tearful!
After the ceremony most people came outside and we took photos. This was partly because the bar staff needed to put the tables back out in the room. Bettie and Jen put the table decorations out - I asked loads of people to help with some small job and it meant I really didn't worry about anything all day which was lovely.
My uncle Neil was in charge of the food. He had made beef chilli and Lee and I had made vegan Thai green curry, and we had tons of jacket potatoes, butter, cheese, and coleslaw to go with the chilli and curry. It was really yummy - Neil and Rob and Peter and Beth really did excellent work and I'm grateful to them.
Then I had asked several people to bring desserts or cake and WOW. I really recommend doing this for a party because it was AMAZING. Lee's dad brought trifle, my friend Ellen made a Victoria sponge, my mum brought two cakes from somewhere she works, Gillian made vegan raspberry brownies, Lee's mam brought cupcakes, and then my cousin's wife Beth had made an amazing cake shaped like an ice cream! The three balls were coffee flavoured, mint flavoured, and strawberry, and the cone was vanilla flavoured. It was SUCH a lovely cake and I was really touched by the gift.
We also had an amazing rainbow cake that my friend Laura's sister Rebecca made. I had seen one online and asked her to replicate it and she did. I couldn't have asked for better, it was perfect. The cakes inside were really moist and the icing was yummy. I wanted most of this cake for Lee and I to take on holiday, but Lee's brothers wanted a piece and our friend Adi and I wasn't about to say no! We ended up with loads of cake left over and we gave most of it away to people who were still around on the Sunday. My mum took loads because she was going away with my stepdad and grandma at the same time we were away. So much cake but I've heard so many compliments about it which was lovely.
Then after food it was time for dancing! People of course had to leave, and Lee's family ended up leaving quite early because Lee's mam had hurt her foot and thought it might be broken - it wasn't, but it was badly sprained. There ended up being about fifteen of us left dancing, and then eventually just about six of us - which included my BFFs Sam and Jac, Lucinda, Lee, Steph - and I had a moment of "I have to remember this forever because it is so amazing and I feel so loved". I was just overwhelmed with love! The party broke up about midnight and I was very glad to get into bed!
Thank you to everyone who came, and especially to anyone who had anything to do with making it a perfect day. Your hard work is so appreciated. Thank you of COURSE to Lee. I'm so glad we did this.
On to the photos! Let me see if I can get them in chronological order.
Rob reading a poem, which was lovely
Lee's brother Andrew reading a piece about marriage by Neil Gaiman which I really liked
Lee and me lighting the candle as part of the ceremony
My aunt and uncle Caroline and Neil - Neil was in charge of the food
I think I was twirling in this photo to show off how flouncy my dress was
Lee taking a photo of us
This is the photo he took - I don't look like myself, I think it's the filter on his phone - but I love it
These are all photos my bridesmaids too, I love them (the photos, but them too!) so much
Lee and I spray painted their shoes in the front garden a few weeks ago, using fabric paint I bought on Amazon. The shoes were about £4 a pair, so nothing special, but everyone said they were comfortable and I love the rainbow effect on them. A couple of my friends have worn them since which is lovely!
Von took this one
Not the most glamorous backdrop for photos but I love them
I think Chloe was taking a picture of us showing off our flowers which she made
Sarah and her yellow floof. I took this
Von in gorgeous green, her hair piece was lovely too
Lucinda in flouncy purple - she wanted a shirt and bow tie and we loved the look
Sam in orange which is gorgeous against her skin and looked amazing with bright orange lipstick
Jac in red with a rainbow clip in hair piece to go with the theme
Laura in blue. Laura hadn't met some of my other bridesmaids or seen the others for ages so it was nice for them all to make friends
Oh yeah and I bought seven pairs of cheap sunglasses from eBay for that Reservoir Dogs look, here I am in mine
A better view of Lee's t-shirt, isn't it cute?
The amazing cake Beth made!
The rainbow cake! The topper was on our wedding cake nearly fourteen years ago, and my mum borrowed it too when she married my stepdad nine years ago. I love it
Inside the rainbow cake. Lee and I shared this piece and it was the only dessert I had on the evening, I was too busy to get more!
Outside a bit later, I was showing off the fact that I had pockets. It wasn't a very warm day but I'm really glad it didn't rain
Lee and I had made this Instagram profile frame out of cardboard. You can buy them but it was money I just didn't want to spend. I think our handmade version was just as good!
We also had Star Wars props since it was May the Fourth. Lucinda looks amazing in this photo, I love it
Von
Von and Ellen
Sarah and Tom
Sam, I love the flowers here
Lucinda again
They also found the playground outside and had a lot of fun with it
Lucinda and I later in the evening
Lee with Paul and David, he's been friends with David since they were kids, and with Paul since they were like seventeen, so I was really glad these two could come. And that they danced ridiculously with us
Some of these are blurry because we were dancing, but I love them
Rob was doing proper ceilidh dancing at one point!
Lucinda twirling
Paul getting into it
Lee doesn't often dance
Paul and my mum dancing to the Pogues I think
Lucinda loving her life by the look of it!
Sam and Lianne dancing
This was Jac singing to Guilty Pleasure by Cobra Starship, I love this photo
And finally here's me back at home at the end of the night. My hair and eyeliner still looked perfect, but I was looking drunk and tired!
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