The Best Day of our Lives

So it finally happened! I am married! Arggghhh!!

Gosh, all the planning, all the worrying, all the stressing, and for what?..... only for the best day I ever could have imagined.

I woke up in my sister's bed having spent the night at her house. Little Jack had been brought into her bed early in the morning to have his last few hours sleep. So when he woke up he was very shocked and excited to see me there too, and I spent the first hour of my wedding day playing tents under the duvet with a one year old!
Looked outside and for the first time all summer practically, I saw blue skies. That was the most exciting part. And I really hadn't been fussed about the weather before that. I think all British summer brides have resigned themselves to having a wet wedding day from now on.

Well, we got up and got Jack dressed and then we kind of didnt know what to do. Couldnt really put our make up on as it would have melted in the hot car. Couldnt get dressed properly. Just had to get a bath and then wait for people to arrive.

My mum, my gran and my other bridesmaid Jen all arrived at the same time as the hairdresser, and even then I didnt feel nervous or like I was getting married that day. We opened some bucks fizz and had our hair done and then everyone else went out and tied ribbons to the car, and that was it. We piled into the cars and set off down the motorway blasting out 'It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding' wearing our veils and tiaras and getting looks from all passing cars.

Well, what a site when we arrived. The place was in absolute bloom. I was overwhelmed.
There is a long, straight, tree-lined drive leading up to the hall, and at the end of it, the hall stood out as a gorgeous, red monument. For a few days each autumn it turns the most wonderful red with the ivy, and it had chosen my wedding weekend. It was stunning.

We got shown upstairs to the master suite which was like no room I have ever seen before with a gorgeous four-poster bed, draped with ivory lace. It was stunning.

Time for champagne.

We faffed about for a bit and then with an hour to go, with the Barber shop choir practicing below my bedroom window, we all set about getting ready, thinking of all the guests that would be arriving and of the surprise ferrari that was about to drop Al off. I received a text that he was amazed at the car turning up and it had been his dream come true (and there was me thinking I was!)

And next thing I knew, my dad turned up with the video man and the master of ceremonies and it was time to go.

We had all said that we were not going to cry at all so we brushed off my dad's arrival with a simple 'hey, how are you? get here ok?' and then he said I looked nice, and that was it.

I don't think any of us were nervous at all. I later heard that my husband Al was dying with nerves standing in front of everyone waiting for me to arrive. It was a bit of a talking point later. So I felt a bit guilty that I really didnt feel anything but happiness, and as we waited outside the grand door, we even afforded a laugh and a giggle and time to run away from a wasp that was trying to attack my bouquet.

We had no idea that everyone on the other side of the door could hear us having the time of our lives whilst Al sweated inside!

The ceremony was lovely. All the guests sat facing inwards and we stood in the middle with the registrar. My sister did a reading from Midsummer Night's Dream, and Al and I both did a reading each, instead of doing cheesey private vows. Al looked shocked and nervous and I kept squeezing his hand to reassure him and every now and then spotting someone in the audience that I hadn't seen for ages, and mouthing 'hey!'

When we got outside, the realism hit, and we suddenly thought 'oh my gosh, we're married! Is that it?' Because it seemed so easy. We felt like we needed someone big like a judge to declare we were married or something. All the years that go into wondering if a person is 'The One', all the time spent worrying about the proposal, all the time spent planning the big day, and really it only takes 5 minutes to say 'I do' and sign the certificate!

Anyway, then all our guests started spilling out into the gardens and all of them wanted to say hi and congratulations and I was just overwhelmed and didnt know who I'd spoken to and who I still had to go and say hi and thanks to.

But then the photographer came and whisked us off to do some photos whilst the choir sang, so Al and I finally got to look down over everyone and realise what an absolutely amazing day it was. We had not expected to feel just so so 100% happy. It was an amazing feeling.

And everyone had told us before that the day would be over so quick so I kept expecting it to vanish, but it didn't. It lasted years!

After all the photos we went up for dinner. The room looked fab. We'd asked for just bunches of wild English flowers infused with a different herb for each table, according to the name I'd given to the table. Seeing everyone in the room was just amazing, and all our friends from different social groups were all sat together and the room was filled with chatter and laughing, and you couldn't help but feel really proud of all your friends and family for being there and being so sociable.

The staff were super and really looked after everyone and accomodated all their different diets and drink requirements. It was just wonderful.

And then, doing the speeches was just brilliant. Everyone in the room was ready to embrace what we had to say and to laugh at our jokes and there was such a great vibe in the room.

My dad did his first, commenting on past boyfriends, saying how much he liked Al, how he had passed the boyfriend test etc. He commented on my passing my driving theory test, which honestly is not the most noteable achievement but perhaps the most recent! And just, without lots of emotion, said how proud he was of me which was wonderful.

Then Al did his speech which also bigged me up (thanks Al) and then thanked everyone for coming etc. And then I did mine which I loved doing, and then the Best Men finished it all off.

I think Al was really nervous about the first dance in the week leading up to the day, but we were so relaxed and happy on the wedding day, and knew that everyone was having such a great time, that in the end we both really looked forward to the first dance. Yes, we giggled and smirked whilst doing most of it, but we both enjoyed it and got a little clap at the end, and then got the Best Men and bridesmaids back by getting them up for the second dance!

The evening was great and we really let our hair down, jumping all over the dance floor, having a dance-off, limbo dancing, time warp - all the things a good wedding is made of!

And then the dancing was interupted when the DJ introduced my sister and brothers who came onto the dance floor with a stool, a guitar and a microphone and performed a country-style ditty they'd writted for us, sung in a Southern twang.

The dance floor was in hoots!

And then the show was finally stolen by Jack who came down having changed from his gorgeous ivory suit and cravate, into his batman suit with hood and cape.

Absolutely perfect day, and our parents were good-as-gold. If any of them were feeling uncomfortable at all during the whole day, they hid it so well, even to the point that they all shared the same table at breakfast the next morning!

We feel we are ambassadors of the peace and happiness of the Seddon / Peterson family!!