Wedding Bells

Over the last six years I have attended roughly five weddings a year. That adds up to a whole lot of weddings! I love weddings and seeing all the little personal touches that the couple mark their day with, I think it gives a real insight in to them as a couple and it is so special to be invited to celebrate with them and be given this glimpse into their lives. Every single wedding I have been to has been different and wonderful in it's own unique way.

I'll start off with my own wedding. This August we celebrated five years of married life and every time we go to a wedding I always think back to our own day. You could call our wedding traditional in pretty much every sense. We had a traditional CofE church wedding, I arrived at the church from my parent's house in an open top vintage Rolls Royce. After the wedding we had a traditional wedding breakfast and evening reception in a beautiful marquee in my parent's garden. I think the touches that you could say were personal were really the colours, ivory and gold for the service, then adding deep red at the reception. With the help of my Dad and my younger brother we designed and made all our own wedding stationary. The cars were very special as my husband and his father are very in to cars and they chose them, with my supervision of course! We had a chocolate fountain and traditional sugared almond favours. We also had some very special songs played during the course of the night that meant a lot to us and our families. We had very personal readings and hymns at the service and the church has special significance for us. I believe that our day reflected us and our tastes, our values and it was a perfect day for us.

Here are a couple of my favourite photos from our day:

Also this August my older brother Steve and my sister-in-law Hannah celebrated their first wedding anniversary. If you a a returning reader of my blog you will have read the review Hannah wrote on the theatre production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe that they saw as their celebration. Their wedding was definitely very personal to them, there were so many touches that they gave it that really put their stamp on the day. They also had a traditional church service but with the very special extra that Hannah's father gave a sermon. They had a BBQ wedding breakfast at the reception at The Greenwich Yacht Club, followed by a live band, glow sticks and glow in the dark face paint. They laid on a red routemaster bus to transport everyone from the hotel to the church, and then on to the reception. The wedding car was a stretch red Ferrari and all the bunting and decoration for the reception venue was made by the bride's mother. As a couple they are very in to music and have been to a large number of gigs and festivals so all the tables were named after different festivals they've been to and the tickets formed the table signs. Also, the placemats were old vinyls which they had written people's names on and they had tried to match the person to the most appropriate artist or album. Neither of them have a sweet tooth so instead of a wedding cake they had a cake they built out of huge wheels of cheese that they then served as the evening buffet. Finally, they also designed and created all their own stationary.

Here are a couple of my favourite photos from their day:

In the course of all the weddings we have been to we have been lucky to have attended two abroad. Firstly. In August of 2012 we flew out to Malta for a week for the wedding of our friends Mark and Anastasia. It is a recurring theme that all the weddings I'm talking about have designed and created their own wedding stationary. Mark and Anastasia had the theme of Me to You Bear running through all their stationary. Anastasia lost her father a number of years prior to her wedding so she had a very special candle in an engraved glass holder burning in his memory during the ceremony and the reception. The bride's sister and I both read special readings at the ceremony and they also had an additional speech made by a close friend at the wedding breakfast. Something rather unusual happened at the end of the night that has not happened at any of the weddings I have been to either before or since. The groom was thrown in the swimming pool! This wedding was very special to me as I was honoured to not only be asked to do a reading but my husband and I were also witnesses and I was the maid-of-honour. If you read my previous post entitled Creative Writing you will have read a description of the National Wedding Fair. It was for my friend Anastasia that I attended this and my day there with her gave me the inspiration.

Here are a couple of my favourites from the day:

The second wedding abroad that we went to was in August 2011, the weekend before Steve and Hannah's wedding, we were at the wedding of Monika and James in Lodz, Poland. Monika is Polish and this is her hometown so it was really interesting to go there and see where she is from and it was obviously very special to her to get married at home. They had a Catholic wedding service and then a very polish reception with about twelve courses of food, plus a cold buffet, a hot BBQ and copious amounts of vodka. There was a bottle of vodka in the ice bucket on the table at the wedding breakfast instead of wine! There was even a song that if anyone started singing it then everyone had to join in and then down a shot of vodka at the end after the shout of "Na zdrowie!" The best translation to this I can find is "For health" and I apologise profusely to Monika if I have got that all completely wrong. One of what I would consider the most personal touches of the wedding was the readings at the service. I was honoured to be asked to deliver one of the readings in English and I followed Monika's aunt who had read the same passage in Polish. This also happened with the second reading which was sung in Polish and read in English.

You get the idea now of what comes next:

The most recent wedding we have been to was of one of my closest friends at work, Laura and Paul. They had civil ceremony in a beautiful hotel followed by a reception in one of the very grand rooms. One of the most special things about the ceremony was the fact that Laura's friend read a poem that her Mum had written for them. It was a beautiful piece of writing and extremely personal to the happy couple. I have not come across this before, where the reading has been written by a family member. Again, all the stationary was designed and created by the couple and the theme of butterflies and the colour blue that ran through everything was personal to Laura and Paul. All the tables were named after places they have been to and the table signs were photos of them together in those places. The wedding favours were wine glass charms that we were encouraged to make use of during the meal. We were at the Paris table and our wine glass charms were little Eiffel Towers. These are so cute and have been used on several occasions since then at home.

Here you go:

Still to go this year we have two weddings in December and we have already got three lined up for 2013. I am sure every single one of them will be special and unique and a wonderful day.

(All photos reproduced with very kind permission of the brides in question. Thank you very much Hannah, Anastasia, Monika and Laura.)

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The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Guest blog.

Last year I was very lucky to gain an official sister-in-law when my older brother married the very lovely Hannah. This year to celebrate their wedding anniversary they went to the theatre and so I asked Hannah if she's write a guest blog for me. Here it is...

Steve and I have been married for one year now, wahoo! Our anniversary was on Monday 13th August, and considering we were going on holiday soon after, we weren't sure what to do on the actual day. Needless to say we wound up booking tickets to see 'The lion, the witch and the wardrobe' by the Threesixty theatre company at Kensington Gardens!

We arrived at the matinee performance (during the school holidays) and immediately felt that we must have missed the small print specifying that all adults must be accompanied by a child. There were children everywhere. However, the cafe attached to the theatre with its tea, cake and popcorn soon caught our attention.

Inside the circular marquee, we sat around a central bare stage, which gave nothing away about what we could expect from the show, but very quickly the seats became full and a huge wardrobe arose from underneath the middle of the stage.

The scenery was very sparse, but projections on the marquee roof, and cast serving as impressive tree people were a refreshing way to set the scene. The four actors playing Lucy, Edward, Peter and Susan were suitably well spoken, bright eyed and bushy tailed, while the witch at times took on the typical pantomime villain. Sadly, although Mr Tumnus was given a couple of solos, these added nothing to the story and did not enhance his character in any way.

As for the story, it remained largely the same, and it’s questionable whether this predictability or the heat within the marquee, led to us both nodding off a couple of times! The action in the second half picked up though, especially within the scene where the dark side kill Aslan. Had we brought little ones with us I’m sure they would have been hiding behind our backs at this point, but I probably wouldn’t have helped considering I jumped out of my skin once or twice.

However, the highlight of the show was undoubtedly the portrayal of Aslan. Three actors manipulated a larger than life puppet lion with such fantastic precision making Aslan seem very real.

Overall it was a good production, with a 360 marquee making a great theatre setting. So if you get the chance to go to a Threesixty theatre company production I would definitely recommend it (maybe take a token child or two though)...

 

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Creative Writing

As an English teacher I obviously love reading and writing and teaching my students creative writing got me thinking that I miss actually writing original stuff instead of always marking the work of others. With this in mind; a while ago I signed up for a creative writing course that I've been doing in my spare time. Admittedly the moments I get to write are few and far between so I am not very far on with the course. I would love one day to become a published author and I have written a short story that I am going to see if my local area magazine will publish. I'm the meantime, I thought I might post a few of the short introductory pieces that I've completed so far. These are just exercises to see whether I have any ability whatsoever and I would appreciate any sort of comments or criticisms.

This first piece was to answer the task of describing a place I'd been to. I chose the national wedding fair that I went to with one of my friends when she was planning her wedding. I had a brilliant day with her and wanted to try and capture the time spent there. My tutor made me laugh as he commented on the piece that he'd be interested to read a description of that place and event from a male perspective, he imagined that it would be very different! Anyway, here it is:

The National Wedding Show

With an agonising slowness, the queue of visitors snakes its way through the barriers carefully marking the route. The pairs and groups of people all huddle into their coats and scarves, craving any respite from the biting wind that seeks out all exposed fingers, ears and noses. The vast majority of the people waiting in anticipation of reaching the doors are females, women with their friends or their mums. Here and there is a reluctant groom dragged along by his bride, with perhaps an even more reluctant best man in tow.

Finally reaching the doors; handing my ticket to a fluorescent yellow clad marshal who gives it a cursory glance before waving me through. An unexpected blast of hot air breathes life into my numb extremities. Blinking, I am confronted by a wall of uniform white booths laid out in rows reaching off into the distance. There is a group of people ahead who have stopped for a moment to try and absorb the overwhelming sight. Every person who walks through the doors subconsciously does the same thing. Looking across to the side there is a steward who smiles to herself at the sight of the hordes of individuals all stopping and doing the same thing, becoming like a colony of ants leaving the nest.

Starting our walk round the place it immediately becomes difficult to navigate. The rows of booths reach upwards and the thousands of people all pressing in on us make it very claustrophobic and extremely hard to see beyond a metre around us. There is no horizon to focus on or signposts to help. The sounds of happy chatter and excited squeals make communicating very difficult. Everyone seems intent on seeing everything and become so blinkered that they are unaware of anyone else around them, making movement through the packs of people a slow and precise task. The air is electric with a tangible sense of happiness and excitement, every face is smiling and no one seems in any hurry. All the people serving in the booths are on their best sales form, quick to pull you in, slow to let you go.

Turning up a new aisle we are greeted with swathes of ivory, crimson and purple. This is the dress aisle. The women here have changed; there is a tinge of animal rivalry in the air. The desire to find the perfect dress becomes all consuming and blinding. There seems to be elbows and backs and bags everywhere. We negotiate our way through and find ourselves at the back wall. Here there is loud music blaring out from the catwalk show area. Women are taking their seats and talking excitedly about what they might see in the next half hour. As the music dies down and the presenter takes the stage we move away, eager to find a drink and a spot where we might be able to sit down and rest. The heat is beginning to get unbearable.

As we sit down clutching our cold bottles of water I look at my watch. This is truly a place where time loses all meaning and where people are sucked in and spat out again hours later disorientated and suffering from lack of daylight.

My next exercise was to describe three different individuals or groups walking in to a restaurant in a hotel. There are specific word limits for each task so it is interesting having to work to these limits. Here it is:

The Hotel Dining Room

Having shoved the door open with one hand so hard that it banged against the wall, the overweight, bearded man stepped inside the dining room. He clutched his mobile phone to his ear and continued his loud conversation as he strode over to the Maitre de’s desk. As he adjusted his tie and pulled up his trousers he gave the other diners a cursory and dismissive glance. When the Maitre de did not materialise quickly enough the man spotted a waiter across the room, raised his free hand and clicked his fingers loudly, gesturing for the waiter to attend on him immediately. Still discussing his latest business venture at a high rate of decibels the man audibly sighed and shook his head when the waiter did not disregard his other customers with acceptable rapidity and arrive to wait on his every whim. Having given a final tug on his belt the man strode over to a prime table in the window, picked up the reserved sign and casually threw it onto a neighbouring table.

2) With his hand on the door handle; the man took a steadying breath before he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Subconsciously he buttoned up his jacket, his hands stayed on the buttons momentarily before he realised what he has done. Quickly he unbuttoned it again, adjusted the lapels and straightened the ubiquitous red carnation in the buttonhole. He surveyed the dining room quickly, looking for the telltale sign of a matching red carnation. When it was not immediately visible his attention turned straight back to the door and he took a step back in that direction. Having glanced at his watch he calculated the time he had to survive before he could make his getaway. Before he was able to make good on his escape the Maitre de appeared by his elbow. “If you’d like to come this way, your guest is already seated at the table in the corner.” Blushing, the man realised his mistake and regretted his less than thorough glance of the dining room. He lowered his eyes and obediently followed the black jacketed figure.

3) The door swung open and over the threshold stepped a couple in their twenties. Clinging to each other they stumbled slightly on the mat inside and fell closer together, laughing loudly and with utter abandon. The gentleman leaned down and started to kiss the neck of his companion. She, in response, threw back her head, closed her eyes and allowed a slow smile to spread across her lips. Whilst keeping his eyes averted, the Maitre de coughed politely to try and get their attention. Bringing his head up but without breaking eye contact with his beloved, the man tersely stated “Table for two. Room 201.”

“Certainly Sir, follow me please.”

Weaving through the maze of tables the couple never once dropped their physical contact. Even when it meant that they bumped into other diners, resulting in a simmering feeling of animosity spreading in their wake.

Finally, I had to describe Angela's first day in a new job. A purely fictional character and work environment. Here it is:

Angela

 

Nine am. As the second hand ticked passed the twelve; with an audible click, the glass door of the office complex opened and inside stepped a new employee. At nineteen years old, Angela was one of the youngest employees of the insurance brokers. She looked around her; took a deep breath; visibly stood up straighter, and then approached the Reception desk.

“Hi. Erm, I am starting work here today. I was told to ask for a, erm, Natalie Pearce.” Angela spoke quickly, fumbling with the paperwork in her hands to try and find the right name.

“Please take a seat and I will call her for you.” replied the Receptionist smiling brightly at the petite brunette standing in front of her dressed in an obviously brand new plum coloured skirt suit and understated jewellery.

Angela clutched her paperwork and handbag close to her chest and perched on the edge of one of the chairs in the waiting area. Constantly casting glances around her, she leapt to her feet and extended her right hand when a woman approached her who she recognised as the lady who interviewed her for the job. This sudden movement resulted in a cascade of paperwork being poured onto the marble floor along with a few odd items from her handbag. Blushing profusely, Angela scrambled on the floor desperately trying to recapture all her stray possessions. Standing back up she caught the eye of her employer, spotting an unmistakeable twinkle there from the smile spreading across Natalie’s lips. Instantly Angela’s shoulders lowered several inches and an answering smile appeared on her face.

“Come with me and I’ll introduce you to your colleagues and show you your desk.” laughed Natalie, as she turned on her heel and strode off across the echoing foyer, the sound of stiletto heels reverberating around the walls and high ceiling.

After casting a glance across at the Receptionist and smiling, Angela set off after her boss, running a good few paces in order to catch up, whilst frantically stuffing everything back in her cavernous handbag any way possible.

Ping. Imperceptibly Angela jumped as the lift reached the fifth floor of the high rise office building and the doors opened with a loud whooshing sound. Having stepped out of the lift, the sound of phones ringing, filing cabinet drawers clanging and the low murmur of people starting their day engulfed Angela. Couple this with the unmistakeable whiff of coffee from the ancient machine in the corner and it set further butterflies off in her stomach. Having employed the age old tactic of taking a couple of deep breaths, Angela advanced into the room half a step behind the woman destined to become her mentor and friend. Angela smiled at everyone that glanced her way as she made an effort to meet all the curious stares with a friendly, open expression that attempted to conceal the nerves and racing heartbeat beneath.

Having stopped abruptly, Natalie pointed at the desk in front of them and said “Welcome to your personal corner of hell! Why don’t you pop your things down and grab a coffee? Then your neighbour here, Sammy, will show you the ropes. I’ll be in my office over there if you need me at any time. I’ll check in with you later to see how you’re doing.”

“Hi there, I’m Angela. You must be Sammy.” Angela put her bag down on the desk and reached over the shake the hand of the woman who is sat at the next desk over. Sammy put down her steaming mug of a murky brown substance that might be loosely described as coffee and reached over and took Angela’s proffered hand.

“That’s me, the one and only Sammy. My first bit of advice is, skip the coffee if you value your life. I’m immune to the poison now but save yourself while you still can. Now, to get you settled in.”

Angela spent the rest of the morning in a haze of new faces and names, a maze of corridors and offices and a whirl of clients and insurance policies. Angela’s childhood habit of twiddling with her hair as she spoke on the phone, a habit she had been determined to suppress, quickly became evident to Sammy and started off a light teasing that was to haunt Angela for her entire time at the firm.

One pm. Angela’s stomach gave a loud growl and clamoured to be fed. At that moment Sammy glanced up and laughed. “How about we grab some lunch at the cafe down the road? You deserve a break after this morning. I’m really impressed with how quickly you seem to have got the hang of things around here. You seem to have also made a lasting impression on young Adam over there! Not bad for a morning’s work.”

Giggling and blushing, Angela snatched up her handbag and headed for the door, Sammy two steps behind.

 

Let me know what you think!

 

 

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