Oh dear... it seems my monthly blogging plan fell well and truly out the window because of a somewhat important date in my diary. A huge part of my blog was going to be about my upcoming wedding and now, in January 2013, it has been and gone and we’re almost at our four month anniversary. And before you ask, no, we do not celebrate monthly – good luck to those who do but I’m lucky to get flowers on the yearly one.
And so as I catch up on months and months of late blog posts, I have decided to dedicate the next few to one theme per post. This month (which should have been September 2012) is LOVE. Awwww!
In the lead up to our big day, I was determined not to be a bridezilla or be one of those brides who loses it just because one small thing that no one else would probably even notice, went wrong. I thought I did pretty good on the bridezilla front and even heard my groom-to-be claim, “Yeah, she’s been really good actually” to friends when he thought I was out of earshot. This even stayed true when, at the wedding rehearsal, I gave the groomsmen strict instructions to please get rid of all gaudy fake flowers and extra large floppy bows on the day. The lovely elderly gentleman who owned the chapel where we were getting married seemed very surprised that I was requesting they all be removed and he insisted on leaving them up until the wedding day, in case I changed my mind. I didn't.
And so the actual day had arrived. Previously cool as a cucumber, on the day I turned nervous, quiet and most shocking of all, uninterested in champagne. What?! With five bridesmaids and my Mum to get through with hair and makeup, we started the day early yet before I knew it, our photographer (the incredibly sweet and talented Sheila Higgins) showed up and it was time to get dressed. From the previous dress dramas I’d had, putting on my dress made me even more nervous than I already felt. Not to mention my panic in remembering the copious amounts of Aussie foods I’d been scoffing since we got back into the country. England does NOT know how to make a good pie. Or a sausage roll. Or Super Rooster chicken burger. But it fit! And it was almost a bit loose – woo hoo! Take that rude dress-maker-lady. I might’ve even fitted into the version of my dress that was extra, extra small. But probably not.
I loved having photos with my parents and surround by my girls. I know many of you will say that five bridesmaids is way over the top but when you have two big sisters who mean the world to you, two best friends who you couldn't imagine life without and a gorgeous new sister-in-law, you can understand why I wanted and needed each one of them by my side.
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My girls xx
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I think I felt most nervous when I was in the car with my Dad on the way to the chapel. My Uncle was our driver (in vintage V8 Ford Valiant – awesome!) and he and my Dad were chatting away to me while I gave one word answers and wouldn't let go of Dad’s hand the whole way. As I walked down the aisle with my Dad, funnily enough, I didn't notice any of the decorations I’d so carefully chosen or, that all the bows and fake flower arrangements had been carefully locked away (thanks groomsmen!)
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| Vintage wedding car Photo by Stephen Robertson |
The ceremony was short and sweet. We were married by my sister’s best friend’s husband, Adam Ladhams, which made it even more special. We wrote our own vows which nearly tipped me over the edge nerves-wise and my now father-in-law said he could see my knees shaking underneath my dress! Can’t wait to see that one on the wedding video! B’s vows were amazing! He’s not one for mushy words but his vows made me so happy and best of all, laugh out loud when he quoted Anchorman – brilliant!
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Funny vows - what could be better?!
www.sheilahigginsphotography.com.au
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And then it was over. We left the chapel and as we reached the end of the aisle, I said to him, “Thank goodness that’s over.” With his reply being, “I reckon!” It’s not that we didn't enjoy it, we loved every minute but repeating vows and having all those eyes on you that whole time was scary! I even forgot my name at one point! Bit of an issue when the marriage isn't legal unless you say your full name! Don't worry, we are actually married, I just needed some prompting of what my name was before we continued.
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The relief is obvious!
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Saying hi to all our friends and family who came to celebrate our wedding was one of my favourite parts of the entire day. It was incredible to see who had come and made all that effort to be with us to see us get married. As clichéd as it sounds, it’s those moments that made our day what it was. Ok, I’ll try to leave the soppy stuff alone now.
After the group photo, we rushed off to Queen’s Park to get in some photos before the sun went down. I loved everything about the photos. It was so much fun. We had bubbly and beers, snacks for the bridal party and it was relaxed, casual and fun. Sheila was absolutely wonderful. I knew before I’d even seen the photos that I would love them. I just can’t believe she got so many good ones, especially the candid pics, they’re my favourite.
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| Sums up our day perfectly - full of fun and laughter
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Another thing that made our day so special was that we were able to replicate the same poses in the same location that my parents had their wedding photos. They had a bridal party of six so the photos in front of the canon, you could actually see the canon. Our bridal party of twelve on the other hand made it rather difficult to see the canon but I absolutely love that we did it. The best bit? Our photos were taken almost exactly 40 years later - it was my parents ruby wedding anniversary the very next day.
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The canon photo
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Once the sun had gone down, we went back to Preston Manor to start the party. However, the best man, maid of honour, my new husband and I took a little pit stop en route to take a photo outside the alcohol store, Dan Murphy’s. Because as some of you may know, this is my new married name and we couldn't pass up such a golden opportunity! No one seemed to bat an eyelid at a bride standing in a liquor store carpark in a bridal gown... perhaps it’s the norm in Toowoomba?
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| It had to be done... Photo taken on the best man's iphone by the maid of honour |
This post is going on a bit now so I’ll try to make the reception bit quick. It was the best party I've even been to. Our MC (who is also my brother in law) was absolutely brilliant. Our DJ (who is my other brother in law) was awesome. The speeches were wonderful, we were surrounded by all our favourite people - I could not have asked for anything better. The food was delicious (although I didn't really eat much, I was just too excited to eat and for those of you who know me, you know this is a VERY rare occasion!) the cake was amazing (hand made by my incredible sister) the lolly bar was a hit... oh I could go on and on! Instead of going into all the tiny details that made our wedding awesome (in my opinion!)if you’re interested, check out Polka Dot Bride, a wedding blog that our wedding was featured on. If it’s detail you want, this is where you’ll find it because if I'm honest, I can't be bothered to go into that level of detail again! Plus it would make my blog go on forever.
When the sad time of midnight rolled around, it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, expecting to leave immediately but good old reliable Garden City Toowoomba Cabs had other ideas. Despite calling and booking in advance, telling them it was a wedding and that it was important they showed up, they didn't We had friends on the phone immediately to get one out as soon as possible and when one finally arrived and we gave him the address of our accommodation, he said, “Where’s that?” I mean come on, T’bar isn't even that big!! He really was a delight... but thankfully, we did end up getting there in the end. But only after both bride and groom yelled at him – perhaps I did have a bridezilla moment after all, “This is my WEDDING night. I just want to get HOME! We just GAVE you the address. Just put it in your GPS!! Can we PLEASE just GO NOW?”
And so that’s the story of our wedding day. A very long winded story. I could have written pages more but a) it would have put everyone off reading the whole post and b) I would probably never have gotten around to posting it on my blog, seeing as it’s already four months late! And now for the rest of the photos. All photos by Sheila Higgins unless otherwise stated.
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| Photo by Stephen Robertson |
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| Love |
Next up... travel... the honeymoon!
