We went to a wedding recently. An English friend of mine from Sydney, Lucy, made the return to Blighty last year in November, and brought a gorgeous man with her, Andy. They are a lovely couple and although I have only known Andy for a short time I can absolutely say without reservation, he is warm, funny and a complete gentleman, and perfect for Lucy in every way.
I know all weddings are beautiful but I must say this seemed to be a particularly spectacular day. The atmosphere was quite intimate, there were about 50 people or so, and we certainly felt honoured to be a part of it all. The afternoon began with a church ceremony in Balham, south London. It had all the elements of what I imagined a classic English ceremony would have, without being dull or pompous. The first person we saw was a very dashing, but also nervous, Andy. We moved into the church and were greeted gravely by two young ushers. We picked our pew and looked around excitedly. The church was a hush except for the organist who managed to get through his repertoire fairly well, give or take a few charming notes! The guests trickled in until finally everybody was present. The organ blared forth a rather majestic chord and everyone was sure this was the moment. But no! It was a fake out! There were a few nervous chuckles as everybody waited for the bride to enter. Then came the time, and Lucy walked down the aisle on the arm of her brother, flanked by two small bridesmaids and her maid of honour. She was stunning in an ivory Vera Wang gown with a black jewelled waist sash. The maid of honour wore black and the bridesmaids, ivory. Lucy’s brother was in tails, and the whole procession was gorgeous.
The ceremony passed without a hitch (which seems ironic), except for Sam shhhhush-ing me in the hymns. Hey – I like to sing, OK? And I knew these hymns, so I felt it only right to join in with enthusiasm. Then, they were married… and after greeting everybody outside the church, it was time for the happy couple to head off for some photos. Meanwhile, the guests’ transportation arrived, in the form of an old 1959 red double-decker bus… brilliant!
Our bus received many a stare and a wave as we trundled through south London and headed to Hampton Court Palace, where the reception was being held. By this stage, the weather had decided to play nice, and it had turned into a balmy, sunny afternoon. After champagne and hors d’oeuvres in the garden, we lined up to greet the bride and groom again as we moved into the reception room. All guests were actually announced! It was just the right mix of formal and fun. The room was gorgeous, with painted scenes from wall to ceiling and large bouquets of roses on each of the 5 round tables. The windows were open and the sun was setting across the river… perfect. After a wonderful meal and some heartfelt speeches, it was time to proceed to the marquee outside, complete with a band and mood lighting. The bride and groom took to the black and white check dance floor for the first dance, and then everybody piled in to finish off a great day with some choice dance moves!
When it was time to say goodbye, the guests joined hands and made an archway for the newlyweds to run through. As they drove off into the night, all and sundry remarked on what a beautiful day it had been. Congratulations Lucy and Andy!
