The Wedding of The Year

Just over a week ago, my little brother (who could sort of be my big brother given how much taller than me he is!) got married to his lovely girlfriend Heather. It’s taken me over a week to sit down and manage to write about it. So here we go…

I always knew that it was going to be a long day. It’s just the way wedding days go I guess. I had to be at the hairdressers for 8:45, in fact I’d been awake for ages by that point between being too excited anyway and when Jaxon woke up. Jaxon had just fed so the idea was that he could stay at home while I went to have my hair done.

My Mum and my cousin were at the hairdressers the same time that I was there, I got there and my cousin had her hair in rollers and Mum was having the finishing touches put to her hair. I was actually a little early so while Gina finished up on Vicky’s hair I sat and painted my nails. I haven’t had my nails painting since before I found out I was pregnant so it was a nice treat lol. I had my hair put in rollers too, once my hair was curled Gina put my hair in a half up half down so that it was out of my face but was nice and tidy (unlike the very messy bun I am currently sporting!)

While I as at the hairdressers, Our Sidekick had been collected for contact, because of the time of the wedding we had to get it moved so that Our Sidekick could still get to the church to do his ushering bits. We all left the hairdressers at the same time, when I got in the car my phone started ringing and it was Chris asking me when I’d be home, well at least I think that’s what he asked me because Jaxon was getting really worked up and I couldn’t really hear him. For such a little dot, Jaxon can’t half scream loud when it’s needed. I think this was the start of what was going to be a very confusing day for him.

I drove home as quick as I could without breaking the car on the speed bumps or breaking the speed limit. I got through the door, found somewhere to sit and fed Jaxon. Then as if that wasn’t enough stress and confusion, I got changed into outfit number 1 and left for Woodside Church for the legal bit of the wedding proceedings. For one reason or another the legal bit was done at one church and then the actual service was done at the bride’s home church. The Bride was in a gorgeous green dress. Apparently it’s my brother’s favourite so when they discussed about outfits and things like that they decided that she’d wear the green dress to the legal bit and her white wedding dress to the church and reception. My uncle had done the registrar bit at mine and Chris’s wedding seven years ago so when Richard asked if he could do the official bit for him and Heather I think he was very proud to have been asked and commented how it was a “full set” now. In honor of the day and the fact that my brother is a huge fan, he was wearing his Doctor Who themed cufflinks.

Following that bit and some photographs it was time to head home again for the next outfit change amongst other bits.

As soon as I got in, Chris jumped in the bath and did what he needed to do to be ready. I fed Jaxon again and then got changed. I nearly had a meltdown when he burped and spat up some milk onto the dress I was wearing. I did have a moment and try to decided whether or not I could get away with still wearing the dress – as it happened I got the worst of it off and by the time we left for the church you couldn’t tell.

We got Jaxon into his car seat so that we were all ready to go when Our Sidekick got through the door. He was a superstar and got changed and was in the car in almost five minutes. We all went to Cardington for Wedding Part Two. Chris decided that he was going to put Jaxon in the wrap for the service and it was a genius idea, Jaxon was quiet and well behaved through the service, even when Chris went up to do the reading and took Jaxon with him. I think there was a collective breathe held across the church in case you decided that was the moment that you were going to scream the place down, but you didn’t at all – well done little one.

As we were sat in the church waiting for the arrival of the bride – this pinged up on my phone. See I knew there was something important going on!

Before the service started we were told that we weren’t allowed to take pictures during the service, this means that I don’t have any pictures of the bride arriving in the church. I did however watch for my brother’s reaction. When I married Chris I remember looking round at all the people who were there, then looking up and seeing Chris beaming from one ear to the other (Kewey told me that she watched Chris for his reaction then when she’d seen his reaction she turned to watch me). Richard was beaming from ear to ear too, then when I could see Heather I could see why, she looked gorgeous! Her dress had two layers to it, although it was strapless on the underneath layer there was like a lacy layer over the top so the dress had long sleeves in a way and a really long train. She also wore a veil.

After the service there were lots of pictures taken outside the church in the sunshine. Lots of people wanted to meet and hold Jaxon but we managed to hold them off until the reception as Jaxon was still sleeping and would need a feed when he did wake up. We popped home as we had forgotten part of the “Jaxon Kit” that would be needed during the rest of the day. We also grabbed a snack for Christ as he hadn’t had any lunch and we weren’t sure how long it would be until we sat down for dinner at the reception.

We got to the reception and there were more photos being taken outside. We lined up for various photos with different combinations of family members. In one of the pictures Richard held Jaxon which was really lovely. On this occasion, Jaxon’s newest Auntie didn’t want to hold him but I didn’t take offence – can you honestly imagine how incredibly embarrassing it would have been if he’d spat up or pooped all over her dress?? Jaxon started to wake up during the pictures and was making his presence known, we tried to get our pictures done as soon as possible and I headed straight inside to try and find a quiet corner to sit in. In the end I sat in the wing of the stage as only the band would be going back there and in theory no-one had reason to go back there until after the meal when the music started.

As I was feeding Jaxon in the wing Chris grabbed me a drink which was perfect because I was thirsty anyway and then breastfeeding zapped me with more thirst. After i finished feeding Jaxon we were accosted by my cousin and his wife, they hadn’t actually met Jaxon yet so they came to meet him. They both had a hold although Jaxon wasn’t entirely happy – I think he was really overwhelmed and needed to chill out for a little while. Following them my “cousin” (Uncle’s step daughter) and her Mum (my Aunt maybe?) came to meet Jaxon too, they joined our family this time last year when my Uncle and his new wifey got married. We sat around and chatted for a while and then at about 6pm the speeches started.

I was interested to see what my brother would say and if Aaron (The Best Man) would behave himself. My brother isn’t a fan of public speaking and so I wanted to be in the room to give him moral support. Unfortunately Jaxon had other ideas!

I missed the speeches as Jaxon decided just as the Father of The Bride started his speech that he needed a feed and the only chair I could find without having to take a screaming baby back through the hall in the middle of the speech, involved me sitting the other end of the building from the speeches and so missed them all – I caught some of the speech but mainly just the giggles! Thankfully the Father of the Bride was on it and sent me – and a few others – the audio files – so as I write this post I am listening to the Best Man’s speech. Oh okay now I’m listening to the Father of the Bride’s speech and you can hear Jaxon crying in the background!)

At the end of the last speech, Our Sidekick came to find us, he came in the room and said to the effect of “You have to come sit down NOW!” Well I thought that my Mum had sent him because they couldn’t start serving food until we were seated. I used to be a waitress for the catering company who did the food so I do know that at some weddings you had to wait for certain people to be seated and all sorts. So I walked/skipped my way back to the table while Chris put Jaxon back in the wrap. I took my seat and waited for the boys who I presumed were just behind me (Our Sidekick was but Chris was further behind).

Belinda (The Bride’s cousin) and her sister went up on to the stage, I thought it was a bit random but there were various bits of entertainment so didn’t think anything of it. Then Belinda started playing the opening bars of One Day More from Les Miserables. Well as it clocked, Richard’s friend Simon stood up to my left and stated belting out Valjean’s part, then over the other side a relation on Heather’s side stood up and started Marius’s part. Well I’m not quite sure what my reaction was but I turned to Our Sidekick and said that I wanted to join in. As I said that, Vicky (my cousin – she was a bridesmaid) stood up and started on Eponine’s part. Before I knew it my Mum and the Father of the Bride were up out of their seats singing Madame and Monsieur Thenardier’s parts. OH MY WORD!!! I was so proud of my Mum. We often have the Les Mis CD on in the car and we’ve been to see Les Mis in London as well as seen the DVD quite a few times (We tried to get tickets to the simulcast from the O2 but they’d sold out). Part way through it builds up towards the finale, at that point all the people involved marched to form two lines behind the top table, Our Sidekick went too and grabbed a big red flag that had been on the floor next to the stage. Well he wasn’t singing but he had been included which made even prouder. He was in the background waving the flag like they do on the barricade in the performance of Les Miserables. I cheered like crazy and was so proud of them all but part of me was a little sad that I hadn’t been involved. I was doing okay until Mum came to hug me and explain why I hadn’t been involved (I was in labour at the time of one of the rehearsals!), then I knew I was going to have a little cry so charged for the loo. I managed to pull myself together and it later turned out that they’d all been instructed to make sure that I was in my seat and under no condition were they allowed to start without me being there. Even Richard was in on it!

Following that the food was served. I had melon with raspberry coolie to start followed by chicken roast dinner for mains and profiteroles for pudding. Myself and two others in the room have all been on Slimming World and all decided that for the day we were drawing a line, we were going to enjoy the meal and deal with the consequences after. In my case your little brother only gets married once.

After the meal we started the music. This started with my Uncle getting the bride and groom up for their first dance. They weren’t actually having one and I think they thought that they had go away with it but it wasn’t that easy. We’d been plotting and planning to figure out a song for them, so in the end their first dance was to I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing by Aerosmith (or at least our interpretation of it!). Vicky sang the lead while Paul (my uncle) played guitar, I was then throwing in harmonies when I could and Belinda was adding strings for good measure.

All in all it was a good day and the Bride looked gorgeous at both the legal bit and the church bit. Her dress was amazing!