The Wedding
I slept better than I thought and woke at 5:50am on the morning of my wedding day.
"It's today." I muttered to myself in disbelief and looked up at my wedding dress called Channing that was hanging on the curtain rod of my Mum and Dad's guest bedroom.
In a matter of hours I would be putting it on for this long-awaited day that had been a year in the making.
I made myself a cup of tea and went to the small television room and turned on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 which was a very appropriate selection given the day's event. Mum and Dad came in and watched it with me and it was a nice way to begin the day.
8:30AM saw the arrival of my bridesmaids, we had an al fresco breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast and juice. Everyone was in good spirits, excitedly talking about the day ahead.
At 10:00am the hair stylist, photographer and make-up artist arrived.
Marisa the hair stylist chose a corner in the living room facing a mirror with an intricate border and Fleur the make-up artist chose the dining area. It was all open space so every one could talk and have a giggle. Our photographer Naomi made her rounds, testing angles, lighting and back-drops.
Dad set up a small snack buffet on the side-board so everyone could help themselves to whatever they wanted.
Once *Victoria and Rachel sat down to get their hair and make-up done, that was when I started to pace back and forth a couple of times before *Victoria suggested I go and watch another movie.
I agreed full-heartedly with this suggestion and chose Mulan, my favourite Disney movie and started to watch it with *Cassandra. It became a bit of a relay game, two bridesmaids getting worked on and the third would come and sit with me.
11:00AM - Everyone is still a work in progress. I shuffle between pacing and watching Mulan, then thankfully *Victoria declares it is time for a glass of Moscato. We toast, I cry, Rachel tells me everything is fine - the wedding will be beautiful, I will be beautiful and gives me a big hug.
I drink two and a half glasses of wine and the Moscato works its magic - I giggle, I chatter and read out my vows.
12:00PM - I alternate between editing and re-writing my vows and pose for funny, candid shots for Naomi. The wonders of Brown Brothers Moscato are still in effect.
1:00PM - Marisa tells me it's time for me to get my hair done. We talk about the wedding that looms four and a half hours away, how me and Alan met, the first time I met her at a Christmas Party at Koorong back in 2011 and everyone had to bring a Christmas bauble. I watch as she turns my hair into a curly master-piece. During this time the florist, Amber and her husband Dave arrive with the flowers and for the next ten to fifteen minutes everyone talks animatedly about the pretty floral arrangements of lilac, pale pink, blue and white. They looked magical and yet again, I need a tissue.
2:00PM: By the time Marisa is done with me, it's my turn in the director's style chair for Fleur.
She tells me this is the cruisest bridal party she has ever done - I told her that it was important for me to have a quiet, calm day leading up to the wedding and how lucky I was with my bridesmaids who had pulled out every stop this year to make sure I was happy. I told her how everything had come together, the flowers, the cake (which Rachel made) the bridesmaids dresses, shoes and accessories that everyone had agreed on and loved. Planning the wedding taught me that not everything is easy, but its possible.
3:00PM: Dad makes ham, cheese and salad sandwiches and we eat up, brush our teeth and its time for the girls to put on their dresses. Then its time for me to put on mine. I go to the bathroom and send up a prayer to God. "Dear God, this sounds ridiculous but please let my wedding dress fit and put my bladder on hold for the next seven hours. Amen."
Rachel helps me into my dress, it's a gorgeous affair of dark pink blush tulle that pools at my feet and drifts behind me like a cloud. Hence my reverent prayer to the Man Upstairs.
3:30pm -4:15PM: We are taking photos galore. Naomi is in her element, snapping away and brain-storming ideas and executing them with fluid grace and humour We all have fun taking a mix of posed and candid shots, upstairs, downstairs, the living room, outside on Mum and Dad's back lawn and before we know it its 4:15PM a and a limo pulls up outside.
The clouds are gathering like a grey blanket and I take it as a good omen, I told everyone that I would rather get married on a rainy night rather than the hot scorcher it had been during the day and it looked like my wish would be granted. The ride to the venue is fun, I am still pretty relaxed courtesy of Brown Brothers as the limo drives down Logan Road heading towards the city limits.
We are running early so the limo driver takes us around the sights, people on the street stop to stare and speculate at who is riding in the limo. I sing along to whatever is on the radio but I get quieter and quieter by the time we pull up to Eagle Street.
5:00-5:30PM: The limo driver stops just in front of the Bavarian Beer Café and the rain has started to fall softly. As we take a few photos we draw a small crowd, a toddler presses his nose unashamedly against the glass window of the pizza café and a crowd of young girls smile and congratulate me. The rain falls harder and we hurry undercover. I am three minutes late for my wedding. My parents take the suitcases down the stairs to the venue and hurry back with the wedding coordinator in tow who carries these big umbrellas. The rain falls harder, we debate on whether to wait for the rain to lighten but we are already running out of time. The boat is booked until 10:00pm so we take our chances with the umbrellas. Unfortuately my arrival on the pier won't be a secret from the guests, there's two flights of stairs in full view but I didn't have time to dwell on that, my mission was to walk down stairs holding up the front of the dress and my umbrella. My bridesmaids have a trickier job yet, carrying my train and holding their umbrellas and bouquets.
It's a good thing we were all wearing flats and low heels...
A strapping young man from the boat comes to assist us, he takes the umbrella and says in a gorgeous Irish accent. "I'm here to take you to your groom."
God bless the Irish and their efficiency!
5:30-6:00PM: My heart starts beating rapidly as I cross the small distance from the stairs to the boat.
Before we reach the gate to the boat a young, aspiring photographer breathlessly asks for a couple of photos. I agree and pose, she snaps her photos, thanks and congratulates me with a departing "I love your dress!" and a bubbly smile. We walk through the gate and down to the pier, *Cassandra squeezes my hand before walking up to the boat, followed by *Victoria, then Rachel...
"It's our turn." Dad says. Mum goes in first, followed by Dad, I concentrate on climbing aboard The Voyager, our wedding venue and reception.
Once I am safely in I look up, underneath a white arbour centred with pink roses was Alan.
And that was all that mattered. I looked straight ahead and smiled, catching happy smiles from the congregation in my peripheral vision. Pastor James who presided over *Victoria's wedding back in 2013 was now presiding over my own. He smiles at me and asks if I am okay and the ceremony begins. Reverent words are said, promises are made. Alan somehow squeezes a joke into his vows to make the air lighter and in only a way that Alan could, he succeeds.
Pastor James pronounces us Man and Wife, tells Alan he can kiss he bride - this was the part that I was probably more anxious about in the entire ceremony. The epic, fairy-tale kiss.
Alan and I had discussed it a week before and agreed on a sweet, romantic peck with not much tongue - let's just say I got more than I was expecting!
Pastor James has to urge us down the aisle twice - we kind of missed our cue with the presentation of our new marital status. It was a marvel and we were positively giddy!
6:00-6:45PM - After the ceremony we get caught up in a dizzying throng of well-wishes and felicity, me and Alan part ways a little bit before photos are taken. Eating pleasing appetizers with a drink or two, then it's photo time. Photos with parents, siblings, the bridal party. Keeping my train out of the puddles that formed on the deck in the past half an hour becomes a task for my bridesmaids.
With the photos done it is time to go down to the lower deck for the reception.
6:00PM-7:00PM: I told Amber that I wanted a fairy-tale effect with my flowers and she delivered perfectly, there were flowers in small vases assembled down the tables in a blur of dazzling colours worthy of a Disney scene. Small golden lights sparkled across a white screen behind the bridal table courtesy of Sharon from All Perfectly Planned, it was simply marvellous. I felt like I was at a fairy-feast. It took about half an hour for me to process how beautiful everything was, the company was merry and there was chatter and laughter. It was like a fairy-tale come to life and what's more - it was mine and Alan's.
There are speeches and toasts, laughs and roasts and a few tears.
Entrée.
Dad's speech which was delivered with warmth and humour that had me laugh even as my eyes misted. Then there was my speech. I stood up when Nick announced that the bride wanted to say a few words. Public speaking and I are not very good friends yet, but its something we are working on at events like this. I start by thanking my bridesmaids for putting up with me - same goes for my husband. I start to thank people but then suddenly I get tongue-tied and although the words are in my head my mouth can't formulate them. There are more people to thank, so many people who deserve it - I try my breathing exercises but no dice. Instead I smile and say "Thankyou for making way for my dress!" It is true, my princess dress is a show-stopper and requires a lot of stage room.
On my way back to my seat my cousin wolf-whistles and breaks the silence, I laugh and head back to my seat. Alan's best man and Dad give beautiful speeches, then it's Alan's turn - he was nervous like me and did things on the fly, he did wonderful job.
7:00PM-8:00PM: Between dinner and dessert I steal a little time away from everyone by climbing up to the deck. My friend Sam advised me to grab a few moments to myself so I can drink it all in.
I did indeed do that while I was standing in front of the air-conditioner, the joys of wearing tulle in January! *Cassandra came with me and we went out to the back deck, marvelling at the inky dark sky that was illuminated by hundreds of silver torches. I couldn't resist spreading my arms and yelling out "I'M QUEEN OF THE WORLD!" Well, I was - for that one night anyway.
*Cassandra giggles at my antics and we high-tail it back down stairs.
8:00PM-9:00PM: We have dessert, a delicious pavlova with whipped cream and chocolate and then it is time for the cake-cutting. Alan jokes about me having to kiss a boy when I get to the bottom of the cake. We pose the camera then head back to our seats. The cake is circled around, a gorgeous white three tier with a golden map of the world on it. Rachel did a fantastic job and after the past two months of watching what I put in my mouth, I enjoy every bite.
After the cake comes the Daddy/Daugther dance. Alan accidentally forgot to upload the song me and Dad chose to Spotify so it was All Of Me by John Legend which was kind of cool and ironic because that was *Victoria's and Nick's first dance. But the song was beautiful and so was that really special moment with my Dad. When the song ended, Dad handed me over to Alan and I sent up another prayer that I wouldn't trip over my dress. Me and Alan cut it really fine, leaving our wedding dance practice to the last two weeks before the wedding. We chose our song long before we planned those first steps which consisted of four moves. It turned out perfectly, maybe it was the fact that it was a beautiful song or that we just looked gorgeous in our wedding clothes. I have to say I did show off my wedding dress just a little, it looked amazing when it fanned out in a frothy pink puddle around my feet.
9:00PM-10:00PM - At quarter to nine I remembered something I had forgotten while I had been giving my speech. I find Nick and ask him to get everyone's attention.
This last speech I would give was to someone really special, who had been there for me through every season of my life. Loving me as unconditionally as a mother would.
I presented my Mum with my bouquet and we cried and hugged.
Then it was back to the music. I chose All The Small Things by Blink 182 and it was awesome how mostly everyone rocked out to it. That precious last hour was spent dancing and then the boat docked and it was time to go. The guests trickled out little by little, there were congratulations, hugs and your standard wedding night innuendo. Then everyone was gone and it was just us and the staff on the boat. We thanked them profusely, told them to go nuts with the last of the wedding cake and I went up to the bridal table and made myself a bouquet of the left-over blooms to enjoy over the next two days at our hotel at Kangaroo Point. We bumped into the wedding stylist on our way out and thanked her profusely, I gave her a couple of flowers from my bouquet in gratitude.
Alan, being the gallant groom, helped me up stairs of the pier once more. He got us a cab parked in front of the Bavarian Beer Café and helped tuck me and my dress into the back seat before climbing into the front. "What are you doing? You should be in the back with her!" Said a couple of outraged randoms. "I would but there's no room for me back there!" That was a very fair statement, Channing did need a lot of space, the dress reached just under my chin and puffed around me like a pink cloud. "Driver, I don't think I can do up my seat-belt." I informed the cabbie who waved off this explanation and congratulated the both of us.
When I got to the hotel, I said a word of thanks to God for a beautiful day, a wonderful evening and the fact that I didn't need to use the facilities. Me and Channing would not have fared well in the narrow closet-sized cubicles on the boat. Alan and I opened our gift cards and gushed over beautiful, thoughtful words that people wrote in wedding cards and our guest book - a gift from my mother-in-law, Dianne.
Then we cleared the bed, rolled over and slept like dogs until the morning and kicked off our first morning as husband and wife with a buffet breakfast courtesy of the hotel where I compensated for all the naughty treats I missed out on leading up to the wedding.
It was truly the best day of my life, I would not change a thing about it and now that I have my photos, I let myself drift back in time to a day that was something out of a fairy-tale.
I have the following to thank for my special day.
1) Alan, for getting the ball rolling and choosing me to be his partner in life and love. That takes as special kind of man and a special kind of crazy but I love you for it.
2) Our families for pitching in to cover costs that afforded us the wedding day of our dreams.
3) My bridesmaids Rachel, *Victoria and *Cassandra for the moral support, the wine and the giggles - whenever I got discouraged, you reminded me what the day was truly about. You told me to do what made me happy, to follow my heart and trust my gut.
4) Rachel from Rachel's Delights for making our beautiful cake that we found on Pinterest
5) Thankyou Pinterest...
6) Thankyou Naomi from Hunni Photography, you showed up and delivered everything I wanted.
I'm so happy with the time and effort you put into our day, capturing moments that Alan and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. Thankyou for taking us on.
7) Amber and Dave from Mrs Gibbons Flowers. You listened to my vision, made suggestions that you knew I would love, your creations for my special day were enchanting and I absolutely loved it all.
8) Trista and the crew from the Kookaburra Showboat Cruises - thankyou for your patience, your commitment and hard work to make our wedding day incredible! Thankyou for coming to get us in the pouring rain to bring us safely to our boat and making sure we had everything we needed!
From the food to the friendly service - us and our guests are truly appreciative of every effort you made. Thankyou so much for giving us a day that we will remember forever.
9) Sharon from All Perfectly Planned based in Toowoomba - from the very first call I knew that you were the woman for the job with your creativity, your passion, your generosity and for understanding my vision. You are a treasure, going above and beyond and we are incredibly blessed.
10) Thankyou Pastor James for agreeing to preside over our wedding with your warmth, counsel, wisdom and sense of humour! I cannot say thankyou enough for all the time and hard work you put into our wedding.
11) Kirsty - It's been a month and people are still raving about your candles! They smell absolutely magical and we are so grateful for the love that went into making them! You are a sweetheart! Thankyou so much!
12) On an off-note, thankyou Amy for totally getting my obsession with Pride and Prejudice.
Second, thankyou for the lovely reading you did, it is truly appreciated and a blessing to us.
13) Thankyou Fleur for your lovely company and doing such a beautiful job with our make-up! You are amazing and we wish you and your beautiful family every joy and blessing.
14) Marisa, we absolutely loved our hair! Thankyou so much for your joy, enthusiasm and dedication and helping set my nerves at ease.
15) Jess and Sky, you are the neighbours that Neighbours write about. The kind who welcome loved ones into their home and fix them a meal or wine. In sun or rain, we have been there to laugh or cry together. Thankyou for encouraging me to love the things I didn't love before about myself, thankyou for your honesty, your compassion and love that has gotten me through many a hard day. I love you both so much.
16) My maid of honour, Rachel - you always tell me how it is with love, kindness and your dry sense of humour that I love. You may have thought that I chose you because you jokingly suggested it, but in my heart that resonated with me. To this day I am so grateful that you said yes when I asked you, you have become like a sister to me and I love you dearly.
17) *Cassandra, even when you are six hours drive up north, you coordinated my Bridal Shower and helped *Victoria organise my Hens Weekend. You found the bridesmaids dresses and helped me find the shoes and jewellery. You are a treasure. PS: I'm really sorry about not appreciating your story-telling skills when we were children, me and my Little Ponies would have had so much more fun with you! Words cannot fully express my gratitude for everything you have done as a sister and bridesmaid - and I can't wait for you to come home for good.
18) *Victoria, whether its 8:00am or 8:00pm you always make time for me and the ones you love.
Like Rachel, you tell me how it is and make me laugh so hard. You are so beautiful and enrich and empower those you love and those who cannot speak for themselves. Despite the fact that I have always looked up to you, you have always encouraged me to be myself even if you haven't always agreed with my fashion choices...that's unconditional love at its finest!
19) Mum and Dad, thankyou for loving me despite my victories and failures, encouraging and advising me in my best and worst. I know that out of all us girls, I gave you more grey hairs - but thankyou for your gracious, kind words and always reminding me that I am better than I think I am, to follow my heart and think with my head. I love you.
20) David from David Smith Personal Training, you are a legend! Alan and I are so blessed to have you as a personal trainer and a friend. Thankyou for being committed, consistent and cheering us on through strife and life. We love you, D.
21) Thankyou Rebecca from Luv Bridal and Jenny from La Bella Bridal for Channing and believing in her from the first.
Disclaimer - Credit for that gorgeous photo I can't take. I used that quote roughly in my wedding vows to Alan. Thankyou Peter Jackson for bringing J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to life.
"It's today." I muttered to myself in disbelief and looked up at my wedding dress called Channing that was hanging on the curtain rod of my Mum and Dad's guest bedroom.
In a matter of hours I would be putting it on for this long-awaited day that had been a year in the making.
I made myself a cup of tea and went to the small television room and turned on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 which was a very appropriate selection given the day's event. Mum and Dad came in and watched it with me and it was a nice way to begin the day.
8:30AM saw the arrival of my bridesmaids, we had an al fresco breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast and juice. Everyone was in good spirits, excitedly talking about the day ahead.
At 10:00am the hair stylist, photographer and make-up artist arrived.
Marisa the hair stylist chose a corner in the living room facing a mirror with an intricate border and Fleur the make-up artist chose the dining area. It was all open space so every one could talk and have a giggle. Our photographer Naomi made her rounds, testing angles, lighting and back-drops.
Dad set up a small snack buffet on the side-board so everyone could help themselves to whatever they wanted.
Once *Victoria and Rachel sat down to get their hair and make-up done, that was when I started to pace back and forth a couple of times before *Victoria suggested I go and watch another movie.
I agreed full-heartedly with this suggestion and chose Mulan, my favourite Disney movie and started to watch it with *Cassandra. It became a bit of a relay game, two bridesmaids getting worked on and the third would come and sit with me.
11:00AM - Everyone is still a work in progress. I shuffle between pacing and watching Mulan, then thankfully *Victoria declares it is time for a glass of Moscato. We toast, I cry, Rachel tells me everything is fine - the wedding will be beautiful, I will be beautiful and gives me a big hug.
I drink two and a half glasses of wine and the Moscato works its magic - I giggle, I chatter and read out my vows.
12:00PM - I alternate between editing and re-writing my vows and pose for funny, candid shots for Naomi. The wonders of Brown Brothers Moscato are still in effect.
1:00PM - Marisa tells me it's time for me to get my hair done. We talk about the wedding that looms four and a half hours away, how me and Alan met, the first time I met her at a Christmas Party at Koorong back in 2011 and everyone had to bring a Christmas bauble. I watch as she turns my hair into a curly master-piece. During this time the florist, Amber and her husband Dave arrive with the flowers and for the next ten to fifteen minutes everyone talks animatedly about the pretty floral arrangements of lilac, pale pink, blue and white. They looked magical and yet again, I need a tissue.
2:00PM: By the time Marisa is done with me, it's my turn in the director's style chair for Fleur.
She tells me this is the cruisest bridal party she has ever done - I told her that it was important for me to have a quiet, calm day leading up to the wedding and how lucky I was with my bridesmaids who had pulled out every stop this year to make sure I was happy. I told her how everything had come together, the flowers, the cake (which Rachel made) the bridesmaids dresses, shoes and accessories that everyone had agreed on and loved. Planning the wedding taught me that not everything is easy, but its possible.
3:00PM: Dad makes ham, cheese and salad sandwiches and we eat up, brush our teeth and its time for the girls to put on their dresses. Then its time for me to put on mine. I go to the bathroom and send up a prayer to God. "Dear God, this sounds ridiculous but please let my wedding dress fit and put my bladder on hold for the next seven hours. Amen."
Rachel helps me into my dress, it's a gorgeous affair of dark pink blush tulle that pools at my feet and drifts behind me like a cloud. Hence my reverent prayer to the Man Upstairs.
3:30pm -4:15PM: We are taking photos galore. Naomi is in her element, snapping away and brain-storming ideas and executing them with fluid grace and humour We all have fun taking a mix of posed and candid shots, upstairs, downstairs, the living room, outside on Mum and Dad's back lawn and before we know it its 4:15PM a and a limo pulls up outside.
The clouds are gathering like a grey blanket and I take it as a good omen, I told everyone that I would rather get married on a rainy night rather than the hot scorcher it had been during the day and it looked like my wish would be granted. The ride to the venue is fun, I am still pretty relaxed courtesy of Brown Brothers as the limo drives down Logan Road heading towards the city limits.
We are running early so the limo driver takes us around the sights, people on the street stop to stare and speculate at who is riding in the limo. I sing along to whatever is on the radio but I get quieter and quieter by the time we pull up to Eagle Street.
5:00-5:30PM: The limo driver stops just in front of the Bavarian Beer Café and the rain has started to fall softly. As we take a few photos we draw a small crowd, a toddler presses his nose unashamedly against the glass window of the pizza café and a crowd of young girls smile and congratulate me. The rain falls harder and we hurry undercover. I am three minutes late for my wedding. My parents take the suitcases down the stairs to the venue and hurry back with the wedding coordinator in tow who carries these big umbrellas. The rain falls harder, we debate on whether to wait for the rain to lighten but we are already running out of time. The boat is booked until 10:00pm so we take our chances with the umbrellas. Unfortuately my arrival on the pier won't be a secret from the guests, there's two flights of stairs in full view but I didn't have time to dwell on that, my mission was to walk down stairs holding up the front of the dress and my umbrella. My bridesmaids have a trickier job yet, carrying my train and holding their umbrellas and bouquets.
It's a good thing we were all wearing flats and low heels...
A strapping young man from the boat comes to assist us, he takes the umbrella and says in a gorgeous Irish accent. "I'm here to take you to your groom."
God bless the Irish and their efficiency!
5:30-6:00PM: My heart starts beating rapidly as I cross the small distance from the stairs to the boat.
Before we reach the gate to the boat a young, aspiring photographer breathlessly asks for a couple of photos. I agree and pose, she snaps her photos, thanks and congratulates me with a departing "I love your dress!" and a bubbly smile. We walk through the gate and down to the pier, *Cassandra squeezes my hand before walking up to the boat, followed by *Victoria, then Rachel...
"It's our turn." Dad says. Mum goes in first, followed by Dad, I concentrate on climbing aboard The Voyager, our wedding venue and reception.
Once I am safely in I look up, underneath a white arbour centred with pink roses was Alan.
And that was all that mattered. I looked straight ahead and smiled, catching happy smiles from the congregation in my peripheral vision. Pastor James who presided over *Victoria's wedding back in 2013 was now presiding over my own. He smiles at me and asks if I am okay and the ceremony begins. Reverent words are said, promises are made. Alan somehow squeezes a joke into his vows to make the air lighter and in only a way that Alan could, he succeeds.
Pastor James pronounces us Man and Wife, tells Alan he can kiss he bride - this was the part that I was probably more anxious about in the entire ceremony. The epic, fairy-tale kiss.
Alan and I had discussed it a week before and agreed on a sweet, romantic peck with not much tongue - let's just say I got more than I was expecting!
Pastor James has to urge us down the aisle twice - we kind of missed our cue with the presentation of our new marital status. It was a marvel and we were positively giddy!
6:00-6:45PM - After the ceremony we get caught up in a dizzying throng of well-wishes and felicity, me and Alan part ways a little bit before photos are taken. Eating pleasing appetizers with a drink or two, then it's photo time. Photos with parents, siblings, the bridal party. Keeping my train out of the puddles that formed on the deck in the past half an hour becomes a task for my bridesmaids.
With the photos done it is time to go down to the lower deck for the reception.
6:00PM-7:00PM: I told Amber that I wanted a fairy-tale effect with my flowers and she delivered perfectly, there were flowers in small vases assembled down the tables in a blur of dazzling colours worthy of a Disney scene. Small golden lights sparkled across a white screen behind the bridal table courtesy of Sharon from All Perfectly Planned, it was simply marvellous. I felt like I was at a fairy-feast. It took about half an hour for me to process how beautiful everything was, the company was merry and there was chatter and laughter. It was like a fairy-tale come to life and what's more - it was mine and Alan's.
There are speeches and toasts, laughs and roasts and a few tears.
Entrée.
Dad's speech which was delivered with warmth and humour that had me laugh even as my eyes misted. Then there was my speech. I stood up when Nick announced that the bride wanted to say a few words. Public speaking and I are not very good friends yet, but its something we are working on at events like this. I start by thanking my bridesmaids for putting up with me - same goes for my husband. I start to thank people but then suddenly I get tongue-tied and although the words are in my head my mouth can't formulate them. There are more people to thank, so many people who deserve it - I try my breathing exercises but no dice. Instead I smile and say "Thankyou for making way for my dress!" It is true, my princess dress is a show-stopper and requires a lot of stage room.
On my way back to my seat my cousin wolf-whistles and breaks the silence, I laugh and head back to my seat. Alan's best man and Dad give beautiful speeches, then it's Alan's turn - he was nervous like me and did things on the fly, he did wonderful job.
7:00PM-8:00PM: Between dinner and dessert I steal a little time away from everyone by climbing up to the deck. My friend Sam advised me to grab a few moments to myself so I can drink it all in.
I did indeed do that while I was standing in front of the air-conditioner, the joys of wearing tulle in January! *Cassandra came with me and we went out to the back deck, marvelling at the inky dark sky that was illuminated by hundreds of silver torches. I couldn't resist spreading my arms and yelling out "I'M QUEEN OF THE WORLD!" Well, I was - for that one night anyway.
*Cassandra giggles at my antics and we high-tail it back down stairs.
8:00PM-9:00PM: We have dessert, a delicious pavlova with whipped cream and chocolate and then it is time for the cake-cutting. Alan jokes about me having to kiss a boy when I get to the bottom of the cake. We pose the camera then head back to our seats. The cake is circled around, a gorgeous white three tier with a golden map of the world on it. Rachel did a fantastic job and after the past two months of watching what I put in my mouth, I enjoy every bite.
After the cake comes the Daddy/Daugther dance. Alan accidentally forgot to upload the song me and Dad chose to Spotify so it was All Of Me by John Legend which was kind of cool and ironic because that was *Victoria's and Nick's first dance. But the song was beautiful and so was that really special moment with my Dad. When the song ended, Dad handed me over to Alan and I sent up another prayer that I wouldn't trip over my dress. Me and Alan cut it really fine, leaving our wedding dance practice to the last two weeks before the wedding. We chose our song long before we planned those first steps which consisted of four moves. It turned out perfectly, maybe it was the fact that it was a beautiful song or that we just looked gorgeous in our wedding clothes. I have to say I did show off my wedding dress just a little, it looked amazing when it fanned out in a frothy pink puddle around my feet.
9:00PM-10:00PM - At quarter to nine I remembered something I had forgotten while I had been giving my speech. I find Nick and ask him to get everyone's attention.
This last speech I would give was to someone really special, who had been there for me through every season of my life. Loving me as unconditionally as a mother would.
I presented my Mum with my bouquet and we cried and hugged.
Then it was back to the music. I chose All The Small Things by Blink 182 and it was awesome how mostly everyone rocked out to it. That precious last hour was spent dancing and then the boat docked and it was time to go. The guests trickled out little by little, there were congratulations, hugs and your standard wedding night innuendo. Then everyone was gone and it was just us and the staff on the boat. We thanked them profusely, told them to go nuts with the last of the wedding cake and I went up to the bridal table and made myself a bouquet of the left-over blooms to enjoy over the next two days at our hotel at Kangaroo Point. We bumped into the wedding stylist on our way out and thanked her profusely, I gave her a couple of flowers from my bouquet in gratitude.
Alan, being the gallant groom, helped me up stairs of the pier once more. He got us a cab parked in front of the Bavarian Beer Café and helped tuck me and my dress into the back seat before climbing into the front. "What are you doing? You should be in the back with her!" Said a couple of outraged randoms. "I would but there's no room for me back there!" That was a very fair statement, Channing did need a lot of space, the dress reached just under my chin and puffed around me like a pink cloud. "Driver, I don't think I can do up my seat-belt." I informed the cabbie who waved off this explanation and congratulated the both of us.
When I got to the hotel, I said a word of thanks to God for a beautiful day, a wonderful evening and the fact that I didn't need to use the facilities. Me and Channing would not have fared well in the narrow closet-sized cubicles on the boat. Alan and I opened our gift cards and gushed over beautiful, thoughtful words that people wrote in wedding cards and our guest book - a gift from my mother-in-law, Dianne.
Then we cleared the bed, rolled over and slept like dogs until the morning and kicked off our first morning as husband and wife with a buffet breakfast courtesy of the hotel where I compensated for all the naughty treats I missed out on leading up to the wedding.
It was truly the best day of my life, I would not change a thing about it and now that I have my photos, I let myself drift back in time to a day that was something out of a fairy-tale.
I have the following to thank for my special day.
1) Alan, for getting the ball rolling and choosing me to be his partner in life and love. That takes as special kind of man and a special kind of crazy but I love you for it.
2) Our families for pitching in to cover costs that afforded us the wedding day of our dreams.
3) My bridesmaids Rachel, *Victoria and *Cassandra for the moral support, the wine and the giggles - whenever I got discouraged, you reminded me what the day was truly about. You told me to do what made me happy, to follow my heart and trust my gut.
4) Rachel from Rachel's Delights for making our beautiful cake that we found on Pinterest
5) Thankyou Pinterest...
6) Thankyou Naomi from Hunni Photography, you showed up and delivered everything I wanted.
I'm so happy with the time and effort you put into our day, capturing moments that Alan and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. Thankyou for taking us on.
7) Amber and Dave from Mrs Gibbons Flowers. You listened to my vision, made suggestions that you knew I would love, your creations for my special day were enchanting and I absolutely loved it all.
8) Trista and the crew from the Kookaburra Showboat Cruises - thankyou for your patience, your commitment and hard work to make our wedding day incredible! Thankyou for coming to get us in the pouring rain to bring us safely to our boat and making sure we had everything we needed!
From the food to the friendly service - us and our guests are truly appreciative of every effort you made. Thankyou so much for giving us a day that we will remember forever.
9) Sharon from All Perfectly Planned based in Toowoomba - from the very first call I knew that you were the woman for the job with your creativity, your passion, your generosity and for understanding my vision. You are a treasure, going above and beyond and we are incredibly blessed.
10) Thankyou Pastor James for agreeing to preside over our wedding with your warmth, counsel, wisdom and sense of humour! I cannot say thankyou enough for all the time and hard work you put into our wedding.
11) Kirsty - It's been a month and people are still raving about your candles! They smell absolutely magical and we are so grateful for the love that went into making them! You are a sweetheart! Thankyou so much!
12) On an off-note, thankyou Amy for totally getting my obsession with Pride and Prejudice.
Second, thankyou for the lovely reading you did, it is truly appreciated and a blessing to us.
13) Thankyou Fleur for your lovely company and doing such a beautiful job with our make-up! You are amazing and we wish you and your beautiful family every joy and blessing.
14) Marisa, we absolutely loved our hair! Thankyou so much for your joy, enthusiasm and dedication and helping set my nerves at ease.
15) Jess and Sky, you are the neighbours that Neighbours write about. The kind who welcome loved ones into their home and fix them a meal or wine. In sun or rain, we have been there to laugh or cry together. Thankyou for encouraging me to love the things I didn't love before about myself, thankyou for your honesty, your compassion and love that has gotten me through many a hard day. I love you both so much.
16) My maid of honour, Rachel - you always tell me how it is with love, kindness and your dry sense of humour that I love. You may have thought that I chose you because you jokingly suggested it, but in my heart that resonated with me. To this day I am so grateful that you said yes when I asked you, you have become like a sister to me and I love you dearly.
17) *Cassandra, even when you are six hours drive up north, you coordinated my Bridal Shower and helped *Victoria organise my Hens Weekend. You found the bridesmaids dresses and helped me find the shoes and jewellery. You are a treasure. PS: I'm really sorry about not appreciating your story-telling skills when we were children, me and my Little Ponies would have had so much more fun with you! Words cannot fully express my gratitude for everything you have done as a sister and bridesmaid - and I can't wait for you to come home for good.
18) *Victoria, whether its 8:00am or 8:00pm you always make time for me and the ones you love.
Like Rachel, you tell me how it is and make me laugh so hard. You are so beautiful and enrich and empower those you love and those who cannot speak for themselves. Despite the fact that I have always looked up to you, you have always encouraged me to be myself even if you haven't always agreed with my fashion choices...that's unconditional love at its finest!
19) Mum and Dad, thankyou for loving me despite my victories and failures, encouraging and advising me in my best and worst. I know that out of all us girls, I gave you more grey hairs - but thankyou for your gracious, kind words and always reminding me that I am better than I think I am, to follow my heart and think with my head. I love you.
20) David from David Smith Personal Training, you are a legend! Alan and I are so blessed to have you as a personal trainer and a friend. Thankyou for being committed, consistent and cheering us on through strife and life. We love you, D.
21) Thankyou Rebecca from Luv Bridal and Jenny from La Bella Bridal for Channing and believing in her from the first.
Disclaimer - Credit for that gorgeous photo I can't take. I used that quote roughly in my wedding vows to Alan. Thankyou Peter Jackson for bringing J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to life.
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