Finally after a year of planning (and lots of stress) the big day arrived and seemed to go by in a flash (doesn’t everyone always say that anyway!). Our event was held at Bartholomew Barn in West Sussex in the small picturesque village of Kirdford. The day before was a little hectic with last minute plans taking place to organise ourselves and everyone else involved in making the day a success. Pheebs and I headed down to the barn to meet Sarah and Ruth who were busy sorting out the flowers (Sarah made all the bouquets and table decorations) and whilst that was going on we made sure the tables and chairs were correct arranged for the seating plan we’d agreed on. After that we then had to ensure that the musical equipment was setup and the PA worked as we were having the ceremony outside (and John was leading so needed to be heard!). I ended staying late waiting for Sean to turn up with his drum kit whilst Pheebs headed over to the Old Railway Station where she was having an evening with her family. After Sean turned up, we managed to do a soundcheck before I headed off to The Swan Inn in Fittleworth where I was meeting my family (and catching up with best man whilst Sean headed home). I was a little flustered due to having to sort out the PA so Ed immediately helped calm me down by thrusting a large beer into my hand (yep that certainly helped) whilst he ran off with my bags. I had dinner with Mum & Dad, Aunt Dawn & Uncle Ron, Matt and Ed which was good! After that I headed to bed for my last night alone (ooooo) which was handy as I needed to finish writing my speech and contain my nerves. No sooner had I closed my eyes, it was daytime again and our big day had arrived. Managed to get my stuff together and headed downstairs for breakfast and caught up with the family (who were arriving by the bucket load). Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to chat much as I had to head over to the barn to make sure the caterers were in full flow setting things up and the ushers had turned up to start getting prepared for their jobs. I also had to find the place where pheebs and I were staying so utilised Matt to follow me over in the car so I could leave it there as we were getting a taxi after the evening finished. After we eventually found the Dove Cote we then drove back to the barn where guests were already arriving and the ushers were ensuring everyone was directed in the correct location. I didn’t have long to get my suit on and get myself into the court yard where folks where waiting for the ceremony to begin. Thankfully Matt managed to deliver Pheebs and co in his orange camper-van on time (with no breakdowns!). She certainly looked stunning in her dress as she walked around the court yard to meet me in front of John (who was performing the blessing) and the crowd that were gathered in front of all of us. The ceremony went very well but as it was extremely hot, we were glad when it was over so we could get a drink (along with everyone else!). After that we wandered around talking to various folks we’d not seen for a long time and then had various photos around the barn whilst everyone else enjoyed the summer sun. After all the photos we sat down and had the bbq which was fabulous before embarking on the speech train. 😉 All speeches seemed to go down well and folks appeared to laugh at the right places. Ed’s speech wasn’t too embarrassing and Pheebs survived John’s speech. Pheebs even managed to do her own speech and attempted to embarrass me about tales of being a honey trap (something about boats, bikes, diving etc etc). After the speeches we chilled further in the early evening sun whilst Jim, Sean, Alex, Andy and myself prepared for our mini gig. The set consisted of “Into the night – Santanna”, “Weather with you – Crowded House”, “Wonderwall – Oasis” and finally “Hey Jude – The Beatles” which seemed to go down fairly well (well we enjoyed ourselves and I think our audience did as well!). 😉 Once that was over we mingled and enjoyed the summer evening around the court yard and enjoyed a real band “Andalus” which gave the environment a latin feel. Pheebs and I managed a little dance but mostly caught up with all our friends and family which were enjoying themselves in the wonderful atmosphere. Unfortunately before we knew it, the evening came to a close and we managed to tidy up before heading off to the Dove Cote for our wedding night together. 😉
Thanks to everyone who helped to make this day a very special one for us both.
The professional pictures are available here.
