On 7th June 2008, Craig John Gifford and I got married. I couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was shining, it was warm, and we both had our loved
ones around us. Unfortunately a few people couldn't make it but we know they were watching down on us.
I spent most of the day before the wedding, shopping, getting things ready, doing all the table centres (my mom and sister helped me), then on the evening Craig and I
took everything to Lea Marston Hotel before saying goodbye to each other as single people. I spent the night at my mom's with my mom, dad, sister, cousin Katie and friend Lucy, who were going to be my bridesmaids. We had a chinese take away and a few drinks but by about 11pm I was pooped and left them all too it. I have no idea what time they all came to bed because as soon as my head hit the pillow, that was it!
I woke up around 8am and cool as a cucumber, not worried or scared, thinking "I've got all the time in the world" and I had as the wedding wasn't until 3pm.
I tidied up, vacuumed the house, had a bath, did my nails and my cousins hair, then went and had my hair done. It was a disaster. I came out the hair dresses and met my dad and grandad and cried in my dads arms. The lad that usually curls my hair beautifully, had to leave suddenly as his Nan had died so he only had time to do my sisters. Everybody said I was being silly, but it wasn't how I wanted it. But I got home, wiped my tears, had some pink bubbly and got started on my make-up. Half way through Mark the photographer turned up and took a few photos of me finishing off my make up, then some of me and three of my bridesmaids.
- I wanted Karla and Shelley there too but they were getting ready at their own houses as they had children. We were starting to rush around at this point as I wasn't in my dress and the limo was due at 2.30pm, so we got all our bits and pieces packed up to stay over night at the hotel and Sarah and Lucy pulled me into my corseted dress whilst Mark took some photos. It felt so much heavier than when I tried it on at the wedding dress shop and by this point nerves had kicked in so I was shaking too.
The limo arrived and we all huddled in: me, my dad and my five bridesmaids and took a long route to the church. Whilst we were in the car, Craig was having some photos with his best men and ushers, in Resevoir Dog style! I laughed when I
heard what they had done but the pictures look awesome.
The lads, including my Dad, wore hired suits from Formal Affair. They had long grey suits with white shirts, ivory - laced with pink and silver - waistcoat, pink cravat and pocket cerchief, with pink dimante cufflinks. Both the my dad, the ushers and the bestmen had baby pink rose pin holes, whilst Craig wore a pink rose and cala lily.
The limo arrived and my knees were knocking. There were still some people outside waiting to see us get out: my boss, her husband and a few family members. We were ushered into the church and placed in order, waiting for the music to play. I picked an instrumental of Britney Spears' Everytime, which most
people would not associate with me for the music I love but it's a beautiful piece of music and everytime I hear it, my emotions mix up and now I will also
be reminded of one of the best days of my life. The music blared and my flower girls, Brooke-Lee and Luccia, threw pink and white flowers down the isle while my dad walked with me. I almost ran to get it over with and my dad had to tell me to slow down. My bridesmaids followed along with Alex my page boy. My sister hadn't even
reached the first pew and she started crying! She hid her face from the camera with Alex's head. It worked. You can't see her crying on the wedding video,
ha!
The ceremony was pretty normal, Dave, Craig's brother-in-law was the camera man and about half way through broke a mirror, I couldn't get the ring on Craig's finger and Karla trod on my vail as we went to sign the register. We had two hymns one of which was Lord of the Dance, I can't remember the other. My sister read a
bible reading and the vicar said a few words. We had Paramor's Hallaluja as our signing of the register song, which was another perfectly fitting song and I hope our little piece of paper makes us last forever.
We signed the register and got Sarah, my sister and Carl, Craig's cousin, to be our witnesses and after a few photos of us pretending to sign the register,
we were married. And standing by the door in order to go out, we waited for The Wannadies You and Me to blare out the sound system. I told Craig I
wanted to walk slowly so the song could get to it's best bit before we left. The whole thing seemed to fly by but we were in there for about forty five
minutes. There were more photos out the front of the church and every one threw confetti over us and my boss, Kris, threw a whole box of the stuff over my head, ha! But I couldn't wait to get in the car, I was desperate for a drink and quickly drank the champaign we had flowing.
It was a slow drive to Lea Martson where we had some lovely photographs taken. Some were actually taken by the lake where my grandad always tells me how he
saved my life when I was three years old. The photos were beautiful, even if Craig is squinting on a few. After some on our own, we joined our family and
friends for more pink champaign and group photos. Then we were taken around to the bridge for some more photo's whilst our guests were taken into the room, to get themselves settled and to help themselves at our private bar.
My dress was a Diamond White crystal gown called Michelle by Maggie Sottero. It was a corsetted bodice with crystals all over the bust line and down the front, then a small amount down the back. It had a small clip underneath so that the train could be tucked up for ease of getting around. I had a two hoop skirt and a vail the length of my dress, which I borrow from Karla. My pearls were my Grandma's real thirty year old pearls and were my something old. New was my dress, borrowed was off Karla and my blue was my garter off my Mom...which I forgot! My bouque was made up of pink roses, pink and ivory cala lilies and different grasses and greenery. My bridesmaids wore handmaid pink satin, strapless dresses, with a darker pink satin bow. Instead of smaller bouques I had corsages made for them with roses and cala lillies.
The room wasn't quite as I hoped. They hadn't sprinkled on much confetti to the tables and there wasn't much decor. If there was one thing I could change it
would have been to go to the hotel first thing on the morning and do the tables myself, but that's just me being over perfect.
The drinks were pouring and conversation was flowing and the families and friends were mingling nicely. I'd got ten pink disposable cameras for people to use at their leisure and we got some good results...and some not so good ones! We cut our beautiful Cinderella castle cake. It's the best cake I've ever seen and
Emma, the cake lady, even put the time on the clock as 3pm, which I never actually noticed until after we had got home! My husband made a speech and so did
dad, both of which made me cry. I was so scared of what my dad would say as he told me he had pages of stories full of embarrassing things I did as a child
and trust me you could fill a book, but he was only joking...thank god! Photos were taken of all the guests round the tables and then Mark took me off
outside to get some photos of my dress. And then when I came back in we had our wedding dance to Plain WHite Tee's Hey There Delila
Food was served around 6.30pm and I only wished I'd had more! The food was so moorish and I have never heard so many good comments about how nice the food
was, many even said it was the best spread they had had at a function! The puddings were wonderful, individual little deserts of fruit, chocolate, pastries,
strawberries, cream - all absolutely delicious looking!
Once people had filled their faces, people were really enjoying them selves, drinking plenty, chatting and dancing to the fab mix of 80s, rock and dance music that DJ Dave, dressed as Adam Ant, was throwing out the speakers. We got some more great comments on what a fantastic choice of music we had
picked and that so many people were up dancing. The kids were running round, having fun and it was just a fantastic evening all round.
Most of Craig's family left late in the evening and mine stayed till around 12pm. The staff came in around then to tidy the room and were able to go to the
residence lounge to make use of the bar there. There was about a dozen of us left up at the end and all except for me, Dave, my boss Kris and her husband,
everyone was absolutely paralytic. Craig and I went up to our room about 2.30am and we left everyone down there, who apparently went up about 3.30am!
Our room was very comfy, with rose petals on our four poster bed, wine, chocolates, a lounge and gorgeous bathroom. We got out of our clothes and even though
it was our wedding night, we went straight to bed after an absolutely fantastic day!
