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17.05.08 |
17.05.08
Today's the day!
Our day.
Our Civil Partnership.
Our way of showing the world just how committed we are to each other. We've been planning
this for such a long time it's hard to believe that the day has finally
arrived. And after last nights fun there is no better way to start the
day than with the incredible breakfast offered at the hotel!
Gareth then joined his family for some last minute shopping leaving me
some quiet time. As I ironed our shirts it gave me chance to reflect on
the last four years since meeting Gareth. I believe that there is
someone for everyone and some of us are lucky enough to find that
person. Their soul mate. That happened to me the day I met Gareth in
2003. It was love at first sight for me and led to that memorable day in
Paris in 2004 where I took him to the top of the Eiffel Tower to
propose. Well I say propose, if some garbled words as I cried like a
baby count as a proposal! He did say 'yes' though, despite probably
having no idea what he was agreeing to!
Which leads us through four very happy years and onto today, when we'll
commit to the rest of our lives together. It doesn't get much better than
this!
As I pottered around quietly in the hotel room I remembered all the
people who have meant so much to me in my life and for whatever reason
can't be here today. I'm sure they are thinking of me too, wherever they
are. My peace was occasionally interrupted by texts arriving on my
phone, making me smile as all the good luck messages popped up.
Everyone was soon back at the hotel and we did some frantic last minute
decorating in the room that we are having the party in later. A big
thank you to Gareth's Mum, Laura, Katy, Sarah, Connor, Liam, and Hannah
for the beautiful end results!
Soon enough it was time to get showered,
shaved and dressed. It was the shaving bit I was looking forward too as
I was starting to look even more haggard with a beard, but had needed a few
days growth to ensure a really close shave for today!
Our Best Men Scott and Jon arrived and made sure we looked our best
before we left our room and headed down in the lift to the reception hall
of the hotel where everyone was gathering.
When the lift doors opened the first sight I saw was my great niece Ella
chasing my great nephew Daniel, both of them looking really cute, which
was enough to get my eyes filled with tears and I wasn't even out of the
lift yet. The next few minutes were utterly surreal. It was like having
various stages of your life flash in front of your eyes. Family, friends
old and new, colleagues from different stages of my working life,
everywhere I looked were people I knew and loved. My expression has
since been likened to a frightened rabbit in the headlights! As we
waited for the Registrar to arrive I darted around between as many
people as I could, saying "hello" and "speak later" over and over,
sparing a few seconds to stroke my dog Bonnie, wearing a big silver
ribbon around her neck! I
then went to to do a last minute check on the room where the ceremony
would take place. It was at that point I realised I had absolutely no
idea what the actual ceremony would involve and I started to wonder if I
was supposed to have revised! I saw the Registrar arrive and started to
relax a little and then I watched the Registrar leave and the moment of
calm evaporated! She'd forgotten a specific pen that we were required to
use to sign the official paperwork so was running back to her office to
get it, which gave me even more time to panic!! In the meantime the
flowers had arrived and I have to say that the florist had done us
proud. They were beautiful!
Soon enough the Registrar returned, pen safely in hand, and almost
immediately we were stood at the front of the ceremony room ready to say
our vows. I'd pre-warned the Registrar that I was expecting to have
problems because I was convinced I was going to cry and I could feel the
tears welling up as she started to address the room. When she finished
the part about anyone knowing any reason why we shouldn't go ahead with
the ceremony I held my breath, and as the silence grew I pretended to
wipe the sweat from my brow, which brought instant laughter behind me
and in doing so helped me relax and avert the tears I'd expected to
flow! As Gareth was coming to the end of the lines he had to repeat
after her it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know if we had to say
"I will" or "I do". I could sense Gareth was thinking the same, so when
the Registrar mouthed the correct one I was so relieved. A little too
relieved as it turned out as she then turned to me and asked me to
repeat my first line after her. She said it and my mind went completely
blank. I just stood there, mute. Then I woke up and with wonderful
etiquette and class I dumbly said "What?" Second laugh of the ceremony
secured! We were supposed to look into each others eyes as we repeated
our vows, but Gareth was looking anywhere but at me! I knew if he looked
at me he would cry so all I could sense was his Mum looking at me as I
looked just over his shoulder. Gareth had warned me not to be put off if
I could hear her loading a gun during the ceremony, in case I changed my
mind, and that thought kept me going until the end! Once we were past
the signing of paperwork we had to walk through the middle of the room
to leave as everyone took photo's of a very relieved couple!
The hotel
had laid out a red carpet for us and had two glasses of champagne
waiting as we left the room. Two much needed drinks I can confirm!
As we thanked everyone as they filed out of the room quite a few people
commented on how beautiful they thought the words we'd chosen were. In
all honesty we couldn't remember a word we'd just said, so bad were the
nerves!
Best man Jon alerted us that we should start getting photo's taken
whilst everyone was still in the one place and started to round everyone
up. Together with Gareth's sister Laura they did a brilliant job of
ensuring we have some great photographic memories from the day, so a big
thank you to both!
Soon it was time for everyone to relocate into the main room ready for
the buffet and party that was to follow. This gave us the opportunity to
go from table to table in an attempt to speak to everyone who was there.
We had a good try anyway! The bar was clearly very popular and the
drinks had really started to flow. We had planned to serve some more
food much later and then get the music started but we could sense a
restlessness in the room so brought all this forward to give everyone
the chance to get up and dance. Somehow word got to the DJ that we were
going to lead the first dance and it took on hell of a lot of coaxing to
get us on the dance floor in front of everyone. At least the song was
"Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode! From that moment on the party
really started! There are so many moments that will stay in my memory
forever; Matt dancing! Scott, Jon, Gareth and I all dancing to 'Kylie'
and Mark (Basingstoke) placing a handbag on the floor amongst us! Polly,
Janet and Amanda dancing to Bananarama! Mark (Cardiff) and I, dancing
and singing at the top of our voices to "Local Boy In The Photograph" by
'The Stereophonics'. Seeing Bill and Karen arrive, who I hadn't seen in
years! Scott and I being reunited with Stocky after more years than I
dare admit! The Police arriving to "arrest" Jon (a big thank you to my
nephew Leigh for organising that!). Just seeing everyone having such a
great time. I hope Gareth and I managed to spend a little time with each
and every guest.
All too soon it was time for people to leave and for us to drag
ourselves upstairs to our suite, exhausted but happy! We spent time
reading all the cards and then the comments people had written in the
guest book. We laughed when we read the entries from my work colleagues
when we realised that they each had the words "and Matt" next to each
signature! The beautiful entry from my nephew Leigh brought a few tears
too. At 3am we collapsed into bed, exhausted but so happy!
Thank you to everyone who helped make it the best day of our lives. |
17.05.08
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