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My Wedding Day – Getting Ready

If I could offer one small piece of advice for your wedding day, it would be to give yourself too much time to get ready.

Those little moments with the women in your life, will come to mean more to you than you ever imagined. So you don’t want to rush them.

As is tradition, the groom and I didn’t stay together the night before the wedding.

So on my wedding day, my Maid of Honour and I awoke to sunshine pouring through our windows, birds singing outside, and butterflies doing circus tricks in our bellies.

After a swim in the hotel pool, we ate a leisurely breakfast and answered the barrage of questions lighting up our phones. From planners with questions to guests getting lost, florists with sneak peeks and people pulling out at the last second (seriously). We munched on pastries, sipped our cappuccinos and fired back answers, rearranged seating charts and fought fires with ease. Nothing was going to spoil our happy day!

With all holes in the sinking ship fairly well plugged, it was plain sailing from there on out.

We headed back to our Lemon Cottage, put on music, popped a couple bottles of bubbly and really made a day of it.

Amelie got to work on our makeup, creating the Bobbi Brown looks we’d imagined all of those weeks before. (See our inspo here!)

While Lamphane tamed the manes.

For years and years I’ve only ever gotten my hair cut at Michael Van Clarke in London, I trust Michael implicitly, he knows just how to deal with my curls and his team train with him so closely, anyone you go to there will create something you love.

It was so wonderful to have Lamphane with me. Someone I knew I could trust, wouldn’t do anything crazy or damage my hair with any nasties (he only uses the 3 more inches range).

So I could just let go, relax…

…and run through my vows.

With a little comic relief from this one along the way.

It was so special to have just a couple of my closest girlfriends with me.

I’d love to have had them all! But I think it was probably somewhat calmer this way.

Nikki Tibbles, our incredible florist, delivered her blooms by boat.

Wild posies of garden roses, sweet-peas, greenery and fragrant herbs.

Just the sort of refreshing scent you want to carry on a hot summers day.

Amelie used the same eyeliner on both mum and I.

It was a mix of two liquids, a black and a blue, making a very deep navy. The sort of thing you’d only notice if you looked very closely. The perfect, subtle, classic look for a wedding.

I’ve told Bobbi Brown they should make it and call it “Something Blue” for all the other brides out there!

I couldn’t have been more proud to match my best friend.

And it lasted through all of our tears!

We spent our time dancing, singing along to old songs, chatting away about adventures of the past and dreams for the future.

After a few bowls of spaghetti, eaten with great care, it was time for a quick touch up.

Followed by the accessories.

Wild flower crown (details here)

Snowdrop Earrings

Lace bridal Choos

While my evening accessories were packed away, ready for nightfall.

Sparkling dancing Choos

Once the rose had been well and truly gilded, it was time to get dressed.

Which let me tell you, on your wedding day… can take a village!

I was laced into my dress (if you missed it, get all of the details here!)

Carefully buttoned up.

And helped with a few of the essentials…

My little blue & white ducklings got dressed.

And while the others got dressed, we behaved suitably badly.

Once last celebratory cheers…

…a few more tears…

…and before we knew it, it was time to go.

A quick spritz, and the final touch.

It was time!

We left our happy little cocoon and danced out into the gardens.

 

Where I saw Dad for the first time that day, and wept like a baby!

And was quickly cheered up by this lot!

We took a few family snaps with our photographers Andrew & Gregory.

Though my favourites will forever be the candid ones.

And finally, we made a beeline for our boat.

While we were waiting for it to dock, I had one more surprise up my silk embroidered sleeve.

Just something little for each of my parents (and my new in-laws) to get them through the ceremony.

No, it wasn’t gin.

His ‘n’ hers cotton hankies, embroidered with a little note.

Mummy 

Thank you for being by my side,
today and always.
Today I’ll be a bride, tomorrow a wife,
but I’ll always be your little girl and best friend for life.
Love always, 
Rosebud 

Daddy 
You are a loving example of a husband, father and friend
All that I am I owe to you
As you give me away on my wedding day know that 
I will always be your little girl
Love, 
Rosebud 
And now I’m crying all over again!
Rather than having them laundered, mum’s having them framed complete with the tears they caught on the day.

No sooner had we dried our tears, than the boat arrived and it was time to go.

Off to my sunset ceremony in the most beautiful place on earth.

I’ll tell you all about it in the next chapter.

Perhaps you can already guess where it is?

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