Last summer we were really happy to receive two ’Save The Date’ cards from friends for their summer 2012 weddings and we were really looking forward to both weddings as a chance to catch up with friends that we would not have seen for some time. But soon after Christmas we began to realise that our summer wouldn’t just be one of sport and shopping, but one of weddings too, as we were then invited to three other nuptials! The most exciting of these announcements was that Fabs and Sam would be getting married at the very start of the summer.
Fabia and Sam, Bristol on 30 June 2012
The main concern is always that the bride arrives to the wedding, but we were a little concerned about ourselves arriving as we finished school (and moving!) on Thursday, so flew on Friday morning and were met at the airport by DaddyP who drove us to Bristol. It was a slightly crazy 24-hours of travelling, but we made it!
Our first stop in Bristol was to the community centre where we unpacked (!) one of our cases that was half-full of all the bunting we’d had made for decorating the hall. We didn’t really know the size of the room or how much to get made, so we just asked for all the material (20-meters in all) to be made in to strings of bunting. Scotty fashioned a ring device to hang from the ceiling in the centre of the room and the bunting strings ran out from this to the sides – it looked really good!
Whilst we were doing the bunting, Sam was organising the speakers and sound set-up and Fabia was sorting the kitchens and the table laying. They had a real team of people helping them, so we soon decided it would be OK for us to go and check-in to the hotel and see the other P‘s who had arrived.
The next morning we weren’t needed at the church or the community centre, as most setting up had been done the previous day, so we headed in to the town centre to buy a few last minute things. On the way we had a call from the bridesmaid team requesting some supplies so went on the hunt for these before getting back to the hotel and changing ready for the big event!
Matt and Becky, Godalming on 2 August 2012
Matt and Becky had got in early with their Save the Date card and we’d decided to treat ourselves to two nights in the hotel for the wedding, even though it was not too far from our place. We arrived at the hotel and checked in and we soon had callers at our room getting ready for the pre-wedding quiz that was going to take place that evening. The pre-wedding quiz was pretty fun and it was good to see friends from Cairo and some old friends from Guildford over a relaxing pint.
The next morning it was all go, as Scotty and Sayno had to get rigged ready for their ‘set’ in the church. We grabbed a quick lunch as we all changed back at the hotel and then were back at the church ready for everything to start.
Thom and Mandy, Streatham on 4 August 2012
This was a real ‘public transport’ wedding for us as we took the train and changed at Clapham to get to the church – and even the groom arrived by train! It was great to see some friends that we hadn’t really seen since our own wedding – when they were the band! Everyone was well and we did some catching up before heading in to the church.
The wedding march started and we all stood up, waiting for Mand’s arrival. Both of us took a slight peak and saw the car outside, but couldn’t see the bride yet. Nothing unusual, until the second verse of the wedding march finished and there was still no sign of her! After about 10 minutes the flower girl comes running down the aisle and whispers something to Thom (who must have been feeling pretty nervous by now!). The music stops and we all sit down. Filler music then plays again, leaving us all to speculate about why the bride’s car is here, but no sign of the lady herself!
Mandy does arrive, and looks stunning, and after a few stumbles from the vicar with the wording of the marriage ceremony (!) the two of them have properly tied the knot!
The sun stays with us for a while after the service, but there is a brief shower drawing everyone back inside for a while before we all head in cars to the hotel for the reception. The weather has cleared up and so we all enjoy being outside in the gardens – and some people even try some ultimate frisbee golf (!) that the couple have set up for everyone.
In the evening we enjoy a fair bit of banter on our table and a good few drinks. There is a sweepstake on the length of the Best man’s speech (which is won by Chris who went for 7 mins, undercutting our low bet off 9 minutes) and all is finally revealed about the late arrival of the bride (she had had a phonecall from her brother who was running late and so she needed to wait for him to arrive as he was due to do the first reading!). We get our dancing shoes on as the first band playing is a ska covers band. They are awesome and play Night Boat to Cairo as well as Mysterious Girl in their set. After them it is Soul Calibre, Scotty’s old function band, and we really enjoy their set too, although Alice’s feet can’t quite do what they used to!
We get a late taxi back home and rather than falling asleep actually have a great chat to the driver as we listen to the radio and talk ‘Olympics’ with him.
Matt and Catherine, Conniston on 11 August 2012
Another ‘public transport’ special for Matt and Catherine’s wedding as we meet Crispy in Euston Station and get the train up to The Lakes together. The train is packed, but we’ve got a table booked and so get our seats and then our packed lunches out. The journey is surprisingly easy (which makes us think we should have done this before – and put it on the list as a ‘possible’ for next summer) and we make our connecting train and then manage to get the bus to Conniston (with just enough time to grab an ice cream in the sun before we board!)
It’s a gorgeous little town, surrounded by stunning scenery. This is the first time that Alice has been to the Lakes and the sunny day makes it all look beautiful. That evening we head out to the pub for some drinks and dinner with the wedding party. It’s a village-y sort of place and when we find out that it has a brewery next door we know we’re in for a good night. Even better news is that the brewery won Best Beer at the GBBF the previous day – not so good news is that this was awarded to their deadly looking barley wine which even Scotty dare not have a half of! We have a great evening catching up with friends and leave looking forward to spending more time together the next day.
As the wedding isn’t until the afternoon we have time to get to Coniston Lake in the morning. Alice is excited as this is the lake that inspired Swallows and Amazons. Scotty (and everyone else) is excited that this is the lake that the XXX happened on. We walk around the lake, as Alice doesn’t quite feel brave enough to take a boat out at 7 months gone, and then enjoy a coffee in the cafe before going back into the village for lunch and to get ready for the wedding.
There aren’t many weddings that you take a minibus up a steep incline to, but Matt and Catherine’s is one of them.
Seb and Tess, Dublin on 25 August 2012
Alice couldn’t make it to this wedding as it was the weekend we were due to fly back to Cairo and would involve an extra two flights and lots of rushing around. So on Friday afternoon Scotty headed across London to the airport with a rucksack packed.
SCOTTY TO WRITE SECTION
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