Actually it’s not; it’s a week since the wedding* and I’m still living in a wedding bubble that doesn’t seem to be bursting any time soon!   *At time of writing. Obviously.

We’re on our honeymoon in Aruba & I’m currently sat on our balcony enjoying the morning sun, reflecting on what was most definitely the best day of our lives!

I’m pleased to the say all the planning paid off. We have already received some very kind comments from our guests – now don’t get me wrong, I know it’s wedding etiquette to say you had a good time but many of them have been undoubtedly genuine. I’m just so pleased a good time was had by all!!

There is an array of pictures on Facebook already (thank you all) and I have to say, yeah, it actually looked like a pretty cool ‘do’ even if I do say so myself.

The wedding of my dreams couldn’t have been possible though if it wasn’t for an army of helpers, suppliers and bloody good friends and family. I can’t let it pass without thanking them formally and publicly for everything they did… I warn you though; this could take a while…

Absolute Taste – The most amazing catering company ever! But it wasn’t just the mouth watering food Absolute Taste provided. They pulled everything together and effectively managed the whole event. Their team, led by Alice Guarnaschelli, were fantastic from start to finish. They turned up especially early to put up the assortment of decorations I had provided, on top of setting up everything else. They were the point of contact for all suppliers, they provided the complete bar, all the staff, extra furniture and basically bought the whole thing to life. On every area Aynhoe Park failed on, they picked up the gauntlet and made it happen. In both personal and professional situations we have dealt with many catering companies over the years and it’s safe to say none have come close to Absolute Taste. The amount of comments we have already received about them; both the staff and food are testament to the excellent job they did.

White Light – This fantastic lighting company provided not only the atmospheric lighting throughout Aynhoe Park and the church but they also supplied both the dance floors, staging and coordinated with the DJ to orchestrate the ‘reveal’ of dance floor 2 later in the evening. Phil and his team from White Light provided the definite ‘wow factor’ I was hoping for. They were incredibly accommodating and worked long hours to ensure everything went to plan… I just hope they see the funny side of a bit of the dance floor going missing. Turns out someone wanted to practise a bit of breakdancing in their room (…Tomlin!).

Sirotechnics – The fireworks company. Firstly they were not on Aynhoe Park’s regimented PSL so they had to initiate top charm offensive in order to be ‘accepted’. They then went on to produce a fantastic display that was thoroughly enjoyed by all… those that can remember there even being any fireworks (…Gill!). Again we’ve had a lot of comments about the firework display and we’re extremely grateful to Steven and Simon from Sirotechnics for the awesome show they produced.

All That Jazz – The jazz trio of keyboard, sax and drums were perfect for our cocktail hour at Aynhoe Park and I was delighted when I found them – on Gum Tree of all places! I then really threw them in at the deep end and asked if they would accompany the church service too. Not only because we weren’t that keen on having an organist, but mainly due to our unique version of Amazing Grace – an integral part of my dream service. Hannah (the talented saxophonist) couldn’t have been more helpful; they happily learnt the new version of Amazing Grace as well as our recessional music, and Pablo (the pianist) also agreed to accompany the other two hymns. All That Jazz were brilliant on the day and Amazing Grace was exactly like I’d imagined. Hannah also gets a special shout out as she saved the service by introducing me to…

Irene & chums – During the church service I wanted a few professional singers to help boost the congregation during the hymns. Let’s face it; how many of us really fancy belting it out in public, especially when you’re not even sure of the tune? Exactly. So I wanted someone to lead the hymns, especially Amazing Grace as the original is so well known. Not only that but my sister sang the first verse as a solo and ideally I wanted them to throw in a few harmonies to complement her; unbelievably they obliged! It was PERFECT. The trio, led by Irene, also sang Michael Buble’s ‘How Sweet It Is’ as our recessional song. They were phenomenal singers and the amazing part was I was only introduced to them a few weeks before the wedding. They must have worked their arses off to get ready and I can’t thank them enough.

All About Ice – Those that attended the Wedding Breakfast will be all too aware of the bottles of vodka in the centre of each table – the vodka that one table managed to finish before the speeches (Faithless!) Well, the centrepiece that was holding the deadly vodka was a custom made LED lit carved ice-block from All About Ice. We got to see the creators at work designing some alternative sculptures when went to collect ours and they are amazing at what they do! Rob was very proud of the ice-blocks as these were his (only) idea – slightly frustrating it had to be one of the best ones!

Fez Photography (Mike Parker) – As a friend of Amy and Lee’s we’d had the pleasure of meeting Mike a number of times in the past, one of which being when he was photographer at their wedding last year. He’s a great bloke and as soon as I saw the pictures from Amy’s Big Day I knew I wanted him as our photographer too. He was great on the day and many people commented on how good he was; not just a lovely person but very professional. Mike went above and beyond, staying on much later that discussed to capture a few more special moments, something we’re really grateful for. I can’t wait to see the final results and I’m really pleased we had someone like Mike taking care of our ‘forever memories’.

Horne and Daughters (David Horne) – David started as a business contact of Rob’s but after just a few meetings soon became regarded as a friend. He owns a specialists wine company called Horne and Daughters so we couldn’t think of anyone better to supply the fizz and wines for the Wedding Breakfast. The tasting (at our house!) was great fun and we were very happy with the final choices. Sadly David and Kate couldn’t make the day itself but we look forward to catching up with them soon.

Revd Gill Barker – Rob and I have now been going to the church of St. Michael for over a year. As per previous posts you’ll know that to start with the thought of trekking up there every other weekend was all a bit of a mission but I’m SO pleased we persevered. Not only did we grow very fond of the congregation as a whole but it gave Rob and I the opportunity to really get to know Gill. The special bond was evident for all to see during the ceremony and something many commented on. For personal reasons Gill has now retired and our wedding ceremony was actually the last service she conducted, making it that bit more special for us all.

Robbo (DJ) – We were delighted to have Fantazia DJ, Robbo taking care of the tunes at our wedding. We kept the oldies happy for the first hour or so but then Robbo did what he does best and kicked out some TUUUUUUUNES; all part of a pre-recorded personalised set. Come 22:30, when the second dance floor opened, he was ready to go and was on fire! It was great seeing him up there at the decks and we loved the set he created. It most certainly wasn’t your “normal” wedding music & probably not what some expected but it was just what Rob and I wanted – and it turns out most of the guests liked it too. Yay!

Phew… Right, now it’s time for all the friends and family that helped make it all possible…

Oh yeah, we’re only halfway through. Sorry about that. Tea break? Tell you what; I’m no sadist, we’ll leave it there for today – but make sure you come back tomorrow for the shout outs to our nearest and dearest…