Mr and Mrs E! - Part 4

Before going out into the reception area to greet our guests as husband and wife Rob and I had a few quiet moments in the separate room just to sit and enjoy. This was really nice, we drank Bucks Fizz and chatted with our closets family who were there with us. After about 10 minutes I was getting itchy about my guests and wanted to share my happiness so we ventured out of the room and into the reception and bar where they were all waiting and enjoying drinks!

It was a really great feeling to be greeting my guests with hugs and kisses as Rob’s wife! Robs wife!! WOW that is only just sinking in! What a wonderful feeling!

We had lots of candid photos taken in the bar before we rallied the troops together and headed outside for a couple of group shots! I was really excited to be able to get the whole gathering in the photo; I hadn’t thought we would get the weather to enable us to! The Wednesday and Thursday before the wedding we had had a great downpour of snow which had caused us a few problems, the main one being that Birmingham Airport was closed and ‘The Germans’ were due to fly in Thursday morning – their flight was cancelled!!! NIGHTMARE, they managed to get another flight out which arrived on Friday afternoon. I thought even if the snow clears it will be too cold for us to stand out and have photos taken in my strapless dress (brrr) but I can honestly say I couldn’t feel a thing – not once did I feel the cold.

It’s really great to be able to look back on a photo of all our guests looking so happy for us. After a few more photos with the family we headed inside where the ceremony room had been transformed into our wedding breakfast room. I decided if I was going to make it through the meal and speeches it would be a good idea to make a quick loo-stop! I grabbed the girls and we headed off. Now im not sure how many people realize when they are jumping for joy that they have been chosen by their dear friend to be a bridesmaid just what the ‘job’ entails, most of it will be dress shopping and cake tasting etc….. But one job in particular that’s kept quiet until a couple of days prior to the big day is your bridesmaid duty to accompany you to the loo and hoik your dress above your head while you pee!! CLASSY! This is something I had always assumed would be the case. Well as it happens I decided to relieve my bridesmaids of this task and opted for stripping off and going to the loo solo! I think this worked much better!! My dress had quite a simple fastening so it was easy to jump in and out. We went up to the room; I jumped out of my dress and did the biz. Rob and I decided to sneak off for a quick cuddle in our room before the breakfast started, me in my infinite wisdom thought…’I know instead of getting back into my dress now ill wrap myself in a towel and dash quickly up the 2 flights of stairs to our room, everyone will be downstairs, no one will see’ – WRONG I dashed in my undies wrapped in a towel and met on the way my now brother-in-law, my aunt and uncle and my cousin!!! 

Rob and I got about 5 minutes together to reflect on the ceremony and have a quick cuddle before I rushed back downstairs luckily only meeting my brother-in-law again on the stairs to the room where the girls helped my back into my dress. 

The tables were all set and people started filtering in for some food, Rob and I were the last to enter and were announced by the hotel manager, they flung the doors open everyone cheered and standing before us was a tunnel of our men saluting us with lightsabres! It was so great and a memory I will never forget! 

We took our seats and began the meal. We had chosen the following menu for our wonderful guests:

Starter
Roast Tomato Soup, with Basil Croutons

Main Course
Braised Shank of Lamb 

With garlic Potatoes, Glazed Vegetables and Cracked Mustard

Vegetarian Option
Spinach & Mushroom Pithivier
With garlic Potatoes, Glazed Vegetables and Cracked Mustard

Dessert 

Raspberry Cheesecake
With Mixed Berry Compote

Tea & Coffee, Petit Fours 

This seemed to go down very well, Rob and I went round the tables during courses to say a quick hello and were faced with smiling guests and empty plates! 

After we had all enjoyed the meal it was time for the speeches. Im not going to go into huge detail here but let me just say that they were all wonderful. My dad went first and even though he was very nervous he did a great job. Rob followed on with a very sweet and funny speech, he was so natural, like he was just speaking to his friend – and of course he was!! Rob’s brother Dan was the last to speak and Best Man – his speech was soo wonderful and funny, it had everyone laughing!

We finished up with some tea, coffee and petit fours (fancyyy!!) and then everyone cleared out for the room for a drink while it was turned around for the reception. The DJ and Band came into set up

The party was just about to kick off……