Great Wedding

Busy weekend...We were up at about half seven on Saturday getting all the bits we needed for the wedding together, Charlie arrived shortly after eight and made a start on Flyingpops' hair (up, chief bridesmaid style) then we packed the car and drove to Westcott where the bride's mother resides (and where the bride and other bridesmaids were getting ready), I then nipped to Dorking where the bridegroom was *supposed* to be getting ready, but when I knocked on the door I got no answer, I bumped into him (dressed in jeans and t-shirt, looking *extremely* tired) as I was walking to get a bite to eat (he hadn't slept very well worrying he was going to miss his alarm clock)...Anyway, I got back to his (with Cornish pasty in hand), he went off to have a bath, drink some strong coffee and finish his speech, leaving me free for a bit to play some 360 (Perfect Dark) and take the flower delivery (which I packed into the boot of the car when it *finally* arrived about 2 hours late)...at about half twelve I grabbed the orders of service (I was to be doorman at the church) and drove over to Westcott, I put the buttonholes by the entrance and ran around the graveyard to get a few context shots before anyone arrived then tried the door to the actual church (to get a pic or two of the flowers inside) and all the lights were off...a strange grinding noise led me to a fellow up in the spire winding the clock, who said he wasn't the vicar and didn't know when he would be there, so I did my best in the dark (with the tripod)...then people started arriving (very early) and I was still wearing my Nikes! Nothing I could do about it though, so it was a case of "One per couple I'm afraid", "Hope you haven't got too wet" and "Bride or Groom?"'ing the steady stream until the verger arrived, who told me the vicar was a rather last minute kind of fellow, and that unfortunately he didn't have any keys to the vestry so the lights would have to remain off until he got there...Flyingpop's mum arrived and rescued me in the shoe department by rushing down to the car to grab them and then saved me a seat at the back, I grabbed any opportunity I could to nip outside (into the gathering rain) to grab snaps of people arriving (trying to sheild my lense from the drizzle)...and then, 4 hymns and a few prayers later, the deed was done (good service), we followed the couple in their wedding car (paparazi style) to the golf club where the reception was going to take place (a brief stop for the bride and groom to change places half way there thanks to the leg room being rather restricted in the back of the concept beetle they had chosen), then on to food, speeches (all went very well) etc. during which I had to nip out to the car to grab the suprise flowers for the bride/groom's mothers (I had to smuggle them in via the kitchen so they didn't see, which involved being escourted through the private members gym)...the evening entertainment was a mixture of karaoke, roulette, poker tables and disco dancing, which was a good selection, then Flyingpop's folks arrived to join in the fun and also to give us a lift home to theirs (where we kipped the night), very soundly indeed... ;)

No more pics I'm afraid, they are to be kept secret (apart from that one at the top) until the bride and groom have had a look through them...