kim and i were fast friends. we 'met' on instagram, continuously 'liking' the same pictures. we had shared interests; quirky print dresses, a vintage vibe and a love of nanna chic. soon enough, we had moved our friendship to twitter, a more 'personal' space. i discovered her etsy shop, then we did some crafty swaps, my bows for her crochet, etc. we emailed a lot. facebooked, texted. within the space of two months, we'd basically cemented our friendship.
we met (in real life) in february, and - besides a few awkward "you're taller than i though", "you're shorter than i thought!" moments, we got along like a house on fire. that day, we talked about kim's hen doo, among other things. it was already decided that i was coming - regardless of our short friendship, but what came next was totally unexpected. "you're coming to the wedding too, aren't you?" oh, am i? heck yes i am! boyfriend was shocked when i told him, but no more so than when i confirmed for him that kim was actually not catfishing me, and not some 40yo man from lancashire.
so, come august 3rd this year, despite the fact i had only 'met' her and her future hubby a handful of times, i was totally excited to be heading off to the wedding of two of the bestest humans i know ...
we were picked up at the train station by kim's brother's friend, and driven to the church in cavendish, suffolk. we had a drink with the lads, as rory prepared himself for a lifetime of crochet and pyrex, and then made our way into the church grounds. we watched as she walked down the aisle in her mid-century, one-of-a-kind frock, toward a trembling fiance, on-time as always.
after their traditional vows (including one grumpy vicar), we sat in the sun as the newlyweds and their closest friends had their pictures taken among the prettiest pink cottages and brilliant blue skies i've ever seen. from there, we moved on to dove barn, a short but bumpy ride, in... well, the middle of nowhere.
it was obvious that kim had been chief designer in the reception hall, and if you've ever read her blog, you would have known that anyway. brightly coloured pom poms hung from the bare rafters, with johnny cash quotes adorning the walls. coloured paper straws filled the ladies' pimms glasses, while the boys sipped on small bottles of craft beer, as the newlyweds had their final pictures taken.
the decoartions in the front reception were nothing in comparison to what greeted us as we moved through to the dining hall. each table had it's own colour, ours was pink (duh). every little piece in the place setting had a personal touch; everything had been planned, and made with love, by kim. our goody bags included a pencil with kim and rory's name and wedding date engraved, sweeties and more. the wine was magnificent. the dinner was sublime. poached pear to start, with walnut and blue cheese (boyfriend had bacon-wrapped asparagus). a perfectly baked chicken wellington for main (he had roast lamb, mmm), and a trio of desserts for... dessert. the food was... indescribable. so i shan't bother trying.
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~these pics of kim and her brother eddy swinging just make my heart so happy~
it really was, you know. it was the first wedding of the year for me, and kicked it off with style. it's just a shame i didn't know very many people there - telling people how kim and i met is always a bit embarrassing, not that either of us mind, but people don't really understand 'bloggers' and how that would equal 'friendship'. it really does for me, you know. it does equal friendship. if nothing else from this blogging malarkey lasts, i wouldn't care. i've met some wonderful people along the way, and a real kindred spirit in kim. she and i will be friends for life, and i wish nothing more than a lifetime of happieness for her and rory (and me).
luff you kimmeh
*not that this needs to be said, but all of the pictures are either a) my own, or b) kim's/kim's brother's. please do not take or use these without asking her permission first. this was a private event, and while we understand that the internet is the least private thing in the world, it would be awesome if you considered that these are her private moments. thank you!*
