on thursday i had the absolute honour of being in attendance at one of the most beautiful weddings i've ever seen. one of my first london friends, liz, married the man of her dreams on the bandstand on brighton beach, on one of the sunniest (yet windiest) days we've seen in a while.we glammed up (s'cute and comfy!) and gathered on the bandstand to watch the future mrs. o walk half a mile from her hotel, along the seafront, stop - because her future husband was facing her and she refused to walk until he turned around, compose herself with the help of her gorgeous bridesmaids, then take to the bandstand for the last time as a miss.
she walked to a softly playing clair de lune, arm in arm with her handsome older brother. the celebrant was warm, funny, and perfectly polite. we watched as the two of them devoted themselves entirely to each other, and applauded (and whooped!) the perhaps slightly too eager first kiss. we wept silently (while being kicked in the back by the many nieces and nephews in attendance), and dodged the official photographer's advances; opting to instagram the shit out of our own (more flattering that way!) later on.
the reception was perfect. over looking the pier and the seafront, the room was beach themed. from the table decorations, the cupcakes and the shell place names, to the spare flip flops on hand for the ladies who'd suffered the two mile walk in heels. with pimms on arrival, everything about the room screamed "summer is alive!" seafood canapes on arrival kept hunger pains at bay, until the sit down dinner commenced. we had a summer vegetable soup to start, enormous roast chicken with all trimmings for mains, and a summer pudding with custard for dessert. jam. packed. full.
did i mention the cupcakes? not only was there cupcakes, there was a sweets table. a whole table, full candy and sweeties, brought all the way over by the aunt of the groom from the states. twizzlers, peanut butter m&ms, parma violets - among others, and little striped goody bags to fill and take home. so. flippen. thoughtful.
what traditionally comes after dinner? dancing. the newlyweds took to the dancefloor to etta james' "at last", while the rest of us blubbed on. a seemingly planned routine by the couple turned out to be completely ad libbed. honestly, we thought they'd taken a class together! it was beautiful. once the parents had all had their turn dancing with their new children, the dancefloor was a free-for-all. we needed no coaxing out of our seats.
hours passed, drinks flowed, people left and came and left again. it was a blur, mostly. power ballads by the greatest divas of all time we sung (if you could call it that) from the tops of our lungs, and with passion. dance partners came and went, but your mate was there dancing with us the whole time. what a lad. when ice cube came on, i surprised the life out of carmen by knowing all the lyrics. apparently i then yelled out (at the top of my lungs) "i'm so urban!"...hmmm... probably not.
we left around half eleven as completely broken people. tired, emoshe and full of bellies, we got back to the hotel and preceded to fall straight to sleep. we're so rock and roll.
i'm truly lucky to simply know these people, let alone be honoured enough to say i shared the biggest day of their lives with them. i wish the new mr. and mrs. o all of the best in their new life together, and wish them all of the happiness and love i can muster.
did i mention the cupcakes? not only was there cupcakes, there was a sweets table. a whole table, full candy and sweeties, brought all the way over by the aunt of the groom from the states. twizzlers, peanut butter m&ms, parma violets - among others, and little striped goody bags to fill and take home. so. flippen. thoughtful.
what traditionally comes after dinner? dancing. the newlyweds took to the dancefloor to etta james' "at last", while the rest of us blubbed on. a seemingly planned routine by the couple turned out to be completely ad libbed. honestly, we thought they'd taken a class together! it was beautiful. once the parents had all had their turn dancing with their new children, the dancefloor was a free-for-all. we needed no coaxing out of our seats.hours passed, drinks flowed, people left and came and left again. it was a blur, mostly. power ballads by the greatest divas of all time we sung (if you could call it that) from the tops of our lungs, and with passion. dance partners came and went, but your mate was there dancing with us the whole time. what a lad. when ice cube came on, i surprised the life out of carmen by knowing all the lyrics. apparently i then yelled out (at the top of my lungs) "i'm so urban!"...hmmm... probably not.
we left around half eleven as completely broken people. tired, emoshe and full of bellies, we got back to the hotel and preceded to fall straight to sleep. we're so rock and roll.
i'm truly lucky to simply know these people, let alone be honoured enough to say i shared the biggest day of their lives with them. i wish the new mr. and mrs. o all of the best in their new life together, and wish them all of the happiness and love i can muster.
you guuuuuuuuuuuuys. weepy.
