Ah, it was only last week when I was last at Glenbervie House. That happens you know, you visit a new venue one week and then suddenly you are there again and again. A bit like buses I suppose. But last week it was warm and sunny and today it was close, yes that’s the word, close. As we waited for Joanne to arrive the skies became more and more ominous, dark, dark clouds looming overhead. I talked to the hotel staff about the fallback plan which seemed to consist of me talking faster and finishing the ceremony before it rained. So that’s what I did…once Joanne arrived.

The bride’s arrival was greeted with the most enormous thunderclap and I could see the bridesmaids and especially the little flower girl waiting in fear and trepidation as Joanne prepared for her entrance.

Towards the beginning of the ceremony we lit a candle in memory of Joanne’s stepdad, her gran and of Barry’s gran as well. The swirling breeze didn’t make it very easy but it was the gesture that counted and the few moments of silence for people who should have been at their special day but couldn’t be there.

I seem to remember that Nicola and Sean didn’t want their wedding to be too serious, “we should have a bit of a laugh” they said and we certainly did have an emotional day. The thing that stays in my memory of the day were the readings that their family and friends gave. We started the ceremony with Sean’s sister Emma reading one of the most difficult poems – ee cummings, “I Carry Your Heart With Me”

I think this was during the story of how they got together

and she absolutely nailed it, not a dry eye in the audience. Later in the ceremony, after we had a bit of a laugh about Sean’s romantic proposal, “Do you want to look at some rings?”, their friend Jamie read an Apache Blessing before the serious and formal marriage ceremony itself. We signed the schedule and the bride and groom exited to the strains of, what else, but the Cantina Band theme from Star Wars played by the Apollo Strings. Well, what else do you end a marriage ceremony with?