Day 18

Our Wedding - April 26th 2008

I think this picture sums up the day perfectly we had a ball!

Looking at this picture now... wow, the pure happiness that I was feeling, my heart out there on my sleeve for all to see.  This was us, free to smile, to be happy and enjoy ourselves, Oh we did!

We married back in the England, Yealmpton in Devon at a wonderful country estate; Kitley House.  It was the warmest, bright day so far that year and it had been raining the day before and then again the next - we were very lucky with the fine weather.
Almost all the family was around us, all of A's small family and the majority of the 46 cousins I have.  Everything was under one roof - we married in Kitley and then had the reception meal and celebrations there afterward, then went up to bed there.  That was part of the charm, no driving for us or your guest who may of had a long journey to make.  We booked out the whole place, it was just filled with everyone we wanted to share our special day with, it was an intimate and cozy venue and loved every minute of it.

Our photographer was excellent and everyone likes to see wedding photos, so here they are - I could have put all 426 on here but, here are the ones that make me smile the most.  I love looking through these : )

I just love the shoe shot, taken through the window over looking the school fields from your funky flat - so light and airy it was with foot thick walls, a spiral staircase and exposed steel beams!

Some before pictures taken around the grounds of the (renovated) Naval Hospital, which we lived.

Me and my Pa in the back of a very nice Beauford convertable.  We had to drive through the centre of Plymouth to get to Kitley, I felt like royalty waving back to everyone.

Sisters Kayla and Issy and little niece Jenny

Before I said 'I do'.

Handsome man and his best man

Pa gives me away...

And Andy takes me.

Everyone!

Cheesy 'thank you' card photo

This we have blown up and framed in our living room - I love the green-ness of Devon.

Lots of fun and laughter with the sisters

Pa made the fantastic pots for the flowers - the stamp says; Tess & Andy 26th April 2008.

Every 'sub-family' and friend could take a pot home - we have three that I can see from this chair.

Ma made and decorated the cake.  

A boozy fruit layer, a moist chocolate one, toped with a lemon layer - it tasted divine.

We really wowed everyone with our first dance, to Snow Patrol's - Set Fire To The Third Bar.

It fitted us perfectly, more on the why's later I think.

Kitley House that fine April night

Need I say more?

I smile when I see these, smile with a longing to have these blissfully happy couple back.  Rewind and play again from there please - take me back to this time, let me know this happiness again and let us live our lives from this point forward...  Please?

Along with the longing to go back and have those happy times again, I can actually still feel that happiness, the excitement of the day; its deeply embedded into those memories and within the photos.  If I can still feel all that by looking at these from two and a half years ago - well that gives me the confidence that I will remember everything about our sweet Elizabeth and that, is truly comforting.

I am so grateful for the husband I have, the love we have and the future we will have.  A friend commented to me, how wonderful it is that Andy is here for me and we can hold each other up, she said 'its one of the wonderful things about picking the right man' - how right she is.