Valley of the Trolley Dollies

So we strolled in to dinner.

The original - traditional - idea of having a receiving line where our guests filed past D, myself, and our families, had been rendered redundant by the wonderful, and natural-feeling, entrance to the ceremony. You can read about that, and see the photos (if you haven’t already), here.

Ivy and flowers hung from the galleries and the gently twinkling candelabrae.

The tables were dressed in crisp white linen, the silverware glinting softly in the diffused summer sunlight. In the centre of each table was a tall vase filled with Mango Cala Lillies, Yellow Bella Donna Roses, and ivy. The place settings were, either by couple, or in singles, ribbon wrapped brown card boxes from our favourite designer.

There was wine, champagne, liqueurs, and fine, fine food. Oh, and there might have been a few speeches. LIttle things. Not worth noticing. So unworthy of notice that none of us made notes. But there’ll be fragments, pieces of the beauty and laughter and love and outright joy that was that afternoon, popping up in this corner of cyberspace as we recall them.

There were gifts: Flowers to My mam and D’s sister, framed copies of their readings to my dad and Pamela, a Remote controlled Dalek to Toby, and a delicate silver chain to Hannah, as well as a brown card Ralph Lauren Polo box, wrapped in blue and white ribbon to each of our guests. The contents were chosen to say something about both the day and the people themselves: A CD of music, chosen personally by us, with an individually created sleeve done by daisy, and a miniature Calvin Klein scent per person, a combination of music, sight, scent, texture, all wrapped in a utiliarian package, and surrounded by a beautiful silk ribbon.

Our guests chatted, laughed, swapped stories, made new friends, and, in at least one case, wore handbags as though they were toupees. And everyone had a… well, it’s a cliche, but it’ s a wedding, so what the hell … everyone had a fabulous time!

The menu and wine choices will be noted somewhere on this site eventually.

But for now, enjoy the pics; the quality here is noticably lower than in some of our other albums on this site; that’s ‘cos, whilst much of the earlier shots were taken with real live digital cameras (as brandished by all the best ‘mos and their technologically au fait straight friends), these ones were taken with disposable cameras (as scattered on tables by cheap ‘mo grooms who couldn’t afford ‘disposable’ digicams). However, since smaller cousins spent large amounts of time snapping either their other cousins or grownups who were - how shall we put this - too merry to notice that their photo was being taken, we got some great memories of how the afternoon and early evening of 15/7/06 went.

So, squinting through the gathering dusk, smelling the succulent scents of toasted pine nuts, sesame salad dressing, roasted chicken, rich warm chocolate pudding, champagne, candles, Lillies and roses, take a peek at this rambling rumbling, reminder of the afternoon of our wedding day.

Remember, mes amies, enpoint, enclique, enbiggum. C’est tout!