We’ve just seen the most beautiful horse and carriage go past our window, all done up with white and pink flowers and looking as though it was on its way to collecting a blushing bride and take her to one of the most special days in her life.
It made me think about my wedding day (not that we had a horse and carriage) and I decided to hunt out some of my wedding photos to show you….
Our wedding was a bit of a last minute thing, we’d been together for almost five years and were trying to decide what to do for our fifth anniversary – we were thinking of a night away or a nice meal out…. Somehow we went from that to deciding it would be good to get married on our fifth anniversary!
So we had less than three weeks to arrange a wedding on an almost non-existent budget. We’d only just moved into our first house together and because we’d got lots of help from our family, there was no money left over to pay for a big wedding. Even though we knew we didn’t have the time or money to arrange a big wedding, we still wanted to do something a bit different so I looked into the possibility of us getting married at Gretna Green. I rang them and they’d actually had a cancellation for the Saturday we needed so we booked it there and then and were all set to get married in front of the anvil at Gretna Blacksmiths Shop in the original wedding room. I’ve just had a look at the website and even though the prices have gone up since we got married you can still do this for around £230.00.
We invited about 15 of our closest family and friends and booked a really small reception at the hotel over the road which, with a few bottles of cava (no budget for champagne lol) and a small buffet was all we wanted.
I bought my dress, a nice little burgandy velvet and chiffon number, from Principles for £50 and Mr Frugal bought a suit from Littlewoods for about £30.00 (he even got staff discount) and with my mum’s help, we organised cream and burgandy flowers for me and buttonholes for everyone else. My dad ended up giving us £250.00 and luckily that covered the whole wedding…. Bargain or what!
The week before the wedding was a nightmare – it was the week when half of the UK was completely flooded and I worried about everyone managing to get there safe and sound but on the morning of the wedding we looked outside and the sun was shining (hmm cliche anyone). I was so excited and I don’t remember feeling nervous at all, I had complete confidence that I was doing the right thing and I couldn’t wait….
I walked down the stone corridor (there’s no aisle) to Westlife’s ‘ Flying Without Wings’ and took my place at the Anvil next to my rather nervous looking other half to be, I think his nerves were more from the fact that since I had last seen him, he decided to have a haircut and had it all shaved off so I was marrying a skinhead! Why, why would you do that the day before your wedding.
I can’t remember much else about the wedding other than when the minister said ‘Do you, Mrs Frugal…’, I said I do at that point rather than waiting for the rest of his spiel which everyone thought was hilarious and Mr Frugal loves to remind me even now of how eager I was to marry him!
We were given a minature version of the Anvil we got married at by the minister and I have treasured it since – It’s kept in my favourite things cabinet.
After the wedding, we moved to our mini reception where we had our Cava and little buffet. I hate fruit cake but my mum had said you had to have a wedding fruit cake so I ended up with two cakes, one fruit and one chocolate. When it came to cutting the cake, Mr Frugal and I took up the official holding the knife together pose and cut it. I turned round for a second to wipe the knife before resuming the pose whilst cutting the chocolate cake and when I turned back he was gone! I had a pretty good idea where he was and you’ll be relieved to know it had nothing to do with the worlds shortest wedding – he’d just popped in to the bar to check on the Boro score as they were playing Man Utd that afternoon and there was some particularly exciting activity going on so he thought he would stay and watch it for a minute….
We had a lovely day and I’ve just seen on the website that you can renew your vows there for £120. Seeing as its our tenth wedding aniversary this year, might just try and talk him into it 😉
We’ve not had the easiest ten years since we got married but we’re still very happy and in love and we have two beautiful children to show for it so I wish the bride getting married today as much happiness as we’ve had….
