Generally I am very good at rotating my outfits for each wedding to make sure that I don't wear the same one to a wedding that has a similar guest list. I have a lovely selection of pashminas in differing colours ( thanks to my big sister Susan) and various pieces of jewellery that when mixed and matched with a carefully chosen pair of shoes can give any well worn outfit a new twist.
The bain of my life though is the Banff Springs. Now don't get me wrong, it is a fantastic hotel, run by a great team of staff but they do such a great job of offering a complete wedding package that at least half of the weddings that Robin is doing this year will be held there. This is a bit tricky for me as even if the guests think that my outfit is fairly new, the beady eyed staff at the Springs will know that I wore it at least 5 times over the last few years, and that's a conservative estimate for some of my all time favourites.
This week's couple Gary and Linda decided the Springs was the place for their big day and it was the perfect location for them. Over the Christmas season the hotel had been decorated with icicle light fittings tranforming the function room into a winter wonderland. This fitted in beautifully with the bride's idea of a similar theme,silver sparkled name tags with trailing fairy lights from giant martini glasses full of wispy white feathers on the tables and full size translucent icy, twinkling trees in the corners of the room tied everything together fantastically.
I walked into the function room before the ceremony. There were 146 guests to be seated and as is the way, the neatly laid out rows of chairs lead to a few uneven numbers at the back.
Last year, at a particularly large wedding where I knew no one, there were three chairs at one side and 4 at the other, so I decided that as I was on my ownsome I would sit at the end of the three leaving the last unfortunate couple to come in to sit next to me. As the hall filled up with glamourous guests I sat doing the needful. Suddenly someone came over and asked me if anyone was sitting next to me, I smiled politely and said no, thinking they wanted to sit down, but instead he removed the two chairs beside me and placed them over with the four at the other side leaving me sitting at the back of the hall totally on my own, while they created another beautiful row of 6 to match the rest of the seating. I sat feeling completely ridiculous waiting for the bride that I'd never met before to walk through the doors. All in the past now, all in the past...
At this wedding the bridesmaids were looking beautiful in electric blue which matched the sheer ties on the backs of the white chairs. Foolishly I thought this was part of the immaculately planned theme, only to find out later that Gary was Rangers biggest fan and probably had quite a bit to do with that part of the colour scheme.
He greeted us in the foyer, in his Ranger's tartan kilt, before heading in for the ceremony telling us how Linda had been on the phone three times that morning to keep him right on the fact that he was to say 'I do' after one section of their vows, then again after the next section and a final 'we do' for vows that they would be asked together.. He was mildly offended by her lack of faith in him as he felt well able to deal with this simple task. Needless to say she was right and he was wrong is all I will say, though surely that's the way of most marriages!
Their vows veered from the norm as Gary promised Linda that he would put the recycling in the correct container and she vowed to him that she would stop leaving half eaten biscuits in the biscuits tin. Now there's true love I say.
Robin and I were at the top table, which is always an unexpected honour. Thankfully we were sitting together, as it has been known for folks to follow true etiquette and put me at one end and Robin at the other like bookends. Not really a huge trauma, but it is lovely to sit together ( just in case any future couples are reading this!) even if it is only to work out what on earth we ordered for our meal when the invites came through 2 months ago!
After the meal and all the speeches we adjourned to the bar where we caught up with Billy and Lisa. They were Robin's couple no.19 and were one of the loveliest weddings I have been to where I didn't actually get to see the marriage. Ellis, Billy and Lisa's youngest was around 2 at the time and as we all gathered at Fyvie castle for the ceremony, Ellis was doing really well. Little did we know that Lisa was turning up in a vintage car that only went at one speed and that was go slow. By the time she got there Ellis was getting well fed up and was starting to get a bit tired, so I volunteered to take him out for a wander about the stunning castle grounds. Good as gold as I walked about with him in my arms, I decided to pop him down on the ground for a minute to rest my weary arms. I didn't know a two year old could run so fast!! Off he set at full pelt along the grass towards the car park and I was in my heels! I flung my shoes off and spinted after him , thankfully catching him before he could reach the stoney path. Once back in my arms he fell asleep and was the picture of angelicness by the time the happy couple emerged as husband and wife.
We said our farewells to Linda and Gary as they were dancing the night away and catching up with all their guests, wishing them much love and happiness for their future together and who knows the recycling might get placed in the right box from now on, one can only hope.....
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