I’m 40 years old and have three children of my own plus a soon to be stepdaughter, so I’m sure it will come as no shock to read that I’ve been married before. Twice to be exact…though the second one doesn’t really count in my mind…but that’s for another post!
And here I am getting married for the third time! OK…get the Liz Taylor and Joan Collins jokes out the way now!!
I first got married when I was a young, freshfaced and naive 23 year old, unaware of what life was going to throw at her in the coming years.
Back then, weddings were pretty simple, all pretty much the same and pretty much followed the same sort of routine, at least the ones I went to did.
Your parents sent out a standard invitation, inviting your guests to the local church or registry office where you would show up in a traditional white or ivory wedding gown from your local bridal shop accompanied by three bridesmaids in dreadful matching gowns.
After the formal standard photographs, you and your guests would retire to a sit down, three course meal in an overpiced hotel. You and your spouse would then cut an ivory iced fruit cake as some sort of symbol of your marriage. All of this was followed by an evening knees up to a bad DJ, finally ending with you drunk, your dress tucked under your arm wailing to ‘High Ho Silver Lining’.
Your guests chose from your Debenhams wedding list (or John Lewis if you were posh) which you dutifully sent hand written thank you letters to after you returned from your two week Honeymoon in the sun.
However, if you were REALLY daring, you’d take off to some exotic destination and get married on the beach.
Easy!
16 years later we now have civil ceromonies, divorced families and the internet!
Getting married is very different to how I remember it!
We’ve chosen our venue, which we’re both really happy with. A humanist ceremony in a converted farmhouse in the Scottish Highlands!
All we’ve got to do now is put it all together!
Every night I trawl the web looking for ideas….it’s sent me cross eyed!! And as for a dress!? What do I wear?
As my lovely friend Alison said the other week…’Look lady, just because you’ve been married before, don’t you be turning up in a white trouser suit…..you need a BIG GOWN!’
Why am I thinking ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’?
