2007 - 'Let's get Married'.....

This is just a little bit of a story about our wedding.....  Nothing more, nothing less.... I just wanted to write about our wedding.... I like to write about what we did together....

2007 went on to get better and better.  Whilst sitting on our friends narrow boat, slowly cruising along the canal from Fenny Compton back to Banbury, Amanda brought up marriage.  We then decided that's what we'd do!  We'd get married!  It wasn't the romantic gesture I had planned out in my mind, but most of our days were filled with so much love it didn't really matter.  'When shall we do it?'  'Well let's give people a bit of notice' she said.... It was the end of May, so we decided on the 1st September.  3 months is enough for anyone!  Surely people don't normally plan their lives that far in advance.  We were soon to find out it was only us that didn't really plan that far in advance.
Finding a suitable place was the main problem.  We wanted somewhere quaint.  Somewhere 'Ye Olde England' and somewhere affordable.  We wanted to pay for the entire gig ourselves (though in the end Mum & Dad refused to let us, but I think even they were surprised you could do an awesome wedding for less than £1,800).  Whilst out and about one day I stumbled upon a beautiful country pub called 'The Ben Johnson' in Weston on the Green, just outside Oxford.

I dropped in and got chatting to Toby the proprietor.  He was a bear of man.  Only in his early thirties, but keen as mustard to hold a wedding.  'Have you ever held a wedding reception Toby?'.  'Yes' he said with excitement in his eyes.  'We held one not so long ago... Just the one, but I'd love to hold another.'  His enthusiasm had me.  I brought Amanda to meet him, she loved him too.  The place was perfect.  We got to planning.  Next was where could we and would we be wed?  We chose Bicester Band Stand in the town of Bicester, Oxfordshire, a few miles from Weston on the Green.  An outdoor wedding!  Perfect!
Amanda set about finding a seamstress well versed in wedding dress construction.  Little did this lady know of Amanda's strict standards and impeccable attention to detail.  Had she known she'd have never taken the job.  Amanda designed her dress and told her exactly what she wanted.  Oh dear, this turned out to be such a palava.  Things seemed to keep going wrong, and the lady didn't seem to understand Amanda's needs.  But she got there eventually after many, many weeks of turmoil and hassle!

For music we hired a local band to play for an hour on the night and big bear Toby said we could sort out our own music for the day time, evening and night using an MP3 player connected up to The mighty Ben Johnson sound system.  Brilliant!
I texted everyone coming 'Please text two tunes you would love to hear during our wedding reception.  One for the afternoon and one for the dance floor'.  We had some rare selections, but only two declined.  Cliff Richard's Summer Holiday (what were you thinking Dad) and Steve O'Rourke's choice of Club Tropicana (no cheese please!).
Amanda's Mum was chief cake maker.  A talented woman!  This meant the cake would be travelling from the Isle of Man to Bicester!  A stressful time for Colleen.... Thank you again for such a beautiful cake x

The night before the big day friends and family from England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man got together for a drink or two.  I headed off early as I needed to write my speech and I'd promised Amanda I'd be in bed by midnight.  I literally didn't sleep a wink.  I rose the next morning, stood at the front door in my suit and looked at the dark looming clouds which filled the sky.  Would the rain hold off?  Whilst I tried not to be concerned with the dark sky Amanda was up at the salon drying and styling hair for the ladies of both families on her own wedding day....

Wedding Day Stylist....

Then Susie took over, sat her down and tended to her wedding hair, whilst Amanda sipped on a glass of champagne.  Amanda's hair looked absolutely beautiful.... Thank you Susie x









Amanda made it  very clear that on the day she wanted to marry 'me' as opposed to some tuxedo wearing fruit loop doing an impression of me.  She said if I wore a tie and didn't wear sandals it would be like marrying someone else.  I didn't need convincing.  Suit, fine looking open
necked shirt with sandals and my brother and I headed over The Ben Johnson.  It was about midday and we were asked by Amanda to check everything was OK.  Of course it was, as Amanda and the ladies had been over sorting the tables out making them look beautiful the evening before.  Amanda was very particular in how she wanted the tables to look, and they were stunning.
The small marquee attached to the back of the country pub, with the beautifully laid out tables was all just perfect.  Toby was as excited as we were.

We needed to check the music would work over the bandstand speaker system, and that the MP3 player I had was at least compatible.
We arrived in Bicester and headed to the gardens.  We sauntered across to the bandstand, feeling very relaxed and calm.  Hanging baskets of beautiful flowers surrounded the upper border.  We found the power and plugged in the MP3 player via the audio jack.  PLAY.  We waited.... Nothing.  Panic stations.  This was our 'walk on' music for Amanda.  I ran over to the registry and relayed what we'd discovered.  They went and checked the power whilst I legged it back across the gardens to the bandstand.  Try it again.  PLAY.  A couple of seconds and the the sweet sound of Sigur Ros' Hoppipoli filled the air.  I tried to speak to Steven but my words choked up in my throat as my eyes filled with tears of joy.  My brother Steven looked on and welled up at my attempt to talk.  What a pair of softies.
Everything was good to go.

Guests began to turn up and fill the seats on the bandstand.  The clouds had remained but decided to provide a less threatening presence.  It was almost time (wow I just got nervous butterflies in my tummy typing this.... )  Amanda was at the far end of the garden.  We'd timed how long it would take to walk across the grass... Well Steven timed me....  The registrar, a lovely lady called Karen smiled.  I gave Steven the nod.  He pressed play as he saw Amanda, Robyn, Jane, Sally, Sophie, Maddie and Kesha walking toward the bandstand.... The music played.  I began to well up again.  Then she stopped.... and walked back again.... What's going on???  Stop the music!  What's she doing... Has she changed her mind.... Surely not?

The Teary Eyed Approach..... Beautiful x

Thank Heavens she was just trying to 'get herself together', she had started crying and didn't want to ruin her make-up.  I was a very relieved man!  She turned and began to walk again.  The music played.  Both my brother and I welled up yet again.... Amanda glided up the steps and stood alongside me.  Her big beautiful eyes just about holding on to the same tears of joy that filled mine...

Amanda decided that we write our own vows.  To do this we headed over to The Mumbles in Wales a few weeks before.

Mine went like this:

I Mark take you Amanda to be my wife,

knowing in my heart that you will be my constant friend, lover and partner in life.

As a couple our strengths combine, and together we shall overcome anything that may cross our path, and when the storm clouds darken the sky, and we lose sight of the sun, we will always remember that the sun is still there, we just cannot see it.

I promise you, my friendship, support, love & loyalty for as long as we both shall live.

My chest will be you pillow,

My heart will be your shelter,

My arms will be your home, providing you with warmth and sanctuary.

A day will never pass that you do not see a smile, receive a kiss, feel my caress or at the very least hear my voice.

When you are scared, I will steady you

When you are anxious, I will calm you

When you are proud, I will praise you

When you are upset, I will listen.

Amanda I ask you, my best friend, to wear this ring as a symbol of my live long love and loyalty to you. With this ring, whenever we cannot touch, you will always carry a part of me. I hope this will go someway to provide you with the comfort and reassurance that I am never very far away, and that you are always with me, in my heart, where ever I may be.

Amanda's went like this:

I am deeply moved by your promises. Thank you.

Mark, you are my best friend & soul mate.

You are everything I could ever want and so much more.

Your presence in my life has brought me much happiness and a calmer outlook. I trust you totally with my love and I hope that you know how much I treasure the gift of your love.

It is with much joy, honour and a few excited nerves that I accept you today as my husband and partner for life and I promise you Mark, that I will love you, respect you, support you and be loyal to you always.

I will treat you with kindness & understanding and I will never try to change you or Stop you fishing! for I never want to risk losing any of the wonderful things that I love about you and which make you who you are.

I have given you this ring as a symbol of my commitment to our marriage and to the promises we have made to one another today. May you wear it with pride, and be comforted by its presence; and whatever the future may bring, let us never stop trying to live up to the promises we have made here today in the presence of our families & friends.

I managed to get in to the first line of my vows before sobbing and whimpering my way through them.  Amanda just smiled beautifully at me the entire time.  Amanda delivered her's with wonderful serenity and excitement all in one.  Robyn, Kesh and Jane all read poetry and beautiful words.
With the rings exchanged we hugged and kissed as excitable husband and wife...

After the delicious meal and the cutting of the cake (with a big carving knife as the wedding cake knife which had been hired for £25 had been left at home) I set about preparing for my speech....

Unfortunately my speech had gone missing.... I'll never know if I'd lost it or mischief was involved.  I had to freestyle.  This made it far easier for my brother to carry out his best man's speech without having to live up to what would have no doubt been an exceptional set of words, probably!  Ha ha!

My brother started off very nicely sustaining a level of slight humiliation of his older brother, and then increased the humour sentence by sentence.  He put together a great speech full of big laughs...  Well done Steven Boyd.

The night was amazing.  The band were absolutely brilliant, then came our first dance(s) (we decided on 3) , Jack Johnson - better together, The Magic Numbers - Forever Lost and Arctic Monkey's - Mardy Bum  were a joy....

Then the dance floor slowly filled with boozey wedding guests.  It was perfect.  I decided not to drink early on as I wanted to ensure the band were taken care of and the music playlists were going according to plan.....

But by midnight I was well oiled.... so well oiled in fact that I got quite upset with everyone leaving to get on the coach that I'd arranged to take them all back to Banbury at the end of the night.  I don't remember being 'Mardy', in fact I don't remember the coach ride home, and I know for definite many folks don't.  Apparently I was cranky that we had to shut down so early.... My crankiness led me to being barred from our beautiful hotel room.  I sat sobbing and drunk in the reception area, until a helpful staff member took me up stairs and knocked on the door.  'Your husband is very upset and sad that he can't spend the night with you'.  The door opened slowly and I was let in to an initially frosty atmosphere where a beautiful young woman stood.  This atmosphere soon melted and we enjoyed a lovely night and even better morning!

A few days later we headed off to Italy on our Honeymoon.  We had a wonderfully romantic time.  We started in Venice for a couple of nights, then headed down toward Fagulia where we staying in a converted chapel for 3 nights exploring the surrounding area in our little Fiat Punto.  We then headed to Pisa, then on up to Simione and Lake Garda before returning for a final romance and champagne filled night in Venice.  We didn't plan anything except for our converted chapel in Fagulia, we just rolled with it.  We headed back to Venice for our last night because we loved it so much.

So that was the start of our wedded life.... It was a great feeling for us both.  Amanda told me regularly she loved being married to me, and I felt like the luckiest man on earth to have married the love of my life x