Grace Part Seven.

I was told to delegate, not to do everything myself. That turned out to be very good advice. So, I gave my friend Marcelle, who works at Laura Ashley, the flowers I wanted for myself, Mum, Auntie, Paul, Best Man, bridesmaid’s and Mistress of Ceremonies. I told Marcelle, “Here is £100 this is for all the flowers, my dress is light cream and to my knees whatever you decide, will be fine with me. I’d remembered ten years earlier my best friend her flowers for her wedding cost £700, I remember thinking, if I ever get married, I won’t spend that on flowers!

 My brother had just turned twenty-five and so his car insurance was considerably cheaper he’d, brought a brand new white car, he said, “Sis, I want to drive you to the wedding in my new car, it will cost you nothing, my gift to you, for the day,” I replied, “Thank you, I hadn’t thought of a car.”

 My Cousin Gareth asked me, “Who is the DJ at your Reception?” I replied, I’m not having a DJ I don’t need one,” He replied, “You have to have a DJ and a disco at a wedding reception! I’ll provide one. So that was free too.

 “My fiancé had gone to his Mum’s funeral wearing his well-worn leather bikers jacket! He wore it every day, and I really didn’t want him to wear it for his wedding day! I could see it happening! So, one day I subtly said to Paul, “Let’s go to TJ Hughes, you might find that purple shirt you were thinking of wearing at the wedding,” Paul replied, “That’s a good Idea,” so, on his next pay day we went. He didn’t find that purple shirt, but he did find a shirt, jacket, trousers, tie and shoes that he, and more importantly that I liked! I was grateful that he wouldn’t be wearing his leather jacket and jeans! Then there was the cake.

Uncle Stan told my cousin, that he’d make the wedding cake as a gift from him, “It will cost you nothing,” I asked my cousin, to say, “Thank you to Uncle Stan.” After the four-tier cake was made, another cousin took it to a college for a friend to beautifully decorate it, all at no cost to me, as it was a part of her course, Cake Decorating.

My Mistress of Ceremonies Marcy, also let me know I’d needed to buy Thank you, gifts for those who have helped me, she suggested, four potted plants, for each person to have one.

In our invites, we had informed the one hundred guests that, that as we both already have our own homes we didn’t need anything, so we asked as gifts that it be money or Argos vouchers. 

We chose a day and went early on the train to The Jewellery Quarter, there we bought our wedding rings, it was a lovely, lovely day. To me, the sun shined for eight months. Everything was perfect.

Mum asked for £100 and with that she hired the hall for the reception and paid the caterers. The caterers I knew very well, it was Sonja and her Sisters, their fantastic business was well established and sort after! I was lucky to have had her! She must have done Mum some favours too, for with one hundred guests, £100 and the hire of the hall.

From the age of seventeen I’ve always given each month one tenth of what I earn, with a cheerful heart, and I believe God’s blessing was poured out on me concerning the wedding. For I fully believe we can’t out give God, but He gives to us in abundance, I believe this is what I experienced with every single detail of the wedding, His provisions.

My Cousin Toni came to England for a four-month visit, she is a seamstress, she asked me what colour I’d like, then she handmade all the bridesmaids’ dresses and my Chief bridesmaid dress. The material didn’t cost a lot and they looked amazing! You’d have thought they were shop bought, if I’d done them, they’d have all been a laughing stock!

As the majority of the guests didn’t know each other, as both families lived in different Towns, so, from my side of the family and Paul’s side of the family, we decided to have a night, two weeks before the wedding, when everyone was invited to go bowing! About 70% of the guests turned out, it was a great evening, with lots of laughs and gaiety, everyone thought it was a great idea as no one had ever been to a pre-wedding bowling get-to-know-you-before-the-wedding, party before! Everyone thought it was a great idea, it was all Paul’s idea, and a fabulous one it was too.                     

The most expensive single item was the photography by Anand that was £300 and worth every penny, Chris with his own video recorder, would record the whole event, he was more than happy with £50.

Everything seemed to fit into place, perfectly. Then the big day arrived!