pink weddings magazine » 23
When I looK bacK at oUr day
, i remember
buterflies were doing an irish jig in my stomach, while Mike seemed
so cool, calm and collected. We were awoken in our suite at 5am with
a light room-service breakfast and four different alarm calls, which
made sure we woke up! our morning was calm and quiet, giving Mike
and me the chance to enjoy our breakfast. our best team were told
only to disturb us before 7am if there was an emergency.
Lo and behold, 7am arrived and our team were at the door, ready
and excited. Before we knew it, champagne corks were flying and the
mayhem had started. For the next 15 minutes it felt like organised
chaos but ever so much fun.
The limo arrived at the Hilton Metropole at 7.15am and Mike, our
best team, witnesses and i were all bundled in for our five-minute
drive to the register office. We hadn’t antcipated that our route to
Brighton’s Town Hall would be blocked by various TV broadcast vans
but it only took 11 minutes longer than planned and so we arrived
fashionably late at 7.35am.
on arrival, our best team started to make sure everything was
ready. Meanwhile, Mike and i were free to face the world’s press as
we made our way into the beautfully decorated register office. Before
we even had tme to realise what was happening it was close to 8am
and Mike and i were in the ceremony room hearing a countdown to
the very moment that civil partnerships became law in england.
Trevor Love, our registrar and close friend, was getng us and our
witnesses ready to sign the official register and we became one of the
first couples in the Uk to legally enter a civil partnership.
The ceremony that followed was beautful and there was not a
dry eye in the room. Suddenly it seemed we were outside in front of
hundreds of well-wishers and more media. our day had truly begun.
The wedding breakfast was fun and literal – yes we really did have
breakfast: hash browns, fried eggs, bacon and baked beans were all
on the menu at 9am. afer speeches, interviews and present opening
it was 2pm and we were in our suite sipping champagne, the day was
almost over.
I guess what Mike and I are
trying to say is that no
matter what you plan for
your day, make sure you
savour and enjoy every
minute of it because before
you know it the day is over.
it’s amazing how much tme can be taken up planning this one
special day only to have it zip past so fast, but you will have some
fantastc memories for years to come.
Gino and Mike