22 » pink weddings magazine
Phil and christian
But it didn’t, and the words we used and
the sincerity of our guests’ reacton was
just what commitng to each other was
about. From that high point, i think all the
rest of the parts kept the standard up, but
nothing really was going to beat it.
I was very nervous
beforehand, and
worried that things
like a supplier not
arriving on me would
have a big impact.
But i needn’t have – they all performed
perfectly, beter than i expected, and as
everything went on, i was so pleased to
see what had been going on in my head
for so long become reality. i was thrilled
that it all worked well together. Our
photographer, Marianne taylor, was
deeply skilled in making beautful,
natural shots, and with her assistant
she was able to capture all the key
moments we were oblivious to untl we
saw the pictures.
For the music for the ceremony, the
canapé recepton and during the meal,
we chose a jazz trio, who did a range of
jazz numbers and more recognisable pop
tracks with a jazz feel. i don’t think there
is a civil partnership set of music yet, so
unlike a church wedding where there is so
much traditon, we had so much to
choose from. We had some music we
liked – including the Pearl & dean film
trailer music, asteroid, as we entered
(which is very short so works when you
don’t have far to walk), and a jazz
renditon of abba’s i do, i do, i do, i do, i
do when we signed the register (which
takes longer). We finished on ‘how
romantc’ by Ella Fitzgerald.
searcy’s catering was excellent and
the canapés and food were superb. We
decided to provide all champagne, wine,
sof drinks and beers throughout the
day, and as i have a fair few members of
the family who enjoy real ale, searcys
let us bring a barrel from an outside
supplier and served it without corkage.
this went down well and was empty by
the end. they also let us bring a botle
of port and armagnac for the tables to
have with coffee, so i think guests were
well fed and watered. the venue
manager on the day, Egla, was a true
professional who saw to it that
everything flowed smoothly.
the other key figures in making the
day were our dJs, the Wedding
smashers – they got it just right. We had
a pre-meetng to discuss what should be
there – nothing cheesy, but nothing too
challenging – and they knew how to lay
down some awesome tunes that suited
the huge range of tastes. We gave a list
of about ten songs that we would like to
hear, some suggested by guests on the
website we had set up for rsVPs.
seeing my prety conservatve aunt
in her 60s bustng some moves (star
jumps at one point i think) with a group
of gay men showed they bridged the
divide, and the fact the dance floor was
well occupied right to the end was
testament to their ability to keep the
party jumping.
For the first dance we selected two
songs and did half of each – Kate Bush’s
Wuthering heights spun into Michael
Jackson’s thriller. i’d asked friends to join
us on the floor for thriller, so as that
started, the floor filled and didn’t empty
untl the lights went up. i think that’s the
point of a first dance, and it succeeded.
We had a book for people to leave
us their thoughts and comments, and we
had lots of great wishes and people
saying how good the day was. some even
said to us it had been beter than either
their own weddings or their children’s,
which was a very generous compliment!
aferwards, many of our guests also
wrote to us with their thanks and i
certainly feel that it not only looked
good, but was enjoyable to be a part of.
i was pleased it kept the pace up right
through – there wasn’t a dull moment!