We wanted the whole day to
feel really personal and to
bring out the right emotions
in everyone at the right
times, so we spent a lot of
time and energy
choreographing the music
and choosing the readings.
We arrived at the ceremony in one of the removal vans
from my company, Van Girls. Of course we put ribbons on
the front and one of the Van Girls drove us. We walked into
the ceremony to London Grammar’s
Strong
, to make the
hairs on the back of everyone’s necks stand on end. It still
does that to me whenever I hear it.
We sang, together with all our guests,
Bridge over
TroubledWater
by Simon and Garfunkel in the middle of the
ceremony. It was extremely moving. We didn’t write our
own vows but chose the ceremony wording that felt closest
to what we would write.
As I used to be in the Fire Brigade, we had a guard of
honour for us to come in through and for everyone to leave
through, with their ceremonial axes raised.
The readings we chose were
Yes I’ll Marry You My Dear
by
Pam Ayres and an extract from
Lighthousekeeping
by
JeanetteWinterson. The first was more light-hearted, and the
second set me off crying before we’d even got to the vows.
We didn’t have any bridesmaids. We walked each other
down the aisle, with both our parents in the front row. We
did have lots of help from friends and parents though – with
our make-up, decorating the reception venue in the
morning, driving us to and from the ceremony, making the
cake, writing speeches and doing readings. Maja’s mum got
all the flowers from Covent Garden flower market and
Emma’s mum made 40 metres of bunting!
After the ceremony the guests got the 91 bus to The Earl
Haig Hall, which is our local pub.We love it and go there a
lot! It’s an old British Legion club with tons of character. They
have a huge side room, which terrified our parents when they
24 » pink weddings magazine
Emma and maja
