Thursday September 6: Sioned came up early to raid the garden. By an
enormous stroke of good luck, Jude the Obscure has produced two flowers and a
bud, and Lady Emma Hamilton has produced a flower – all of these will probably
go in my bouquet. Sioned also took some lavender, rosemary, sweet peas and
oregano (or is it marjoram? I can never tell the difference just by looking)
all of which will go into the table decorations. She’s coming up at 2.30
tomorrow with the bouquet, the fascinator, and Peter’s buttonhole, then she’ll
deliver Jules’ and Frank’s buttonholes to the church, where hopefully they’ll
be waiting for her. And for me too!
Jules & I whizzed into Denbigh for various
last-minute errands, including putting the Jazz through the car-wash – we might
not be going to church in it, but it would be nice to go to France
Norma arrived just about lunchtime. They - she and the
friend who kindly gave her a lift to North Wales - got lost somewhere around Nantglyn, thanks to using satnav (I did warn her!)
but found us in the end.
Rehearsal at 4.30: the five of us arrived a few
minutes early, to see Peter’s car outside and Tom & Debs walking up to the
church, so they’d met Peter and introduced themselves by the time we got there,
with Rhian just behind us. Good to see Tom with a big confident grin – it makes
me feel more confident too! Strange, though, to see friends from different
areas of one’s life all meeting up in the same place for the same purpose.
Michael commented on our punctuality – it’s unusual, apparently – then it was
down to sorting out who needed to be where, and in what order. Michael has
given Petal “reserved” notices to make sure the people who have to get in and
out to read, and witness the signing of the register at the end, have seats at
the end of a pew, so they’re able to do all their getting in and out without
falling over sundry bodies on the way. Clo had hoped to come to the rehearsal
so she could practise her reading again, and be sure at what point she has to
go up to read, but she couldn’t get back from college in time; however, Michael
has suggested that she and Debs go up at the same time then come back at the
same time, as they’re reading one after the other, which seems like a good idea.
Straight run-through then, starting with me and Peter
outside the door: somebody tells Tom, and he’s straight into the opening of the
“St Anne”, and we start (slowly) processing. First hitch was I felt a tug on my
arm, and found Peter heading off towards the centre of the church, rather than
following Michael to the right, around the back as specified … he did seem to
feel it was reasonable we should follow the prescribed path when I pointed it
out to him, though, and we ended at the chancel steps in perfect time to the
music. Just as well – Tom says we can’t take any longer, as he’s only practised
the first eighteen bars of the “St Anne”! Michael makes a brief welcome, then
it’s the first hymn, and Peter sits down (no “who giveth this woman …” these
days) and I give my flowers to Norma so I have my hands free. The first thing
that happens, of course, is that Michael asks if anybody knows of any just
cause why we shouldn’t be married – he says somebody normally coughs at that
stage (Jules and I are betting it’ll be Pete) then it’s into the ceremony
proper. We went through all the bits we have to repeat after Michael, and he
told us about speaking clearly when we say ”I will” because everybody will want
to hear us, and when we get to the rings I have to remember to take Jules’ ring
in my left hand (as I’ll be on his
left) in order to more easily put it on his left hand. Michael says he will
take the rings from Frank and move them around a bit on his prayer-book (why?),
so I said, please don’t drop them, and he said, at least there isn’t a grating
in front of the chancel step … Once he’s pronounced us man and wife, he says we
can hold hands – “that’s allowed” – but I don’t think he says “you may kiss the bride” – perhaps that only happens
in films. Then we go and sign the register, and process out, slowly. Provided I
can dissuade Peter from making unnecessary detours around the church, I think
it should all go pretty smoothly. Just before we left, Michael handed me a card addressed to "The Bride & Groom". which he said had been left in front of the altar - turned out it was from Judith & the choir, which is so kind of them.
Back home for a much-needed cup of tea (to be followed
before too long by something a good deal stronger!) then Jules and Frank went
and packed bags and left – I’m still wondering if one of them will be back some
time tomorrow for something Jules has forgotten. Petal and I then decided some
Dutch comfort was long overdue so we retrieved the second bottle of bubbly from
the fridge (only got through one yesterday) and it was Kir Royal all round.
Supper, a good deal of setting the world to rights, then bed.
This time tomorrow I’ll be Mrs Mitchell-Dawson.
