Dearly beloved, twice blessed

Sunday September 2: no more banns for us to worry about, but we went to mid-morning communion anyway, only to find that, of course, Michael announced the wedding as one of the coming week’s events! Makes it seem really close. Brief chat with Michael on the way out, during which I asked if we could express a preference for one of the two opening passages of the Marriage Service (we can, so we’re going for the traditional “Dearly Beloved” one), and if it would be possible/acceptable for the blessing at the end to be pronounced twice: once in English by Tom, and once in Welsh by Michael (it is, so it will be).

Called Jeff this afternoon to thank him very much indeed for his kind offer of the car, and to see if it still stands. He hadn’t realised that The Event was quite as soon as this coming Friday, but it’s fine, he is able/keen to do it. He also has very definite ideas about how it should be done: he says he likes to do it properly, with ribbons on the car, and a chauffeur’s cap, and he will make sure to be there at the house in plenty of time so I’m not worrying about where he is. He’ll go and pick Peter up some time between 3.30 and 3.45, and be with me shortly after 4.00, and if we’re too early he’ll drive around for a bit – it’s my prerogative to be late, he says.

This is all getting a bit unreal. The good thing is that we’re now just about within range of reliable weather forecast for Friday, and it’s looking not at all bad. I’d hate to have to dash from the car to the church door in a full-length silk kaftan if it was coming down like stair-rods.