not a performance: the wedding wrap-up

I’ll be straight up.  The true purpose of this post is for me to show off my ridiculously good looking family and share some photos from Ant and Flic’s wedding on Saturday night.  Just as long as we both recognise this for what it is. Deal?

Saturday was steamy.  The sun emerged from wherever it had been hiding during the week and shone gloriously for Ant and Flic’s big day. We were standing outside of the church awaiting Felicite’s arrival: five children in various stages of heat-induced unlikely participation.  I was backing the Little Sister out.  So convinced was I of her non-performance, I had asked my in-laws to sit at the back of the church so she had some familiar faces to be with during the ceremony.

Father Mark stepped outside to wait for Flic.  I love it when priests to do that.  Fr Stan met me outside the church with a few steadying words before I walked down the aisle to Bearhands all those years ago.  Fr Mark said to the Dad looking after the other children “Now we’re not going to make kids do anything they don’t want to do.  Whatever happens happens.”  I had no intention of making the girls do anything they weren’t keen on.  Not because I was calm or embracing serene parenting, but because you can’t make the Little Sister do anything she’s not keen on.

When Flic arrived Fr Mark said something I’ll remember to tell my girls when it’s their turn (in forty years!).

This is not a performance.  We’re well dressed and we have nice things to show how important today is, but there is only one outcome we need to achieve today and that’s for you two to commit your lives to each other.

Then we got started and what do you know?  The Little Sister walked down that aisle – forgetting to empty her flower petals on the floor.  After Bearhands reminded her about the basket, she dumped her entire petal quota in the remaining two metres to the altar and then held the basket aloft in triumph.  The Big Sister fulfilled her duties exactly as requested, then plonked herself down next to me on a pew and declared her dress too itchy and her shoes too tight.

There were a few times during the ceremony when tears threatened, but I cuddled my two tulle-covered, sweaty angels, stroked their hair and, at points, gave them the look (universal mother code for “this is a church, sit up properly, and don’t you dare take another step toward the alter”).

Ant and Flic promised each other all manner of things, kissed, signed the registry and just like that I gained a Sister-in-Law and the girls’ a new aunt.

Nan and the Big Sister

Signing the register

Ant, Mausie, Flic and JC

Ant and I

Ant, Flic and our Nanna

my beautiful family

The Big Sister

the cake

Cutting the cake

It was a fabulous day.  The speeches were the perfect combination of heartfelt and funny and the band kept the dance floor filled.  Ant and Flic chose ‘A wink and a smile’ as their first dance.  My three men loved their cufflinks and Bearhands did a fabulous job as MC.  He maintains that he ran out of time to make a gag about my Mum, but I reckon he chickened out. wimp.

I haven’t spoken to my Mother-in-law in eighteen months.                                                                                 I didn’t want to interrupt her.

what was your wedding day like?
did anyone give you a pre-wedding pep talk?