A quiet wedding - and a noisy reception

Obviously the most important event of the year so far was the marriage between 38DD and Charlotte up in Blackpool. The two of them had shared a flat for several years - just as friends - but as time went by they decided that the feelings they had needed to be acknowledged and so they got engaged and then married.

 

The six of us went up to Blackpool in two cars. Nicola and Alice (the youngsters ) travelled up with their two Dad's leaving Ella and I to go up on our own. We were all booked into a Premier Inn in Blackpool for the Friday and Saturday nights and that worked well. Didi and Magda came up early on Saturday morning and just stayed for one night in the same hotel as us.

The ceremony was held at a venue that was too small for anybody other than close family to attend so for most of us the celebrations started when the happy couple arrived at the hotel. As usual the photographs took far too long but the photographer had a list of what he wanted to do and nothing was going to speed him up!

The reception after the ceremony was a great success. The hotel where 38DD works gave a very generous discount on the usual price for the venue and the catering company that employs Charlotte provided the food and drink at pretty much cost price. Well done to both employers for being so generous and kind!

There were lots of people there that we knew well so a memorable afternoon and evening was pretty much guaranteed. Almost all the Blackpool "gang" were there for part, most or all of the reception.  The most notable absentee was Di from Leeds (who actually lives in Preston) who was out of the country on holiday - she missed a treat.  We were particularly pleased to see North Pier I who looked particularly smart in his 3-piece suit.

One thing that weddings teach me is how little overlap there is between some of my circles of friends. It can come as quite a shock to realise that although I know 38DD very well I have other equally close friends who have never met her and wouldn't even recognise her name. Ella pointed this out to me, not for the first time, when I wondered aloud why none of the Penarth and Barry group had been invited to the reception!

The husbands and little ones had had a lovely time without us but it was still something of an anti-climax for all of us to have to drive back home on Sunday.