On Saturday 2 July 2011 I gained a new son-in-law. Daughter #2 has married a wonderful man and I couldn’t be happier for them both. They both laughed their way through the day from beginning to end, which is a great way to start their married life.
We had watched the weather with great trepidation, knowing that this was the one thing that we could not organise. A wet weather plan was in place but a warm sunny day and evening was hoped for, so we could have Pimms on the lawn after the church service.
The hotel overlooked the Solent, a strait between 
Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. I was woken up early on Saturday by the Brittany Cross Channel ferry arriving at 6:00 am. Knowing my cousin from France was on the ferry, it was fun to watch it coming in. I knew we were in luck with the weather, it was one of those very slightly misty and still, early mornings. The sea was like a mill-pond and I could see the reflection of the ferry.
Every moment was meticulously planned and the whole day went smoothly. This was mainly due to the timetable we were given!! The bridesmaids were expected to arrive at 8:30 am at hotel, and 10 minutes later we left for the coffee shop, where at 8:45 coffees were collected for the hairdresser’s 9:00 appointment. My daughter was far from a ‘Bridezilla’, that is not her character. She was cheerful and calm in the knowledge that we all knew where we had to be at what time.
Daughter #2 had her hair put up in curls and the pearl and crystal tiara was put in place, with little diamante pins strategically placed through the curls. Ready for the full length veil to be added when back at the hotel. Her dress was a vision in heavy ivory silk, edged in beading and sequins. 
The bridesmaids had the prettiest blue dresses, which glowed in the sun. I now appreciate why the colour was called Summer Blue. In their hair, they wore pale grey/blue feather slides and they carried blue hydrangea and white rose posies. The hydrangeas, varied in colour and had a slightly mauve tinge to some of the petals.
The bride’s bouquet was a large posy of ivory roses, circled with gypsophilia. If you look carefully, there is just a slight hint of green at the tip of some of the petals. My mother has it now, sitting proudly in her room.
The bouquet and the bridesmaids posies were then placed in vases on the top table. The other tables, had chunky low square glass vases with a blue hydrangea mop head, a couple of cream roses and twisted bear grass.
The whole day was a happy family and friend gathering which ended in a marvellous party in the evening, with a casino where people could play black jack and roulette for fun money and, of course, the disco for people to dance the night away, and that is exactly what they did. Me? I am a lightweight and headed off for my bed before midnight, but I understand that the Newly Weds said good bye to their last guests shortly after 1:30 a.m. and I expect they were still laughing.
