The wedding

Perfumed Daphne

My bottom has at last sat itself upon a chair....

Snowdrops

Last week the family came home.
D2 iced  D1and C's 3 tier wedding cake (while I HAD to look after baby A! such a hardship! Let me at her- she is just smiley smiley smiley). We went to Eslington Villas for lunch to celebrate D3s 30th birthday (and D2's 32nd)- a secret from her who thought in the excitement we'd all forgotten her big day of becoming elderly!

Relaxation with bridesmaids and dvds....

Then amid photographers, manicures, pedicures (thank heaven for Layla) hairdressers, florists, makeup artists, etc we prepared for D1 and C's big day...... The bride had something old (a  1950s sixpence), something new ( her dress), something borrowed (a pearl pin from her sister's bouquet) and something blue (dress lift loops inside her bridal gown) and a silver sixpence in her shoe. No 'hoy oot' as there were no children available to catch the coins thrown by the bride's father- (there is a chickenpox epidemic here).

A vintage car took bridesmaids and mother of the bride to the church; son-in-law M and baby A followed us. The only sour note in a beautiful day and I shall not even deign to detail the keep-fit lady (nay she was no lady) who made M move the car (containing the baby) so she could park outside the church.

The marriage service was concelebrated and the registrar P was as delightful, relaxing and efficient as she always is.

We did a 'takeover' of Beamish Hall; fires blazing.... M playing the music during canapes and aperitifs... the WinterGardens looked beautiful, Master of Ceremonies was super and I don't think I am biased in saying the meal and the service were excellent.
D1 had done the stationery (based around the black and white theme - Newcastle United?) which was much admired and the 3 tier cake was baked by me, iced by D2 and cut in the evening when more guests had arrived.(and when there were a variety of burgers, chip cones etc served) Hip Operation played live and we danced till coaches at 1 a.m.

We awoke to beautiful snow drifts!

We dined in yet another magnificent dining room for breakfast (Bobby Shaftoe must have had a lot of money from his entrepreneurial exploits)

Local farmers ploughed us out about lunchtime and we headed home for another wee party with some of the kids- relaxing playing table football , eating sweets and spring rolls!
Between the lot of us we may not have two hapennies left to rub together but it was SO worth it.....

Everyone has gone now , beds and towels washed and dryed in the glorious sunshine all week; we emptied the chuch of wedding flowers since it is Lent and now the house is perfumed with ivory lilies, roses, freesias.

There! You asked- so that should bring you up to date.....

My blue hyacinths cast a sweetness ALL over the house and will always remind me of the Princess Mary Maternity Hospital (long gone and gentrified into luxury apartments) and L's birth 30 years ago.

Now my mind turns to Spring... seed potatoes, compost, Lenten hellebores, and daffodils.

Easter can't be far away! Planning my bonnet.......