One Down, One To Go...

Well, we've done it. Tied the knot. Gotten hitched. Taken the plunge.

Legally, I am married.

Ahhhhhhh! Weiiiiirddd! WHat?! How did that happen? I feel so old!!!

Ok, sorry, had to get it out of my system. I mean, believe me, it's a good weird. But that doesn't make it any less of a strange idea to get used to.

So, how did the epic day go? Well, I'd say it went pretty near perfect. Don't get me wrong, there were issues. Obviously, my family (other than an aunt and uncle) were not in attendance. It rained (What? In England? Nooo, surely you jest!). When we left the ceremony room, the registry office lounge was packed with people waiting to go into the room for the next ceremony. The food at the reception took forever to be served.

But to be honest, nothing really bothered me (well the family part did, but I sorta came to terms with that weeks ago). I went into the day planning on being positive, and thus, had a magnificent time. 

Want the story? I know you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't still be reading. Well, I shall quench your desire. Enjoy.

What do you think of my "something blue"? 'Murica!

9:00 Wake up. 

Yawn. So early. I'm a big fan of the whole sleeping in thing. Coffee was a no-no this morning (let's not yellow the bride's teeth on the morning of the wedding!), so I got to indulge in my guilty pleasure of Monster energy drinks. The blue one. YUM!

Made myself and my friend Caitlin breakfast- sausage, egg, bacon, and cheese skillet. Delish. And not the most healthy of things, but hey, on a day so stressful, why not at least make sure your tummy is happy?!

10:00 Begin to get ready.

Sloooooowly. I have a bad habit of rushing when putting on makeup. Now, I worked at Sephora for a year (seriously an amazing job, just for the free makeup ;-), so I can do makeup pretty well (sorry, tooting my own horn a little here). However, this was not a day to speed through, but one to savor.

Oh yeah, and it was about this time when the mimosas started. Booze and juice? Yes please! Fun fact: In the UK, they are called "Bucks Fizz", thanks to the creation of the drink at the London's Bucks Club in 1921. The mimosa was invented in France 4 years later. Actually, a Bucks Fizz is two parts orange juice and one part champagne, while a mimosa is equal measures. Thus, we were drinking mimosas (more booze;-). 

11:00 Hair Time.

Big thanks to my new sister-in-law, Georgia, for tackling the laborious task that is my hair!

Also combined with hair and mimosa time was Skype time with my mother! It was 6am Florida time, so you can understand the dedication of my mother to be involved. And the dogs of course. Can't get ready for a wedding without the dogs being involved. 

12:00 Leave for Registry Office.

No great adventure story here, it was a car ride. Pretty sure you have all done one of those before. Again, thanks to Georgia for driving us!

1:15 Pre-Ceremony Interview with Registrar

This was a litte nerve-racking. We'd already gone through the interview, when we gave our intention to wed. Doing it again, right before the ceremony? Well, I sure hope I pass the interview, seeing we already paid! I mean, it's not like the questions were hard, I know my dad's name and my address and such, but still.. This did not help the butterflies!

Spoiler alert: I passed. No issues. 

1:30 Ceremony.

D'awwww. 
Our ceremony was at the Weybridge Registy Office in Weybridge, Surrey. It's a classic old manor house which is the perfect setting for a English wedding. 

The ceremony was short, no more than 30 minutes. Concise and to the point, and conducted in a fabulous British accent, I could hardly believe how fast everything was going by. Nobody gave reasons why we should not be married, and there were no mistakes on the vows by either the Bride or the Groom. All of the sudden, we were husband and wife! Clapping, smiles, and a few tears, and then- party time!

2:30 Reception

Our "reception" was a small, personal affair. It was not like a normal American reception, with dining and dancing until dawn.  We had about 20 guests, and rented out part of a local pub, The Swan. Quaint and idyllic, it provided a comfy place for relaxing and chatting. A small buffet and nice bar tab kept everyone content for several hours. Rght outside the pub was the Thames, filled with, surprise, swans. The rain came and went in normal UK fashion, providing oppotunities to wander along the river for a bit of alone time.

About 7pm, my new hubbie and I headed off to our accomodation for the night, the wonderful Brooklands Hotel. A little room service and Harry Potter rounded out the day in perfect fashion. The next morning we headed back home, and for me, back to work. Just a tiny "honeynight", but fitting for this wedding.

So, in a nutshell, that was my wedding day! Simple, relaxed, and calm. Perfect for a first wedding!

Number 2, however, is going to be quite different....