Reader, I married him!

We've just returned from the wedding and honeymoon, knackered but loaded with leftover booze and therefore very happy indeed!

I'm not quite sure how to blog my own wedding day. I kept reminding myself to enjoy every minute, even the tense ones, because it would all be over too quickly. I spent the morning in Harleston with Sophie, who was a calming presence as I was having hair and makeup done. She bought me tea and crumpets, as only a sister knows how. When the woman in the tea shop remarked on the flowers in my hair and both our hair styles and asked if it was a special day, Sophie proudly replied: "Yes, we're getting married". Given how similar we are in appearance, the woman must have thought we were very narcissistic lesbians!

James and I flouted convention by travelling to our wedding together and with a bunch of friends and family on the Happy Bus. Daddy drove and we didn't even end up in a ditch, despite the inevitable rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by a bunch of out of tune drunks on the way home. At one stage, when the singing was particularly loud and out of key, I had a sudden panic because James's mum was on the bus somewhere: I looked back and found her singing her head off, waving her arms around and joining right in. People pulling over in their cars to let the bus pass were really laughing at us. I guess either (a) they could hear the singing or (b) the vision of everyone howling and waving arms without the sound effects was amusing in itself! Another musical highlight of the wedding was Ryan's rendition, complete with harmonica and out-of-key piano, of Piano Man: it was my second favourite moment of the whole day and one that will stay with me for ever (the first was when the registrar said "you may now kiss the bride" and James snogged me good and proper and gave me a triumphant grin afterwards, as if to say "there you go! There's plenty more where that came from!").

As most of you know, we were married in a bar in a brewery thereby proving once and for all that I am capable of organising a piss-up in one! St Peter's, as well as producing jolly good beer, also has a very beautiful medieval hall. Photos will follow. For now, here's one of the lovely place where we spent our honeymoon. We were staying in a B&B at the windmill:

In short, the wedding was just as we wanted it: simple, cosy and involving only the closest of family and friends so that we had all the people we love under one roof.

Mad Irish Julie's mum is probably reading this so I should let her know that her daughter behaved impeccably. She didn't drink too much at all, and certainly didn't accidentally throw any young children into flower gardens. She was so well behaved, in fact, that James's parents want her (and Nicola F-B, her partner in crime) along for the Australian celebrations in December!

Married life rocks!