A wonderful weekend in Bristol

Last weekend we managed to fit a lot in. We visited one of our favourite people, caught up with a lot of Jamie's family and got to celebrate with Vicky and Graham on their wedding day.

Unfortunately my camera is playing up and my phone ran out of battery half way through the wedding so I haven't got many photos but I can work with what I've got.

We drove down Thursday night after putting Fred to 'bed' in his car seat. Our plan was fool proof, Fred would sleep all the way and then seamlessly transfer in to a ready travel cot when we arrived. Unfortunately he woke up when we got there. That night he woke up a few times and couldn't cope at 5am when it was unexpectedly light. (he has a black out blind in his bedroom) from 5am he spent the next 3 hours in our bed. 

I got pushed out, but I didn't mind. 

He is cute enough to make up for it.

On Friday Fran took us on a whistle stop tour of Bristol. 

I wanted a selfie on the Clifton suspension bridge, it took a few takes.

We enjoyed lunch outside in the sunshine. I particularly enjoyed listening to the conversation of the impossibly posh couple on the next table. Bristol is VERY good for people watching.

Saturday was the day of the wedding.

Vicky (Jamie's sister) wore a beautiful pe-loved gown and her Grandmothers pearls. She looked stunning, and Graham knew it. Neither of them stopped grinning all day.

The wedding was at Goldney Orangery, the gardens surrounding are beautiful.

 Fred enjoyed exploring and playing with his Dad and Grandpa on the grass most of the afternoon.

 

I was kindly lent my dress by one of Fran's housemates. 

It was lovely to feel so glamorous for the day. The only draw back of the dress was that I had to take it off to feed Fred. It was a nightmare!

Fran lives in a massive 5 storey house with over 20 others including two families. They eat together most evenings and are committed to living in unity as a Christian community. It was wonderful to stay with people who are purposfully putting others before themselves and trying to serve each other everyday. I think it would be great to live there as a single person but I really don't know how the couples and families manage, they must be blessed with a lot of patience!

Look what arrived in the post! (30 before 30)

A Large brown box...

 

With my wedding dress inside! 

Cleaned and folded into a fancy box with lots of tissue paper.

  

I didn't take it out because i knew i wouldn't be able to put it back properly, but i used the opportunity to practice some up close shots of the lace and things on the bodice.

James and Hannah's Wedding

It was a lovely day filled with friends, chats, dancing and good food. 

The service was filled with Worship and God's awesome teaching.

 

For the whole day there was a great relaxed and celebratory atmosphere, exactly right for a wedding of two such welcoming and loving people.

I was so proud of my best man (I know... I have just made myself feel ill)

  Jamie and Dave were the best men and they did a great job, they had a lot of organising, guiding and herding of people (although it could have been cows as the reception was in a barn on a dairy farm) to do and they did it well!

Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of Dave, he was rushing around too much.

Dinner was great I managed to sit with some awesome people and great Friends

 James' speech was brilliantly funny and loving

As I said a lovely day!

The day of Cupcakes

 All of the practising and preparing for making the cupcakes for James and Hannah's Wedding paid off. 

 It took a whole day and three people to make and ice 130 cupcakes.

The day of baking arrived and my super talented friend Abbie proved immensely helpful and lovely because she gave up a whole day to help me.

The (A) team... 

The naked cakes...

 

 Jen who I have also mentioned before (she is beautiful) came and did a stirling job of icing with me whilst Abbie whizzed up the frosting.

 Some of the finished cakes

It was an exhausting and long day, but I think it was worth it!

10 Awesome things about summer

Please be warned. 

I get quite excitable about summer. 

IT IS AWESOME. there may be a few too many !!!! within this post.

 I can make no apology for them. 

The mood I'm in right now warrants that many.

1. The SUN!!!

2. Awesome fruit (the photo below is a few years old but well worth a re-visit. -I LOVE pineapple)

 3. Camping trips!!!

4. Getting to wear pretty dresses (and flouncing- I flounce a lot when I wear nice dresses!)

5. Which leads me to weddings

6. The eccentric nature of the British really comes out in the summer. (seriously who else would play croquet?)

7. BBQ's (Natch I am English after all!!!)

8.Going in the sea!!! (I've done it on new years day- its not to be recommended, far tooooo cold!!!)

 9. How much better we all look in the sun! Which kind of goes hand in hand with the sun making my hair blonder!

 10. Last but definitely not least BANK HOLIDAYS!!!!!!

and thank you oh so much lovely Queeney for having been on the throne for 60 years. 

I am really happy about this extra bank holiday.

 I will be celebrating your reign with a tea party at church on the Sunday and hopefully a lovely gathering of friends over a barbecue on the Tuesday!

 I will be raising my cider filled glass to you and exclaiming heartily "Long live the Queen" (because if for nothing else,I 'm afraid old prince Charlie will not be patch on you!)

Our wedding Day

 I hope you don't mind my indulgent nature in wanting to share some of our memories form our wedding day. We had an amazing day surrounded by so many people we love and we were able to worship and thank God for the wonderful gifts he has given us in each other, family and friends.

It was a cold and windy day there were a couple of dramas and my hair got battered in the wind. But I wouldn't change anything!

There are so many bits to every wedding so I am going to spilt it up a bit in to a few posts. I'm starting with the church and group shots...

 Our proud parents

 

I absolutely love the big group photographs! they look great as a whole but are also a bit like Wheres Wally? because they are loads of different stories and scenarios within them. 

Look out for my mum looking lost on the edge, and try to count how many people are being distracted.

 Its fun.

It Rained. 

For some reason I haven't seen that umbrella or my pashmina since, it is still a mystery...

My family...

Love this check out Arianne's dubious face!

But they did manage it!