Our first Saint wedding

After many preparations, arrangements, and last minute details, we were ready for the wedding at last, and by 2.30 pm we were seated. The chapel started filling up slowly, and by 3 pm there was standing room only (not quite, but it was very full). We had a mixed bag of guests – I don’t think the Baptist Chapel has ever housed two Bishops, a few JWs, one Bahai (and a partridge in a pear tree). The bridal party arrived about 25 minutes late, by which time the guests and particularly the groom were becoming a little anxious. But, eventually they appeared and proceeded down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon played on the organ. Sharon looked extremely lovely, and Nigel couldn’t keep his eyes off her, soaking in every detail. While Sharon was walking down the aisle, Nick dashed around through the schoolroom, so he was standing in the front when the couple reached the stage – a little trick he learned from Leigh, who married us! The service and ceremony all went off smoothly, and our song item was applauded. After the church part, Nigel and Sharon stood outside the chapel, and all the guests greeted them (no confetti or anything), milling about on the street. Fortunately, being a Saturday afternoon, there weren’t too many cars going by! Then there were photos at Castle Gardens, while the guests made their way to Kingshurst Community Centre. We went home for a while, got the boys organised and took them to Elza and Sarel, chatted a while, and then went to the reception – I was worrying that we would be late in arriving, but actually we had to sit around for quite a while before everyone else arrived. The reception was a bit strange. Not a nice venue, and no hors d’ouvres while we waited. But the food was plentiful and tasty, the usual Saint array of chicken legs, roast beef, pork and gammon, roast potatoes, vegetables, rice and curry, and salads. Very good! Nick and I were seated at a table with a cousin and uncle of Sharon’s, neither of whom were talkative, so Nick and I mostly made our own conversation, or walked around a bit. Pudding was another feast in itself with a variety of dishes. By 7.45 we were feeling inclined to leave, as we still had to get the boys into bed. We left before the cutting of the cake and speeches. The other guests, the ones not invited to the dinner, were starting to arrive just then for the party which was only starting at 8. On the whole, a very good wedding.