A major part of the whirlwind of the last few months was the wedding. I didn’t think I’d ever get married and I suspect that many people I know didn’t expect it either. Some of it has been just that I was never that girl who planned it out from an early age. So with no one else to answer to, we arranged a wedding that we would want to go to – one that was fun with great food but that was not particularly wedding-y in terms of tradition or ceremony.
I was all for running off and marrying on a beach but I was convinved otherwise. I am so pleased I was. It was a special couple of days that I am thrilled we shared with people we care about and who care about us. The small group of friends and family who came made it a really special day. Nobody knew each other at the beginning of the weekend, but I think people left as firm friends. One of my favourite memories from the day is everyone squeezed into the ridiculous stretch SUV I’d found, laughing, joking with one another and popping champagne corks. Priceless.
Another element I never expected was the location – we married in Vegas. I had been there for many gruelling trade shows. But the more we thought about it, the more it made sense. For a start, the town isn’t exactly a stranger to weddings! It’s easy to get to, has fab hotels, great restaurants and lots to do. I admit I did look into the chapels and even the drive through weddings but couldn’t quite face the tackiness (veils and bouquet for hire by the half hour!). The hotels didn’t seem quite right either so the wedding ceremony itself was held outside the city, in the beautifully rugged Red Rock Canyon. It was simple and moving. We all stood on a boardwalk in the afternoon sunshine as the Reverend presided over a really personal event. She had gone to the trouble of finding out about us by talking to us both individually and together and even showed up wearing leopard print shoes to match my sash! My father gave a reading of a poem he had written for us and made everyone cry, even the officiant! He then pulled a vial of whiskey out of his cane and we each had a swig. I can honestly say that it was the first time I have seen that happen!
I’m still smiling though – it really was perfect.