{Part 1} Here Comes The Bride

On the morning of our wedding, I got a text from James wishing me a happy wedding day, and telling me that exactly a year ago, I had quit my job to plan the wedding we were meant to have in Bombay that October.

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It was then that it hit me – the day that we had been hoping of, dreaming, planning and re-planning across two continents and almost two years was finally here! And even though it turned out to be completely different from the big wedding we had originally envisioned, it couldn’t have been more perfect, more intimate, or more ‘us’. Here’s how it all started:

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My mom, the only guest from my family, flew down to Manchester for the wedding, and, along with James’ family, James and I, moved into the Great John St. Hotel – an absolutely gorgeous old building which used to be a school for little children back in the 1800′s. Mom and I shared a room the night before the wedding (as per tradition) and we couldn’t have asked for a better one – ours was spread across two floors, had a walk-in closet, a massive bathroom and a bathtub right near the bed!

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I set my alarm for 8am, but instead, was woken up at 6am by manic messaging from friends and family back home (who apparently forgot about the five and a half hour time difference!) wishing me good luck and congratulating us in advance.

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I took a little time out to hide in the closet before the chaos began and write James a love letter since we had decided not to read our own vows at the ceremony. I then helped mum pick out a few finishing touches to her outfit, showered, moisturized, called room service for some coffee and asked house cleaning to tidy up our room before everyone started to arrive shortly.

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While I had asked my hair stylist, makeup artist and photographer to arrive at 9am, the absolutely lovely Michel, who I had met the week before at my home for a makeup trial, arrived a half hour early because she was so enthusiastic and didn’t want to miss a second of the festivities! (How great is she?)

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Shortly after, just as the clock struck nine, my hair stylist, Carl and photographer, David arrived. Coffee was soon replaced with glasses of bubbly and the atmosphere was punctuated with giggles, excited chatter, camera clicks and the sound of blow dryers doing their thing.

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However, then, as it always does, wedding day drama struck! James’ waistcoat which was meant to arrive that morning at 7 still hadn’t shown up. The groom would have get married in a two piece suit! Is that even a thing? Everyone was in a bit of a flap. The bride, predictably,  more so than the rest.

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But just when my wardrobe worries had reached their peak, there was a knock on my door and a busboy walked in with the most beautiful bunch of flowers and a love letter from James! Apparently we both had the same idea to write one other love letters to read on the morning of the wedding! Reading his letter really helped put me in a more positive mood and I couldn’t have felt happier to be walking down the aisle and be marrying this incredible boy.

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I returned the busboy with my own letter for James and right after he left, there was another knock on my door. The lovely Natalie from the reception desk at the hotel swooped into my room and announced that I needn’t worry and that she would solve the vest issue! Sure enough, ten minutes later, James had his waistcoat on and everything was back on track. (I don’t know how she did it, but the woman is my hero!)

 

Speaking of heroes, a few minutes later, I was surrounded by three! My mom, my friend (and our wedding witness) Nicola and James’ mum Catherine who stopped by to wish me luck, give me a hug and give my mom a beautiful corsage to wear at the ceremony. I felt so happy and lucky to be in the company of all these lovely ladies on such a big day, that it really put me at ease knowing that my friends back home would know I was in the best hands possible, even though they couldn’t be there themselves.

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Before I knew what, it was twenty minutes till we had to leave for the ceremony! My mum zipped up my dress, and as I walked out of the bathroom, it happened. That magical movie moment every girl dreams of. The one where you first step out in your dress on your wedding day with your hair and makeup done and everyone in the room gasps and gets teary. I felt like a princess!

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My mom then helped me put my shoes on (it’s REALLY hard to bend over in a massive dress!), I tossed a few things I needed in my purse, did a last minute hair and makeup touch-up, grabbed my bouquet and prepared to slowly descend the stairs that led me to my Prince Charming.

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I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful, perfect, magical morning. But as it turns out, it only got better, because the next part of my day, the part where we promised ourselves to one another forever…well, that deserves a whole story of its very own!

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Photography: Copyright David Stubbs Photography | Everthine Photo