I've been to a marvelous party

And I have. This weekend just gone was the wedding of my best friend up in Leeds and I was her chief bridesmaid. I don’t know when the happy couple will get a chance to read this but when they do I just want to say - I had a fantastic time and I’m so happy for the pair of you I can’t even begin to describe it. After a bit of a mishap at the start (the car with the mother of the bride and the bridesmaids actually got to the church AFTER the bride and her father because the chauffeur went the wrong way and had to do a u-turn to avoid going miles in the wrong direction…) and the fact that I was told to wait for the bride but at the wrong door (thankfully that got sorted out before she arrived properly so I was in the right place) things went off rather smoothly. The vicar was rather interested in the details of the old London Routemaster double-decker bus (in Halifax colours) that had been hired to take the guests to the reception and that seemed a little strange at the time. All was however explained when in the middle of the address he announced that he was terribly privileged to be doing this wedding because of the bus! He then went on to talk quite a bit about said bus much to everyone’s bemusement. Mind you, once I saw the bus I could tell why. It was fantastic. One of the old sort with a conductor on it and everything and the reaction through Leeds was amazing, people were waving and taking photos, it was really special. Once the ceremony was over (cue bridesmaid desperately trying not to cry) and the photos were in full swing I had the complete honour to be the one to catch the bouquet* and I am utterly dreading the photos of said catch – I’m said to look rather determined… The reception was in a fantastic old gentlemans club in the centre of Leeds, it even had listed male toilets! The procession of various females (with male escorts of course) to view these was quite a sight to see :) Apart from that I danced too much, I probably drank too much (although I blame quite a bit of that on a) the bar staff who got measures confused and gave me a HUGE full glass, eek and b) the bride who got another of said huge glasses and, as I found out later, was not above pouring it into mine when I wasn’t looking and c) and rather nice man called Ben who insisted on getting me another, thankfully smaller but still rather large glass and I hate not finishing drinks people have bought me) and I hope that the groom’s father forgives me for dragging him out onto the dance floor for quite a long dance when his feet were hurting (sorry). All in all, quite a marvelous party. The birthday (wet unfortunately - bloody weather!) barbeque I went to the next day was also completely lovely and it was really, really strange to see so many people again. Just sitting in the living room with people talking and drinking was so familiar that it almost felt like the last 2 ½ years away from Leeds were just a dream and I hadn’t really gone anywhere. Luckily for me, it wasn’t. I had been somewhere and I have met this wonderful man who wants to marry me and all is right with the world. Even my cold can’t get me down right at this moment  *and I take this opportunity to apologise wholly and completely for any black eyes etc that may have been caused in the scuffle…