Fiona and James' big wedding 30th April 2022

What a fabulous photo! James and Fiona enjoying the moment. Believe it or not, Jackie (the person who seldom takes photos) took this one

The wedding Venue, Walton Hall, nr. Wellesbourne

The wedding of the century has now happened. Fiona (Brian's daughter) and James were married yesterday at 12.30.

The rehearsal last Sunday started the week, at Alex’s on Monday I asked if I could borrow her bag and fascinator from her wedding. Their house is in a constant state of flux, so she’d look them out for me. I did think on Tuesday perhaps I’d better tell her that yes, the wedding is Saturday, but we go on Friday lunchtime! We managed to dash over on Thursday after meeting our homeowners and dogs for our first Housesit in a couple of weeks (we had a lovely day, walked the dogs and were taken out to lunch, and lots of chat).

Jackie's wedding nails, by Jenny (appointments available!)

4 gorgeous girls, Jenny, Abbie, Fiona & Becky

Friday we were due at Fiona’s 12.30 ish, to see her before she went to the final planning meeting. I’d booked Jenny (Brian's youngest granddaughter) to do my nails, a first for me, and they are lovely, I’m all blinged up. Brian popped back to mums to collect Denise’s hat and fascinator that I’d also borrowed (options are good) and then forgotten! He came back with lunch for us and Jenny, Becky and Abbie (Brian's three granddaughters) which was much appreciated. We were meant to be getting the girls out of the house, before the sitters arrived to care for Oscar cat, so it wasn’t all too much for him. We did manage this, but only just! Off to Walton Hall, check in and go for a swim, to use the facilities, because we can. (Even with blinged up fingernails). The hall is lovely, as was the room, though a little tired.

Here's the first of Fiona's TikTok videos

A meal for 20ish to start the weekend off. Not including James, it would be bad luck, we did briefly see him before he got whisked away by his dad. We were sitting with Nick and Jessica, Brian’s nephew and girlfriend. We had met Jessica before, on her first outing to meet the family, so it was lovely to actually get chance to get to know her and spend some quality time with Nick which hasn’t happened for a long time. A sensible early night for most, us, Nick and Jessica and the girls, who all wagged a dinger at Fiona as they left telling her not to be late. Talk about role reversal! She wasn’t too bad, 23.45, but she did have to then wash and dry her hair before the morning!

And a second one

View from our bedroom window. There's the flowers arriving

Breakfast with James at 09.00, he looked a little bleary, he’d got back at midnight, but that wasn’t when he actually went to bed.....! A little walk in the sunshine in the grounds where we met the woman who had written the invitations and tableplan hammering a stake into the ground, with a sign to the wedding. Stopped to talk to the verger who was sweeping the steps of the church having let the florists in. As we walked away I picked up a mobile phone. It wasn’t the vergers, and she had seen it, but hoped whoever had lost it would come back for it. We were about to take it to reception, no small walk, when I saw the florists car, perhaps with arms full of flowers she’d dropped it? I was right, and she was very grateful. 

James waiting in church for his bride to arrive

Into the dining room to have a nosy, and see if the girls had sorted out where the screen was going, the wedding planner having suggested somewhere completely impractical. The screen was all part of a surprise for Fi and James, so had to be sorted on the sly, fortunately we, the operational staff and Fiona’s mum were all in agreement. A few years ago, while bored one weekend, Fi and James had recorded themselves lip syncing to a song, all round the house, to entertain the girls, and everyone else. It was very clever, and we all love it. The girls had come up with the idea of a carpool karaoke version of the same song, with as many of the guests as possible doing a bit, while wearing Disney costumes (they got engaged at Disney). Sounds simple, and for us, it was relatively, after borrowing some costumes from a complete stranger, just up the road from mum. For the girls it was a lot of work.

Here we go then. Becky and Jenny ahead of the bride walking down the aisle. Little Ivy in white there lead the way along with her brother Rory

Up to the room to make up and dress, I rarely wear makeup, have forgotten how to do it, and with the added complication of now wearing glasses, and terrible lighting in the bathroom, again, not as easy as it sounds. Due to the terrible lighting I had to keep going to the window, which overlooked the carpark. It was great to be nosy and wave and call to people as they arrived! Suddenly James was pointing Brian out, as father of the bride, to the photographer, who was horrified he wasn’t dressed yet. Oops, better get a wiggle on, and with that it was all a blur of buttonholes and greetings.

Here comes the bride with a very proud dad!

Into the church. I knew where I was sitting, but hadn’t memorised the whole seating plan. Nor had anyone else, except Fiona, but she wasn’t there! Oh well, everyone was in, eventually. The music starts, Rory and Ivy (Brian's great nephew & niece), aged 5&7 lead the way followed by the 5 bridesmaids, and finally Brian and Fiona. You’d think as he’d given he away before that would be enough, but no, he had to give her away again. The ceremony went off without a hitch, or a dry eye. How very lovely.

Brian's family photo taken just after we had left the chapel. LtoR: Sam & Steph  (Brian's niece), Paul & Denise (Brian's sister), Brian & Jackie, Nick (Brian's nephew) and Jessica with Rory and Ivy in front. We have no access yet to any official wedding photos so these will have to do for now

Photographs, fizz, chat, laughter, more photographs and the wedding breakfast. Good food, wine, more chat, and laughter serenaded by the wedding singer. We all joined in. Speeches, Brian may have told the same story as he did at her first wedding, but this meshed very nicely with the story her stepfather told in his speech. And more laughter. Speeches over, or so they thought, but no, Abbie has the microphone and is introducing the video which she had only finished editing, what must have felt like moments before. Absolutely fantastic, more, much more laughter. This set the tone for the rest of the day and hopefully for the rest of their lives. A great party (though the music did get a bit young for us oldies about midnight) a brief interlude at midnight to wish Jessica a happy 30th birthday and with that the day was over, though it was apparently after daylight that the last guests left Fiona and James room this morning!

Me and my lovely daughter with James photo bombing

We had a good breakfast with Denise, Paul, Steph, Sam, Nick and Jessica. Fi and James and the girls did make it, Fiona still with almost full makeup and diamanté’s in her hair, and Jenny and Abbie in pyjamas, robes, and makeup. They’ve all gone back to bed, we’ve come home, there is another big group meal this evening, but that seems to be the ‘young’ ones, and we are out at Sunday tea club.

She started early on the Prosecco and went onto wine. It'll be a long day! 

This is a video taken by Abbie on her table. The singer started singing as the food was served, which resulted in singing and dancing during meal courses

That's the Best Man, Michael before his speech. Is he looking a bit nervous? Rachael, Fiona's friend and a bridesmaid pouring Fiona another glass of wine

This photo was taken whilst the special video that we'd all contributed to was being played. Fiona was quite worried when the screen was wheeled in, wondering what was going on. You can see the delight on her face here. It was a fabulous thing the three girls organised. Below is a copy of it - it's definitely worth a watch!

Maybe I'm biased but I think my three granddaughters and fabulous! Here's Abbie, Becky and Jenny. Emily, a friend, is looking over Jenny's head and the man is the singer, Lee

So here's a few short videos from the evening do...

Here they are at the cutting of the cake

This is a shortened version of their first dance. It wasn't a particularly exciting dance, hence the reason we've shortened it!

An evening of dancing and merriment!

I couldn't post the video on Youtube as there's a copyright issue on the song, so I put it in my Onedrive and here's a link to it here. It will open a new page if you click on it - bear with it, it takes a while to load, but we've tried it and it does work. It's definitely worth a watch!

Click here