Sep
26
2009
Star gazing and lantern wishes
Dad kicked off the speeches. He welcomed Mars to the family and talked about how much both Mars and I had changed and grown together over the years. When I think back actually, he was so right, Mars and I where very different people when we met each other, and the last seven years together, even with its ups and downs, has made us both better people. Dad is such a good speaker that I always knew it was going to be a good speech, he broke the emotional sentiment of the speech up with sweet humorous memories here and there. Mars was next and though nervous he also made everyone laugh and kept it simple and loving. John stood up and said a few kind words on behalf of Pippa and himself. What wonderful witnesses they were, so respectful to the family and yet so kind and fun. They will forever be true family friends and we were so blessed to have our life paths cross and have them at our little wedding.
Kara stood up and read out a letter to us and said some very heartfelt words to Mars, which finally made me shed my first wedding tears. Jacqui read out all the correspondence from friends and family across the world who could not be there with us, and it was so lovely to hear that we were in so many peoples thoughts that day. Most missed was Una and Reg, who both Mars and I had really wanted to be there, but it was lovely to know that at least they too were having fun that day, touring Boston and the USA, and of course they were very much in our thoughts.
The wine (a white, which was just fantastically fresh and light and well chosen by Duncan) flowed all evening. Half way through all the staff came out of their hiding areas from where they had all been bustling about behind the scenes, and they all stood on the dance floor in front of us, each with a glass of champagne. I stood up and nervously said some rather un-eloquant words about how grateful we all were for all their hard work and for making it just such a fabulously evening and we all gave them a round of applause.
Chef Gautier (AKA Greg) stepped forward and said something charming about the it being a lovely wedding, and took to dance the dance floor with the rest of us. The spirit of the room was just over-flowing in happiness, and I had the 2 minute honour of dancing with the best dancer at the wedding, the exceptionally smiley waiter with a seriously contagious laugh, who waved his serviette in the air and twisted with rhythm you have never seen before. A highlight of the wedding for me.
The band then took a quick break and Pippa opened the French windows to the courtyard and hustled everyone out into the cold crisp night air. There on the iron tables were all the huge paper lanterns we had brought, laid out and organised, and she handed me the wishing cards I had handmade. I swished around handing out the wishing tags and asked everyone to write on the personal wishes, which we would then tie to each lantern and light up and send into the deep night sky.
I found the band huddled over the large oak table in the middle of the kitchen, chatting to each other and I handed them each a tag and told them to join us outside when they were ready.
All tags tied on, all lanterns ready to go with long white wax candles lit and dripping everywhere, we all stood together on the slopping patio and started to figure out how we would send this large paper lanterns into the twinkling navy sky without setting the whole place on fire, or eachother! One by one we started to get the hand of it and slowly the glowing paper lanterns lifted off and started to float away into the cold night air. Everyone ooowed and ahhhed and before we knew it there were about 20 lanterns all floating slowly at various heights away from us straight up into the milky way. The thick black velvet sky seemed to swallow each of them one by one, and soon we all felt like children again, hoping our wishes would come true.
One waiter, came out just as we finished and were all starting to go back inside into the warmth, and asked if he could please send a wish up to the heavens. Greg, John and I hunted around and found one last fateful lantern waiting to be launched and as tied his tag onto the lantern he told us that he really thought the wish would come true. He held the lantern tightly and closed his eyes tight like a child wishing hard over a lit birthday cake, and when we told him it was ready he let go and exhaled with a niave, innocent smile which took our breath away. Annemari – always hiding somewhere in the background, took a stunning and very emotional photo of this truly one-off moment, and I shall forever cherish that moment, when I learnt that keeping your innocence is far more precious and rare, than being an all-knowing adult all of the time.
As we went back inside, the staff bopped around us, as they subtly started to clear the room of the dinner plates, and Greg finally left the kitchen in his stripey apron and casually slid onto the dance floor. As we got to the last song, Greg was suddenly pulled into the band and playing the bass guitar (I think) he joined in the band to play us on a really rocky jazz song, which was such a upbeat end to the evening.
We all said goodbye to each other and with my aching feet Mars and I slipped into the night and headed back through the damp cold garden, guided by the brightness of the full moon which shone above us, to our lovely candle lit room with the open fire roaring.
Kara stood up and read out a letter to us and said some very heartfelt words to Mars, which finally made me shed my first wedding tears. Jacqui read out all the correspondence from friends and family across the world who could not be there with us, and it was so lovely to hear that we were in so many peoples thoughts that day. Most missed was Una and Reg, who both Mars and I had really wanted to be there, but it was lovely to know that at least they too were having fun that day, touring Boston and the USA, and of course they were very much in our thoughts.
The wine (a white, which was just fantastically fresh and light and well chosen by Duncan) flowed all evening. Half way through all the staff came out of their hiding areas from where they had all been bustling about behind the scenes, and they all stood on the dance floor in front of us, each with a glass of champagne. I stood up and nervously said some rather un-eloquant words about how grateful we all were for all their hard work and for making it just such a fabulously evening and we all gave them a round of applause.
Chef Gautier (AKA Greg) stepped forward and said something charming about the it being a lovely wedding, and took to dance the dance floor with the rest of us. The spirit of the room was just over-flowing in happiness, and I had the 2 minute honour of dancing with the best dancer at the wedding, the exceptionally smiley waiter with a seriously contagious laugh, who waved his serviette in the air and twisted with rhythm you have never seen before. A highlight of the wedding for me.
The band then took a quick break and Pippa opened the French windows to the courtyard and hustled everyone out into the cold crisp night air. There on the iron tables were all the huge paper lanterns we had brought, laid out and organised, and she handed me the wishing cards I had handmade. I swished around handing out the wishing tags and asked everyone to write on the personal wishes, which we would then tie to each lantern and light up and send into the deep night sky.
I found the band huddled over the large oak table in the middle of the kitchen, chatting to each other and I handed them each a tag and told them to join us outside when they were ready.
All tags tied on, all lanterns ready to go with long white wax candles lit and dripping everywhere, we all stood together on the slopping patio and started to figure out how we would send this large paper lanterns into the twinkling navy sky without setting the whole place on fire, or eachother! One by one we started to get the hand of it and slowly the glowing paper lanterns lifted off and started to float away into the cold night air. Everyone ooowed and ahhhed and before we knew it there were about 20 lanterns all floating slowly at various heights away from us straight up into the milky way. The thick black velvet sky seemed to swallow each of them one by one, and soon we all felt like children again, hoping our wishes would come true.
One waiter, came out just as we finished and were all starting to go back inside into the warmth, and asked if he could please send a wish up to the heavens. Greg, John and I hunted around and found one last fateful lantern waiting to be launched and as tied his tag onto the lantern he told us that he really thought the wish would come true. He held the lantern tightly and closed his eyes tight like a child wishing hard over a lit birthday cake, and when we told him it was ready he let go and exhaled with a niave, innocent smile which took our breath away. Annemari – always hiding somewhere in the background, took a stunning and very emotional photo of this truly one-off moment, and I shall forever cherish that moment, when I learnt that keeping your innocence is far more precious and rare, than being an all-knowing adult all of the time.
As we went back inside, the staff bopped around us, as they subtly started to clear the room of the dinner plates, and Greg finally left the kitchen in his stripey apron and casually slid onto the dance floor. As we got to the last song, Greg was suddenly pulled into the band and playing the bass guitar (I think) he joined in the band to play us on a really rocky jazz song, which was such a upbeat end to the evening.
We all said goodbye to each other and with my aching feet Mars and I slipped into the night and headed back through the damp cold garden, guided by the brightness of the full moon which shone above us, to our lovely candle lit room with the open fire roaring.
