A glimpse of the celebrations

And now, after SO much preparation, the day rolled gently off. When the heart is so full of joy, words become superfluous. Words fail me here, as my heart reflects on a day so full of joy that my mind is incapable of comprehending it. This is just a brief glimpse of the happiest, most wonderful wedding ever.
Snippets:

Guests did not need a sign at the church door saying: "Today, two families become one - sit where you like" because strangers, friends and family all mingled naturally, chatting happily.

We sang with worshipping and immensely thankful hearts: no organ for this crowd, but beautiful voices with guitars and drums in harmony. Many many friends contributed to this celebration of Jonny and Adele's wedding: a match made in heaven.

Tom Hartley-Booth leading our worship

The groom wept, just a little, with emotion, as he made his vows.

The bride beamed with gentle joy and danced, just a little, as she left the church with her husband.

Mr and Mrs J H Pollard

Favours of ice cream waited for the guests outside. "What flavour favour?"

Ice cream cart!

Happiness surrounded the pair as they led their guests down the lane from the church, through the extensive grounds of The Old Hall to the reception.

Joy

Phil, Adele's father, with our hosts (Adrianne and Hartley Booth) and other dear friends...nearly 140 of us!

The Old Hall

Both best men choked up during their speeches, unable to carry on speaking, as they told us wonderful stories of this fun-loving, caring, compassionate, highly creative and adventurous young man who we love and are so proud of.  Outstanding in every way. Below is audio of Toms speech.

A gentle rain shower bestowed an African blessing as we ate wedding cake. Double rainbows promised much happiness.

Having found a pot of gold in each other...

Planes traced a heart trail in the sky:

 later, in the dark, sparklers did the same. (Thanks for this brilliant photo, Gemma Neill!)



And everywhere there was rejoicing and laughter and a huge sense of peace and rightness.

That amazing day...the church..

This day was a kaleidoscope of pictures and words, actions and emotions, smiles and laughter...so much laughter...

Jonny appeared amazingly calm at Barnham Broom church, which Adele had decorated beautifully with understated, simple elegance.

Preparing

Judy, Adele's mum...new family

He and his two best men wore bow ties, handmade buttonholes, braces, drainpipe narrow chinos, huge smiles, and ... a dagger each. So did the ushers.



Ostensibly the reason was to be prepared in case Adele's relatives tried to carry her off..

Sound bite from a guest: "I've never been to a wedding where the groom and his men all wore offensive weapons..."

Still, guests were not put off. What a joy to see so many dear friends and family.

Wedding! Wedding!

When hearts are full to overflowing, words do not come easily.

Richard and I were, as usual, up early on Jonny and Adele's big day.

We whizzed down to The Old Hall to put up the last signs, put out the drinks on the tables and set out the lights. Hanging lanterns and tea lights in jam jars would light the way late in the evening for guests, as they made their way across the field and back through the orchard to their cars. Then, up to the church to leave flower baskets full of petals.

There really WAS nothing more to do...

Wedding Day!

Finally.

Yesterday we all pitched in to prepare the marquee.

The tables were set with pretty blue table runners, blue and country flowers in charming antique glass bottles and candles.

Fairy lights draped the edges of the marquee while tea lights in jam jars and an hanging lanterns were to light the way from the car park, through the orchard and across the field.

The toilets arrived. A serious upgrade, they no longer deserve the label 'portaloo'.

Signs point the way, drinks are set out, food is being prepared.

Tissues are to hand. All is ready.

Finally.

Wedding preview..

The day before...

we have collected and delivered drinks..

....set up the marquee with tables and chairs...

...and waited for the generator and the portaloos. The latter arrived, but retired in disorder after an unfortunate encounter with a cherry tree. The portaloo lost its head and the tree lost a limb.

Still, the toilet sign is there ready waiting..

#wedding break

In the middle of this (delightfully busy) week, we took a break and had a day out with Phil and Judy, our future daughter-in-law's parents. We are sharing a cottage together just a couple of miles from the venue, helping Jonny and Adele with their preparations. What a delight and a blessing to be together - heart friends who will soon (very very soon) be family, too.

We went on an expedition to discover the Norfolk Broads.

First stop was Horning, on the river, with an impromptu - and very detailed - tour of an old wherry. Fascinating to think of lives long ago and the joys and hardships of river life.

The Albion, a preserved but still working Norfolk wherry

We thought of hiring a boat but made our way up to Irstead, a lovely country church with a thatched roof. Walking along a boardwalk through a pretty wetland to Barton Broad, where sailing boats of all sizes skimmed back and forth, there were dragonflies, woodpeckers and all kinds of wild flowers and herbs. Beautifully peaceful.

Judy and Phil inside the tiny cabin

Love the Norfolk Tudor architecture!

Near Barton Broad

Irstead church with its thatched roof

Barton Broad

Rural Norfolk yielded a gated level-crossing, where we had to phone for permission to cross and an idyllic lawn by the river, with ducks and geese and canoes and rowing boats and... a veritable Ratty heaven.

Add in a cream tea and good company - a real Day Out...

And I am officially In Love with Norfolk In The Summer. Paradise.

#wedding

We look - semi-anxiously - at weather forecasts, wondering if the rain threatening to come on Saturday will arrive.

Meanwhile, the sun blazes down on our rural retreat and we enjoy the peace and quiet.

Our hearts are calm, our hands busy.

We have all spent more hours than we can count on preparing the grounds of The Old Hall at Barnham Broom, where the reception is to be held. The Old Hall is a beautiful Tudor mansion with an Elizabethan addition, the home of a good friend of Jonny's, whose parents have kindly allowed them to hold the wedding reception in a marquee on their land. In preparation, Jonny has manfully cleared rubbish, cut back bushes, made a crude bridge over the remains of the moat of the Tudor house and strimmed grass from the orchard.

We have put together the order of service and rose petals, lavender and hydrangea flower confetti into paper cones.

The table cloths and table runners have all been ironed, too.

And the marquee goes up!