Ceilidh, cheese, koalas, fireworks.......

The Wedding of Mr and Mrs Barr
The 27th began for me in the lovely 5 star Sheraton Hotel on Lothian Road, Edinburgh with a 1.5 hour exfoliation/massage/facial. Absolute bliss! I felt relaxed for all of 10 minutes before heading to the church hall to begin the preparations. I was excited and nervous and anxious all in one, nothing to do with the actual marriage and all to do with wanting everything to go smoothly and wanting everyone to have a good time.

At 2pm, friends and family appeared to help us set up the hall, including those from the church who were experts at hanging the drapes and tartan bunting. Both myself and Bob were overwhelmed with the help we received and we couldn’t have set up the hall in a matter of hours without the help of our friends and family. Tables were laid out, koalas were used as place names (flown all the way from the Queen Vic Market in Melbourne, all 120 of them, and subsequently declothed and fluffed up by Granny Barr, Lindsey and Francesco by the fire on the 26th), the blackboard was drawn up for the table plan (thanks Mum for staying with me!) and a little factory line of Polly, Kelly, Verity and myself was created for the table names (AFL teams no less). Coffee and biscuits were laid out and very much appreciated!

Everything was in order by about 5pm, at which point we all retired to the manse for a lovely meal prepared by Margaret and Russell. It was lovely to have all our family and friends gathered together the night before the wedding and we took the opportunity to thank our bridal party for their help and support by giving out some gifts. Little did they know that when we disappeared to get the gifts from upstairs mid-meal, we actually had a last minute (and much needed) practice of our wedding dance in Bob’s old bedroom; it wasn’t great but it wasn’t a shambles! We were looking forward to our big performance the following day and we knew it would be a bit of a giggle.

At about 8pm, my parents, Helen and Steven and Heather and I said our goodbyes and headed off to the Sheraton hotel, along with Louise and Nick. My bags went in the car with my mum and dad, followed by Heather, myself, THE DRESS, Nick and Louise all snuggled up in Louise’s car. Bye bye Bob!

Louise popped along to the room I was sharing with Heather for a quick cup of tea and a pre-wedding chat. It was lovely to have a couple of my oldest school friends to calm me down – not that I was feeling overly nervous but I was just excited I guess about what the day ahead would be like. Lou popped off to see Nick and Heather and I went down to the bar with my family for a wee nightcap. Then a final dress rehearsal – Heather helped me get into my dress and try everything on together and (phew) it all fitted! Goodness knows how I was going to sit down but I was sure it would all be fine. Bedtime for us and surprisingly enough, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was sound asleep until 6.45am. My unlucky husband to be was woken up at 6.46am with a text message with a list of last minute things to do!!! Ha. My wifely duties had begun.........

And so the 28th had arrived!

It was hard to believe our wedding day was actually here. Months of planning and mulling over wedding magazines were all over (I did actually throw out 18 magazines into the recycling bin before flying to the UK – slightly obsessive!) and there was now no need for dance lessons, dress shopping, menu planning, table plan spreadsheets or excel budgets, hurrah!! Admittedly, planning a wedding from the otherside of the world was not as hard or as stressful as you may think – indeed Bob and I felt we had the better deal! My poor sister had to answer a lot of the questions my dad came up with whilst we could easily mull over emails and respond when we were ready rather than face decisions over the phone. We also had the excitement of planning our wedding over a two week period when we were back in September and we also managed to wangle 2 hen nights for me and 3 stag do’s for Bob – genious! The major concerns were the Qantas flight strikes, possibly snow closing airports like years gone by and perhaps a re-occurrence of volcanic ash cancelling flights. But alas, none of the aforementioned actually happened. Here we were, preparing to take our vows in approximately 6 hours. Argh!

I must admit, I struggled to eat anything at breakfast but I knew if I didn’t, I’d probably be one of those embarrassing brides who fainted at the altar. So, while my bridesmaids were merrily tucking into their pancakes and maple syrup, I was trying to take more than two bites of my toast and jam. I think I might have managed 3 grapes as well. I was feeling fine until a little wave of nervousness hit me. It didn’t last long but I think the occasion finally seemed rather real!

Next stop – Robert, my hairdresser on Leith Walk. Now, there is a long story attached to the hairdresser which I won’t bore you with, but let’s just say I was glad to have found him again. Helen was getting her hair blowdryed, as was I, and Heather was acting as official photographer. There was also another bride in the hair salon with her mum, she was getting married at The Point. We were both wondering how we were going to get to the church with our hair intact as, at this point, the wind was howling! Ah well, I had a half can of hairspray in mine so I was okay. With a hug from Robert, and strict instructions as to how to stick my flower in my hair (‘don’t just shove it in’) we headed outside. Steven very kindly picked us up at 10.30am so we only had to run for 2.5 seconds from the salon to the car. So far so good!

En route back to the hotel, and Helen receives a call from Bob. Bob was phoning Helen as not to panic me but unfortunately for him, the phone was attached to the loudspeaker so we all spoke to him! Bad news, Brian, our MC, had been up all night vomiting and was not in any fit state to come to the wedding, let alone perform a reading or carry out his MC duties, poor guy. So we had to come up with a back up reader – it was time for Chris to step up and Alan, the best man would be busy as MC too. All was well.

We were lucky enough to check into our Castle Suite early and so off we went with dresses, shoes, perfume and jewellery all in tow. The suite was lovely – a nice lounge area, dining table, massive bathroom and a huuuge bed, with flatscreen TV and iPOD dock. Mum came along to have a glass of fizz with us while we waited for Lynne, our make up girl, to arrive. She was due at 11am – by the time it got to 11.10am I was starting to worry. Now, I’m sure we could have survived without a makeup girl and we could have done it ourselves, but it’s one less thing to worry about! Anyway, she arrived at 11.15am, apologetic and looking a bit flustered as her make up case had broken and she needed a porter to help wheel it up to our room. All was well again! Cheesy tunes were on, fizz was being drunk and my dad was busy pacing up and down waiting on us to get ready. My sister had advised him not to come to our room until 12.35 (taxis were booked for 12.40) however he arrived at 12.05, at which point only my make up was done, Helen was half way and Heather was still in her jeans leaping around the room to Madonna. No dresses on yet Dad, come back in half an hour!!

The door was knocked again at 12.20pm by my dad, at which point Helen had her dress on, I was in my underwear about to be helped into my dress and Heather was getting her make up done, still in her jeans but now singing along to Lady Gaga. Seriously Dad, come back at 12.35!!

Dresses on and everyone was ready to go at 12.35 and finally, my dad was allowed into our room. A wee surprise visit from Louisa with a quick hug was lovely then a few photos were taken before making our way downstairs. My mum looked absolutely lovely in her bluey-silvery dress with matching coat and fascinator and my dad looked rather dashing too, even if he was only concerned about getting in the taxi!!! It was very surreal walking down to the hotel entrance with lots of eyes on you! The staff at the hotel were brilliant – with the rain lashing down and the wind howling, they very kindly made a little umbrella tunnel for us to get into our white hackney cabs – the bridesmaids and my mum in front, with my dad and I following behind. We had specifically ordered the taxis for 12.40pm so that we could arrive at the manse with plenty of time to sort ourselves out, have some photos taken, and have a last minute pee (which was inevitable for me). Therefore the millions of buttons on my dress had been left undone so that I could get unzipped easily in the manse.

After a rather relaxed taxi journey (I was okay as long as we didn’t stop at the traffic lights for too long!) and some bonding with my dad over some extra strong mints, we arrived at the manse at 1.05pm to another umbrella tunnel, the photographer snapping away and Bob’s mum standing at the manse doorway. We all looked a bit windswept when we got inside but all in good spirits. I was just excited now!

We got our photos taken in the lounge of the manse (I definitely was no Elle McPherson with the poses!!) before I stuffed some Christmas cake in my mouth and drank some orange juice. No way was I fainting! The mums headed off to the church ushered by Steven, then it was time for us to head over – but wait, THE BUTTONS!! So if any of you reading this were wondering why I was 10 minutes late, the buttons were to blame. I think I eventually got too impatient and started to walk away before the remaining 5 were done. I didn’t care, I was ready to get married!

And off we went – we each had an umbrella and tried to shield ourselves as best we could from the rain and wind – I’m pretty sure I looked a windswept mess by the time I got inside the church! It must have looked quite comical to anyone watching us walk across. We were met by Anthony, the beadle, along with Chris, Brian (he made it, yeah!) and Steven. A late Katy and Jenny rushed by us whispering apologies before Russell appeared at the door. And we were off!

I had always thought I would hate the walking-up-the-aisle part as I (believe it or not) hate being the centre of attention. However, I must admit, I loved it! I remember at my sister’s wedding, the last thing she said to my dad before the double doors opened was ‘I feel sick’ and I was sure I’d be the same. It was great fun though, and I remember just having a massive grin on my face and saying hello to everyone on my way down the aisle. I remember turning the corner to see Bob with a massive grin on his face too. When I got to him, I whispered something romantic like how my second toe was numb already (cringe) then he took my hand and the service began.

Now I guess I should inform you of Bob’s whereabouts the morning of the wedding. Margaret had always said that Bob was not to go to the pub for a pint before the wedding however, as Brian was no longer capable of performing his Captain Correli reading, Bob had to go to the pub to find Chris to give him the reading. Voila! He had gotten past his mother. After a hearty breakfast with the wee man and heading across to the hall to ensure the lighting and catering people had arrived, he got himself kilted up and off to the pub he went, for just a half pint (clever boy!) It wasn’t until he was in the session house that he realised he hadn’t brushed his teeth. Now with Brian not being well (I won’t go into detail), Polly had his toothbrush and toothpaste in her handbag and so Bob scooped some toothpaste and scuffed it round his teeth with a finger. Classy! Feeling better, and having been informed that Mrs Barr to be had arrived, he made his way to the front of the church with the wee best man.

It was lovely and a little strange to have the service performed by Russell! It made the service really personal to us and I know Bob was pleased to have his dad upfront with him. This was my future father-in-law who was marrying us and I could tell he was ever so slightly nervous (I think that might have been his pal Ian Goring’s fault!) which actually reassured me a little. I don’t think I stopped smiling once throughout the service and I must admit to welling up a little when Bob was saying his vows. He is a big softie but I love him for it. I just grinned my way through mine, what a surprise, although I remember being a little hasty when I was putting the ring on Bob’s finger as he was trying to slow me down. And as for the ‘you may kiss the bride’, I’ve since been informed that it went on a little bit too long! Whoopsey. Ah well, we enjoyed it.

All readings were great, thanks Louisa, Denise and Brian (Brian managed to do his in the end, even beginning his with a flick of the microphone, nice one Brian) and the address by Russell was good too. We signed the register in the session house whilst Lindsey and Sarah played St Kilda Wedding on the violin and cello respectively. We managed to hear a little of it with the door ajar before we headed back out into the church. The plan was for the bridal party to come out of one door to get our photos taken whilst all the guests went through another door to head over to the hall for a wee glass of fizz and mulled wine. However, when we got to the door, we literally got blown off our feet and so all thoughts of family photos were abandoned (although we stayed for a minute or so to capture the moment – can’t wait to see that photo!!) Instead we went back into the church for photos – it was slightly awkward posing for photos with everyone watching!! Russell eventually ushered everyone over to the hall and we followed, stopping only to capture some windy photos in the archway – I think at one point I had all of Helen’s hair over my face but it will make for a very funny photo! Then the rain began and I sprinted past the photographer for shelter. That can of hairspray was working wonders for my hairdo!!

Once inside, we had a few minutes to check out the hall, and the cake. The tables looked fantastic, decked out with silver charger plates, deep purple table runners, chair covers with purple bows and lots of tealights. Perfect. The cheese cake looked amazing and my little bride and groom mice were looking right at home. A glass of fizz and a couple of canapés later, we were ready for some family photos and a group shot of the hens! Then some mingling – it was so lovely to see my physio friends, netball friends, school friends, Bob’s friends and of course our family, especially cousins I hadn’t seen for a while and uncles I had never met from Bob’s side of the family.

Lots of chat and photos by the Christmas tree before sitting down for dinner at 4.30pm - we totally forgot about the line up! Never mind. Once everyone was seated, we were introduced as the new Mr and Mrs Barr and, as we walked into the hall, confetti was everywhere! Thanks to Jeannie and Celia (plus helpers) for that, I loved it! The speeches followed and they were brilliant. My dad was up first and did a really great job, even if there were mentions of head girl status and girl guides! (cringe). At least this got some cheers from the prospective high school crowd and girl guide crowd which was quite funny. Bob was up next and I think he made everyone cry – everyone except me who just grinned like a Cheshire cat as usual! His speech was lovely and I was so proud of him. Finally, the best man Alan. A corker of a speech with a bit of comedy and a bit of niceness, absolutely perfect – I especially loved the part about Bob on his 18th birthday night out ‘Bob was a grown up, Bob wore his suit’. What a hoot.

Time to tuck into the nosh – the haggis was lovely but I must admit to not eating a huge amount after this. I really wish I’d tried the dessert now as everyone was raving about it. Unfortunately, the fire alarm went off three times during dinner. No major concern, just a little uncomfortable! Lisa, our caterer, was having some difficulty with the ovens in the kitchen, 2 from 4 decided to blow up and subsequently caused a delay in the serving of the food which set everything else back a bit. It gave us time to mingle with each table though, and we saw that the cling-on koalas were attached to everything and anything – ties, wine glasses, kilts, dresses – they were everywhere! Hilarious. We also had the opportunity to make a little Just Dance wedding video, thanks to Sineag, brilliant.

The line up was eventually carried out after dinner, to allow everyone to leave the hall and enter the gathering space for tea and coffee. It was a bit strange to do the line up at that point, as we had talked to pretty much everyone by then!! An excuse for more hugs though – you can never had too many hugs.

Just as Bob and I were finishing our tea and tablet (thanks Alison and Alison, it was delicious!), we were summoned outside for our surprise........FIREWORKS!! Thanks Lindsey! Totally unexpected but we loved them. Grant, Brian and Francesco assisted with the setting off with shouts of ‘run away’ and ‘don’t go back!’ being heard regularly (we all remember the firework advert years ago....) The fireworks were brilliant and really got the party started. We all headed back inside and it was time for cutting the cake. Our little wedding cheese cake (a mix of cheddar, smoked, goats, blue, brie and camembert) was set up on a table at the top of the hall, just below the stage, and so we positioned ourselves for photo opportunities until we realised....we didn’t have a knife! Bob’s sgian dhuh would have to do, a ridiculous small utensil but quite funny at the same time – we cut through all the cheeses, smiled for the photos then, as no ushers were in sight, moved the table to the side ourselves and prepared ourselves for our first dance!! Hee hee.

The band introduced us onto the stage just as the first few bars of Ray Lamontagne’s ‘You are the best thing’ blasted out – our choreographed routine was in full swing by the time Paolo Nutini’s ‘Pencil full of lead’ came on and Bob’s solo was an absolute success, kilt swinging around in full party mode. We were having a great time and no hiccups so far! Next up, Blondie ‘Atomic’ with an attempt at some (bad) tango moves before finishing up with the Bellamy Brothers ‘Let you love flow’ where the bridal party were invited onto the dance floor before everyone else joining in. We cut into my parents first before cutting into Bob’s parents so we could dance with our own mum’s and dad’s and the in-laws too. By this point, my feet had had enough of the lovely but very tight fitting purple shoes and were telling me it was time for my white dancing shoes (a.k.a. school plimsoles!) to be put on. The bustling of my dress didn’t last two minutes before it was stood on mid-ceilidh and so it was time to just grab hold of the bottom of the dress and continue with the jigging. By this point, I was having too much fun to consider that perhaps me clumping my dress over my arm to reveal the netting underneath was perhaps not a good look!

The band, Kilter, were amazing and managed to keep the dancefloor busy throughout the night, be it ceilidh dancing or some boogieing to Beyonce. I had some rather interesting dances with English boys, Nick and Dave F, where I do believe I was doing most of the leading (sorry boys!) and then I almost took out some wedding guests when dancing a gay gordons with Steven as he was lifting me off the ground and my legs were out of control, whacking people as I went past (sorry to the people I whacked!). All good fun, especially when ‘the worm’ came out to play (thanks Jamie!). I loved the Orcadian Strip the Willow too, which stripped me of oxygen half way down the line. The last dance was brilliant – a traditional wedding end with Runrig ‘Loch Lomond’ with us in the middle and all our friends and family in a big circle surrounding us. The usual mayhem occurred mid song with everyone running into the middle (we have a great video of this!) and it ended with Bob and I giving everyone a high five as we ran round the room. Hilarious.

Midnight struck and my new husband whisked me away to our hotel – you should always leave the party when you’re having fun, so they say – and despite initially saying ‘we need to stay to the end’, when midnight came, I was so glad to be on our way to the hotel. We had had a great night but emotionally I was drained! In a good way, if that makes sense. I managed to say goodbye to as many people as I could before hopping in the taxi and we arrived back at the Sheraton happy and sweaty! Usually, on a wedding night, you wouldn’t want to know what happened after that but for Bob and I, it was inevitable what was going to happen – we ordered champagne and chips from room service and watched our wedding video footage! Totally unromantic but perfect for us. Oh yes, and after 10 minutes of unhooking those buttons, I got out of the dress!!!

A perfect and totally personal wedding day – thank you to everyone who helped with the preparation and tidy up, who gave us a bed whilst we were home, who participated throughout the day and who have helped organise throughout the year. We are so so grateful. And finally thanks to all our family and friends who helped us celebrate in style, we were so happy to see you and catch up with you all. Love Mr and Mrs Barr xxxxxxxxx