Recap of Wedding Events - Part 1 - The Stag/Stagette

Andy and I had agreed from the start that we wouldn't be having individual stag nights as its something that neither one of us was interested in. We also thought it would be a good idea for those who hadn't met each other to have a chance to do so before the wedding on Saturday.

I never thought that I'd be having this kind of stagette, considering I was always the one that was so into throwing the biggest and wildest ones for all my friends. I used to want the stagette where I could wear the t-shirt with the 'buck for a suck' candies stuck all over it more than I ever wanted a wedding...

Anyway, on the Thursday night before the wedding Andy and I set off down to the Alehouse with Tawny & Stacy to meet up with a group of friends (Taylor was picking Dawn up along the way)...


getting started 

We ended up getting a back room at the Alehouse which was really nice as it gave everyone a chance to talk openly and catch up. I was so happy to see friends I hadn't seen in awhile and for Andy to finally get to meet Annette and her brother Jeff and his wife Jaime. I was really happy that evening and grew even more excited when Catherine turned up with her new beau Hunter, along with her brother and his wife. At this point some of our party left and we moved downstairs. After having a few drinks we left the Alehouse to move somewhere a little more exciting (Pogue Fado's).


Hunter and the 'dirty girls' 

Andy and Taylor left at this point to go pick Andy's sister Ali and her boyfriend Scott up at the Delta. Dawn and my sisters and I used this time to get to know Cat's man a little better, and we were thrilled with his dry sense of humour.


feeling the love 

Andy and Taylor turned up with Ali and Scott, who then proceeded to try and catch up with rest of us in terms of liquor intake. Pictures were being snapped left right and center and before we knew it, we were chillin out on the dance floor. Cat even managed to get Andy dancing, a rarity in itself.


getting crazy 

I can't even remember some of these photos being taken and I wasn't even as drunk as I typically would have been at previous stagettes...


looks like fun... 

I will say though that it was a relaxed, enjoyable night with no one getting too carried away, something that might have been likely to happen if the girls had gone solo. I'm no fool and I know that some of us are a force to be reckoned with while drunk... eh Dawn, Cat?

Stacy of course didn't drink to much as she was going to be the driver that night. I guess she'd do anything to get to drive my car... even put up with her drunk sisters and brother-in-law to be.

While speaking to Hunter at the Split Crow the Tuesday after the wedding, he informed me that Andy's and my idea to have a joint party was a great one. I have to agree... it was really fun.

Return of the Newlyweds


We boarded the plane last night at approximately 8:05, after having just enough time to swig down one last Keith's beer. It was hard for me to say goodbye to Mom and Stacy at the airport, and I know they were feeling the same. I was experiencing some trepidation as I was not sure if they would let us bring our very large portfolio case avec artwork we were given for the wedding. We made it through check-in, security and then on to the plane with it and breathed a sigh of relief - only to be told by a female flight attendant at the back of our section that we could not keep it on board as it was too large to fit anywhere safely. Andy was very annoyed when he had to turn it over to the First Attendant.

(I'd noticed when we were boarded we were to have some very friendly, very camp male attendants in our premium seating section, which always makes a flight more enjoyable.)

I only had two questions when we were informed that it would have to be sent down to cargo. I tearfully asked the Chief Attendant if I could at least get my two smaller pictures out of the case, and would they please, please mark it as fragile before packing it off to cargo. He told me to go forward and get the smaller pictures from another attendant who was obviously very moved by my pleas to take care of my 'very fragile wedding gift', as a few minutes later I was informed by the chief Attendant that they were going to break the law for us and put it in the emergency stores closet. I turned to see the other attendant giving me the thumbs up from the front of the plane. My tears quickly turned to a very grateful smile.

The flight was uneventful and the time passed quickly. I was a bit nervous to be going back through Gatwick Immigration but had no worries as the Immigration Officer was apparently very bored with the whole process and basically waved me through, now that I am officially married to Andy.

We then collected our large amount of luggage and headed for the car rental agencies. Luck was not with us as we had a little wait for a car, only to be told that Andy couldn't drive as he didn't have the 'paper' portion of his license with him (another quirk about British law - he had his actual plastic license with him afterall). Next thing I know, I'm turning over my license and credit card (they will only take the CC of the driver) and was given the keys to the rental. I was a little curious as to why they would give a driver with a non-British license the keys so easily, but hey who am I to try and figure out these very different laws.

I was a little tired and wasn't expecting to drive, but hey, we needed to get home and at that point we just weren't up to lugging everything to the train station. Walking with Andy to the car I was thinking of how it was going to be strange to drive an automatic again as that's usually what you get with a rental, but wait, I'm in England now, and you have to special request and automatic. Leaving Gatwick I was very pleased with myself for having made myself learn to drive a standard so long ago.

The drive home seemed to pass very quickly as well - we only stopped for one break and made it here to the house by 1:00 p.m. our time. We've had a nap today and the jet lag isn't so bad.

I intend to spend this week preparing my resumes for work and giving you all a full report of our trip home to NS for our wedding. So stay tuned.....

Well Here We Go...

It's just after nine on Friday night and Andy and I have just got back from running a few errands. I am now waiting for Tawny's call from the airport so they can let us know they are on their way to the house here in Beaverbank so I can then order some May Garden for us. Yummy.

We got in on Monday (from Toronto) and it's been a whirlwind ever since. I haven't seen everyone yet that I've wanted to, but I knew that this might happen this week anyhow, not with so much to do, however there is always tomorrow evening! I did get into Saint Vincent's today and got to see so many of my old pals from work and it was so nice, especially since I don't get a chance to see many of these people on off time.

The weather so far has been beautiful but very crisp. The forecast for Saturday is not very good either but I'm telling myself that even if its raining we will still have a fantastic day - the Inn is so beautiful that we could get a number of very nice photos. I just always wanted a lovely fall day for my photos, so please, everyone cross your fingers!

Well - tomorrow Dave, Wendy and Alison & Scott fly in from TO. Cat and Hunter get in tonight (along with Tawny and Taylor) and the newfie relatives get here Friday morning. This wedding is really getting underway.

I will hopefully get a chance to blog my experience in much further detail in the not to distant future. The next time I write I will be a married woman - and to an Englishman no less!