you've got the love part two

I'm so happy to welcome the lovely Charlotte of I'm Only Saying What You're Thinking on my blog today to share her little story of her wedding and marriage! I love the spontaneity of their wedding, it sounds very intimate, relaxed and I think romantic! Sometimes it seems all too easy to get caught up in THE WEDDING to actually remember what the day is really about, just you and your partner...and we've been tempted to do something similar a few times when it seems as though we're already going to be upsetting someone no matter what we do with this wedding! Anyway, on with the story, thanks Charlotte! 

We never did it the traditional way. One night he came out of the bath wearing a towel, got down on one knee and asked me if I’d consider marrying him. Maybe. It was about six months later that we were in Brighton and he said, why don’t we just do it here? Do what, I asked. Get married. Yes, let’s do it.

The soonest available slot was for 25^th June at Brighton registry office. We kept it quiet, telling only immediate family. We didn’t want a fuss, the day just wasn’t that much of a big deal to us – it’s the years to come that were going to be a bigger deal. You might think that’s ridiculous but between both our parents there is a grand total of seven divorces. We wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, yes, but that was nobody else’s business. We certainly didn’t want a big do. In our eyes, it was something very personal. We didn’t want to be gawped at while we made these promises to one another (mainly because we are both quite shy). We wanted a short and simple day with only our best friends there.

I picked out my wedding dress on my lunch break, he picked his suit out a few weekends before the day and our wedding rings we left until the last second almost, much to the jewellers horror. I didn’t want flowers but bought a hair piece to compliment my dress, a vintage style ivory gown from French Connection.

It all sounds like a very calm process, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled, it was such a stressful time. Our families were not impressed they weren’t invited, but I’d watched so many people on their wedding day sit there miserably while their families bickered. It was just easier not to have them there.

The excitement grew as the weeks passed, so did the nerves. 

We arrived in Brighton the day before the wedding and just pottered around. We ate fish and chips watching the tide come in and then went to bed early, falling asleep watching TV. I woke up the next morning feeling very sick, I couldn’t eat breakfast so we went and sat on the beach for an hour and then went our separate ways. I was joined by my best friend for pink champagne, and when we were ready we joined the others in the bar downstairs in our gorgeous hotel, probably the most extravagant part of our wedding.

Tim and I walked hand in hand to the registry office, me tipsy and him shaking with nerves. He said my name wrong and I couldn’t stop giggling. And just like that, we were husband and wife.

Our simple (and not very romantic) wedding was perfect. When all is said and done, it’s only the love you have for one another that matters. Relationships, marriage… they are both so hard and take so much work. We’ve been married for three years now and not without drama but what we have, it’s forever.