Wedding reception - Part Two

So the deed was done and it was off round Salcombe for a ride in the very expensive car that Tim arranged for me / us for the wedding - sadly the weather made the glorious views almost unseeable but we had fun! Our guests were ready and waiting for us at the Victoria Inn - they had been offered the most delicious canapes and glasses of Pimms - someone had very kindly kept some back for us so at least we had a little bite.

There were of course the obligatory speeches with much polite laughter - lets face it, wedding speeches are only really hugely funny to those most closely involved......... but we all did our bit (Yes, we!! You don't think I'd not speak at my own wedding do you!?!?)

But really and truly the highest praise of the day has to go to our staff and especially our Executive Chef James Chapman - he is the person responsible for the wedding cake that you can see in the picture. He put absolutely hours of work into the cake - the actual making of it (SOH and I got to stir it and make a wish - and I got to lick the spoon!!) then the marzipaning and icing of it - and as for the flowers..... well he made every single one of them!

As for the buffet itself - I really don't know where to begin - to say James did us proud is almost a bit of an understatement.......... he did so much better than that, and he was the proud recipient of much fulsome (and rightly so) praise from our guests!

The bar / waiting staff were excellent - just as I knew they would be! Glo had them marshaled and ready better than any military operation ever could be - and it paid off handsomely. They were attentive to our guests, generous with Tattinger Champagne (thank you SOH x) and various wines...... even today in town I was being thanked for our hospitality.

The afternoon fair flew by, until it seemed like very suddenly the upstairs restaurant was being made ready for the Pete Harris Blues Band that we had down from Winchester and the smell of the hog roast from Piglet Cottage in Exeter was wafting through on the breeze. The weather cleared a little so we were able to have a few photos done outside with the estuary in the background - but it was certainly not the warmest day of the year!!

With a first dance for Tim and I to kick start the evening the party began....... and my goodness did we party on down.........lots more friends turned up, and the party moved up a few gears pretty quickly!!

Despite asking for no gifts we had some great presents - none better than the 'Essex' gift from Carol and Jenny and respective husbands - great friends of ours who started out as customers......the gift was a handmade basket of goodies which included 2 'I Love Billericay' mugs, a bottle of East Anglian wine (!) and a 'Gavin & Stacey DVD - for my American readers there is huge irony in those gifts.......

We also have enough Champagne in my kitchen to keep me happy for a very long time!! Some beautiful pictures - my own son Paul gave us a fabulous print which looks just like us walking Rosie on the beach, and a beautiful tapestry from another very good friend.

About midnight I was dead on my feet and we were ready to leave the party and retire upstairs - which we did to thunderous applause and much cat-calling and whistles........... at our age - really!!!

Anyway - there was no immediate retirement as some bright, loving individuals (!) had decided to 'Apple Pie' our bed with about a pound of gold sprinkles, feathers etc etc etc......... so instead of snuggling up and reminiscing on the day we were hoovering and black sacking!!! We did see the funny side - eventually - over a last glass of Champagne!!

My next and last blog post about the wedding will be about our absolutely superb honeymoon in Normandy.............. in the meantime real life is biting, the Easter crowds have started to arrive and we are handsomely busy!!