So I promised that all would finally be revealed when we returned from the wedding and as it is now Tuesday the 16th of February and we've been married since Friday the 12th, I believe now is the time for the longest post ever and a run down of how things panned out.
Thursday, 11th February 2010
We awoke at around 5am to catch a 6.40am train to pick up our rental car. While that's nothing spectacular the driven part of the trip might've been better had we had better directions (and less e-toll roads to avoid!) and if a car hadn't flicked a rock up at our windscreen not even halfway through the drive. Which later cracked quite terribly. $192 later...
At around 2pm after all the havoc of getting lost and cracking the windscreen, we realised we wouldn't be arriving at Coffs Harbour until around 5.30pm and we were supposed to meet our marriage celebrant, Lionel Goodacre*, at three or four. So we called and rescheduled. As predicted, we arrived safely at Opal Cove Resort at half past five and settled in. That night we enjoyed pizza and drinks with my best friend and her boyfriend. A fantastic night.
Friday, 12th February 2010
The Wedding Day.
We got up around eight (despite not getting to bed until midnight-or-later) to meet Lionel in the foyer at nine for a brief meeting and completion of paperwork. For the most part it was giving us some fliers regarding pre-marriage counselling, something I shudder at the thought at and am glad we didn't choose a celebrant who might insist upon it, and double checking birth certificate details.
We then met with our friends for breakfast (french toast at the Coffs Harbour jetty, to die for) and eventually headed back to the Resort to get ready because hey, we weren't getting married until four in the afternoon.
After hunting around for a suitable hairdresser I eventually resigned to doing it myself. I can't believe women actually spend that much money on their hair! In the end, my best friend wound up doing it and she did a spectacular job. I cannot thank her enough for all the effort she put into our day.
So, with glitter and makeup applied we made our way down to Hills Beach behind the resort. I'd like to say "half an hour later, voila! We were married!" because I feel that it was amazingly private and having a ceremony with only the two of us, my best friend and her boyfriend, the celebrant and two photographers was utterly perfect (though I did cry earlier in the day after a phone call from my parents).
Photos were taken (a select few of which may be posted later), drinks and meals were had (and a champagne flute shattered in the wind) and the rest of the weekend is between us. ;)
*Lionel Goodacre is the celebrant for a Coffs Harbour photography and elopement company called Loving Images. Our photographers, Lisa and Stephen, were absolutely spectacular on the day.
