Aimee and Martin’s Wedding Saturday 18th May 2013
This is the second family wedding we’ve enjoyed at All Saint’s Church here in our beautiful village of West Markham. Despite our concerns, the weather held and although the sun wasn’t shining, it didn’t actually rain thank goodness, although there were some wonderful brollies and matching wellington boots all lined up at the ready! The flowers were very traditional, blush pink, old fashioned tea roses, thistles, herbs, daisies and night scented stocks filled the church with their heady aroma. Ours is an exquisite church, steeped in history and there was an air of excitement as we waited for the bride to arrive. The pews were lined with family and friends, the girls chatting animatedly in excited whispers, their hats and fascinators of all colours, shapes and sizes bobbing up and down and seeming to have a life all of their own. After a few nervous glances, and a rather worried looking Gee, the sound system eventually burst into life and the music heralded the arrival of the bridal party, Martin who had looked very pale and nervous got a bit of colour back, Sue (Aimee’s mother) looked fabulous in a black and white outfit which really suited her and the bridesmaids (Victoria, Katie and Natalie, Aimee’s sister) were in elegant, dark blue, satin and organza dresses. Aimee however, quite rightly stole the show, she looked stunning in a blush beige, full length lace dress and matching veil, she was accompanied by her very proud father Barry with not a blush in sight, he looked very happy but actually more ashen than beige! Words ‘warm seat and paper in hand’ come to mind and I don’t mean his armchair and speech!
The wedding service was beautiful and expertly delivered by our wonderful vicar, Colin Wall, who manages to put everyone at ease with his charming sense of humour and despite Martin being a bit keen and jumping the gun with his “I Do” the ceremony went without a hitch!
As the newly weds were carefully driven back to the reception by cousin Chris Hewgill in his Model A Ford I couldn’t help thinking as they went down the cherry tree lined avenue to Aimee’s home, where the reception was to be held, it looked very appropriate with the cherry blossom falling onto their car like confetti, just like it had on the church steps as they left.
So, feeling pensive, after a very busy weekend here in West Markham with the wedding on Saturday and the Lancaster Bomber flying over yesterday to commemorate the memorial in the Mausoleum, I couldn’t help thinking what a great privilege it is to live in this wonderful village……it’s not so much its beauty, it’s much more than that, it’s the easy chat and jokes with our lovely neighbours, catching up with those who we haven’t seen for a few weeks, the DVD which recorded the proceedings yesterday which turned up on my desk this morning (thank you whoever that was) it is having a sense of belonging to a community, with everyone having a job to do and quietly getting on with it, not seeking any praise or reward, save that of knowing that they ‘they did their bit’, just as with the wedding, the family all pulling together as one life force and as a result, something truly memorable and remarkable happens.