Naquada

We arrived back yesterday to a very very cold and foggy Gatwick..

It’s a big shock to have spent the last two weeks in 38 degrees to be met with -5 degrees at the airport!

We spent our honeymoon on the island of meerufenfushi, in the Maldives. It was heaven, and I don’t think I’ve quite ever been so relaxed and chilled out as I was there, especially have my new wife by my side.

Meeru Island resort, which is basically the whole island, is quite a small island, only 500 meters across, and just under 1km long. We stayed in a Jacuzzi Water Villa, which meant that our villa was out on a pier over the sea, and that we had steps going down off the back of our accomodation into the sea (oh and of course a Jacuzzi!).

Meerufenfushi is in the Maldives north atoll, and as its within the reef, the sea was quite shallow, even at high tide, in the evenings when the sea was low and flat as a mill pond, hundreds of fish would gather around the steps of our villa, and the piles that our accomodation sat on, we spent many evenings with cocktails watching ‘fish cam’ dangling our feet over the edge. We could watch the manta rays, sting rays, shark, and other tropical fish gathering and swimming around in the water below.

In the evenings, we’d walk around the island to one of the bars to watch the sun go down whilst sipping more cocktails (there’s a theme here!!), it was just fantastic..

We won’t bore you with all our ‘holiday snaps’ but if you do want to see them, they are all on flickr

So, the wedding is over, we’re now married..

Which means that we can sit back, relax, and enjoy some well earned time off!!

We have a week off work now, and then we’re off to the Maldives for two weeks..

Getting back at the end of October..

It’s going to be quite a change weather wise, from the rain, and cold, to the hot humid weather of the Indian Ocean..

I’ll see you in about a month!!

Yesterday, Heckfield place let us plant a tree in the grounds of heckfield place.

It was something that we always wanted to do. When we first looked at Heckfield place (which actually was quite by accident) as a wedding reception venue, they told us how they were trying to replant a lot of the trees that were once there.

We decided that we wanted to have a tree there, a tree that would grow, along with us, and our married life, and something we could go back to, and see, as we grew older to remind us of our wedding.

We expected to plant our tree someplace out of the way, a corner, or someplace in the woods, but Robert, the head gardener let us plant it pretty much slap bang in the middle of the lawn. If you go to Heckfield place, and look out of the patio doors at reception, towards the bottom of the lawn you will see a red maple type tree.

Thats our tree, surrounded by green grass and trees.

We planted it after our guests had left on the sunday, it was wet, raining and a bit chilly, but it was worth it, as, Heckfield place said, we are now part of Heckfield places history.

Yesterday Michelle and I got married, it was a fabulous day, and it just raced by, when people tell you it will be the shortest day of your life, believe them.

As well as shooting past so quickly, it is the day that I think will stay with me in my memory for as long as I live.

I’m so lucky to have Michelle in my life, and now, of course to have her as my wife.

The day was everything we had hoped for, and I hope that those who came, also enjoyed it.

The weather just about held, it was cold, and a bit windy at the church, but no rain!!

I will never forget seeing Michelle walking down the aisle to me, and yes, I cried.. I was reasonably ok until we sang ‘I Vow to Thee my Country’ and then that was it!

We had a few photos taken at the Church, (St Michael & St Mary Magdalene in Bracknell) and then headed back to Heckfield place for the reception.

The marque looked amazing, even better than we’d ever hoped it would, and the staff at Heckfield place were just so helpful, and bent over backwards for us.

There are so many people we’d like to thank, and so many photos (most of which you can find here), but our suppliers were:

Cake Topper by Artlocke Designs, Wedding Cars by Christophers Cars. Wedding Disco by HTG Events. Wedding Invitations by Bride & Groom Direct. Photography by Shaun Edwards Photography, Magic during the Wedding Breakfast, we had the honour of having Pat Page, (thanks Simon Drake!!). Wedding Suits were supplied by Anthony Blay in Wokingham, at extremely short notice after a wedding suit shop in maindenhead decided to screw up! Michelles Wedding Dress from Confetti in Wokingham. Wedding flowers and Marquee Flowers by Moutan Flowers in Odiham. Kevin Fitzsimmons sang Frank Sinatra songs after the speeches, Heckfield place for the venue.

If you want to see the video, you can see it here. (thanks to my new brother in law, Ramon!), thanks to Jeff McBride for sending us a wonderful message that was read during the speeches,

Of course we’d also like to thank our parents, Michelles Mum (my mother in law!) for the wonderful cake, My sister and Mum for the place name cookies. My best men, the bridesmaids, page boy, our friends, family and everyone for just making the day so special for us.

I am sure there are other things I’ve forgotten, but for me, my new wife, and how much I love her, is something I will never forget..

Well tomorrow is the day.. I’m now sat here alone, my wife to be is safely tucked away at her parents, and its just me and the cats and a jacket potato.

I’ve done my final trip down to our venue for tomorrow.. Everything is delivered, the cake made it across finally, and the place is full of our stuff.

The marquee itself looks gorgeous, far better than we’d ever imagined it could look, even the venue were impressed!!!

It’s now just waiting, my best men (both of them!) will be with me tomorrow.. apparently I’m being got up early to go collect and deliver flowers..

But in all of this rush and excitement, my soul feels calm. I am not nervous, I am not scared. I am excited, and happy..

Michelle will be tomorrow, my wife, and I will finally be married to the women I love.. There is a message inside our wedding rings, that we both believe in.. and that we know will always be true..

I am so lucky to have found Michelle, and so lucky that I get to spend the rest of my life with her..

Today, and almost exactly 24 hours before the Wedding, I got a phone call..

As you may have known a few weeks ago I took my Magic Circle exam, for entry into one of the worlds most exclusive clubs..

It was actually possibly one of the nerve wracking moments yet (I’ve yet to find out if I’ll be as nervous tomorrow!).

My routine consisted of a opening coin effect (commonly known to most as a three fly), an ambitious card routine with some twists, and a closing mentalism effect..

In total four of us took our examinations to become MMC (Members of The Magic Circle), and three took their AIMC (Associate of the Inner Magic Circle), unfortunately it was judged that none of the AIMC’s were are at required level to pass to that level, but the phone call I received was to tell em that I and all four of us at MMC level had passed. Joining the ranks of the 1,500 other Magicians Worldwide that are members of The Magic Circle.

I can now officially say that I am a ‘Member of The Magic Circle’, use the letters MMC, and logo, and of course head up to London to the HQ on Monday nights. In all it’s actually more a confidence thing as well, saying that I am of the level required to be a member, and because its an examined process, involving three judges, a marking scheme, and discussion with The Magic Circle Council, I feel very honored, and proud to have been accepted into The Magic Circle..

It seems that before you can actually get married…

You have to have a practice go at it first..

Last night was our wedding rehearsal for this weekend, and it’s not just a quick five minutes of pointers, its the whole ceremony.

Although the whole event was slightly confusing as we had to say.. ‘On Saturday I take you…’ and ‘On Saturday I will promise…’, instead of the traditional ‘I will‘ and ‘I take you…‘ which for my simple brain might throw me out at the weekend!!!

But the whole wedding party (which is actually quite big) plus other halves turned up at a very cold, wet church for the evening rehearsal.. It was wonderful to see the inside of the church from the view that we’ll have Saturday, and at least now we sort of know what we are meant to be doing…

Now there are a number of things that you shouldn’t do at a wedding rehearsal… and I think that possibly one of the most important things is not to hit the vicars Ford KA with your big Audi A6.. Ford KA’s seem to dent very easily!!! But yes… after the rehearsal, yours truly, slightly tired and cold.. managed to reverse into the vicars car, although as one of my best men did say… The Vicar did park quite close, i.e, the same car park…

Now I was an honest soul, and went back into the church to let the vicar know, and I’ve offered to pay for the repairs… We’ll see on Saturday if he’s still willing to marry us!!!

It’s strange that I still don’t feel nerveous, or even worried about the weekend.. I feel very relaxed, I guess because it all feels right… lets see if I’m any more nerveous on Saturday…