Dear Diary,
Oh happy day!! Today my darling brother Lloyd has married
Cynthia, the girl of his dreams. The whole day has been so gloriously magical,
blessed with lovely sunshine all day and the bride and groom were both positively
radiant. Mummy and Pops were so proud to see their only son marry such a
smashing gal. Lloyd met Cynthia last year on a hiking holiday in the Pyrenees;
it was love at first sight. He proposed at the top of a mountain, so terribly
romantic.
The wedding was the most glamorous occasion and everyone was
dressed so impeccably. Naturally I chose the sophistication and style of the
teal Clara Dress with black satin gloves and a floral fascinator for my hair. I
must say it was remarkable to see so many others wearing dresses from my
boutique! Whilst the guests were waiting in church for the bride to arrive, I
noticed how Beryl and Sandra (my second cousins twice removed) looked stunning
as they arrived together, wearing the Vivian and Greta dress by Eliza &
Ethan. Glancing around the other pews I spotted a lady sitting on the Bride’s
side wearing the Louche Cosmia dress and another sporting the Hatty dress with
a black wide brimmed hat, simply marvellous!
At last the bride arrived wearing a bridal gown that was
divinely extravagant. The ceremony was wonderfully moving and several Aunts
wept as the choir gave an emotive rendition of ‘Ave Maria’. The reception
buffet was a marvel of catering excellence, quite an impressive spread
considering the current circumstances with rationing. I must declare that the
wedding cake was certifiably real and simply delicious. I’ll never forget the
wedding cake at my Aunt Emily’s wedding during the blitz. An elaborately
decorated cardboard box ‘iced’ with painted plaster covered a plain old
Victoria sponge cake underneath; it was quite a clever really.
I must admit I choked back a little tear when I failed to
catch the wedding bouquet, yet I was shocked and alarmed that my mother did!!
But dear old Aunt Matilda consoled me with a story about the origin of the
bouquet tradition that dates back many centuries. She reassured me that it has
absolutely nothing to do with becoming the next bride-to-be. The custom was for
the guests to grasp at the bride’s clothing in an attempt to steal a momento in
order to share the luck and happiness of the new bride. The bride would try to
protect her gown, and escape the guests from chasing her by throwing her
bouquet of flowers into the crowd. My goodness, I don’t know which scenario is
more ghastly, poor Cynthia running away from the guests to preserve her dignity
or the obligation of being a bridesmaid at my own mother’s wedding?
Visit Betty’s fabulous fashion boutique here: www.bettylicious.co.uk
