25th Anniversary renewal of vows
Being a full-time wedding planner when it came to arranging my own renewal of vows I knew exactly what I wanted.
This was something I had dreamed of for so many years but little did I know it would happen in the middle of a pandemic and that would limit my plans.
Travel and quarantine restrictions meant that it was impossible for the family to join us from the UK but it is amazing what technology can do. My head was a big jumble of worries, would we get locked down again, would the curfew be lifted, would there be restrictions on guest numbers so many things. I now have a total understanding for all my couples that have had to postpone and the emotional rollercoaster that causes.
To say i did not enjoy my original wedding would be a lie but it was a traditional Turkish Cypriot wedding and totally alien to me so i was determined that this time it would be exactly how i wanted.
I knew i wanted the sea in the background but not on the beach so managed to find the most perfect venue 5 minutes from our home. Once that was decided i could start planning everything from the invitations that i made myself with matching name cards for the tables and the table plan. I knew i wanted Orchids to play a big part because they were my mums favourite flower so they had to feature on our arch.
I thought getting a dress was going to be stressful because even though i knew in my mind what i wanted i did not know where to get it from, None of the shops here had anything like it and then i spoke to my sister back in the UK. I was telling her the style of dress i wanted and she informed me that she had what i wanted. She recently got married and had brought this dress to change into during the evening and never wore it but how could she get it to me in time. We only had 6 weeks left and sending it here by post was not an option. Luckily i had a couple flying out to meet up and discuss their own wedding so i bit the bullet and asked them if they could bring it and they said of course.
We had decided that we wanted it to be very laid back but at the same time elegant. We invited 50 of our closest friends and family from here a mixture of both English and Turkish and i have to say everyone got on just fine.
The ceremony was in the garden area and i had strict instructions from my husband to keep it short!!! In order for the Turkish speakers to understand what was going on i had a Translator there and my best friend stepped in at the last minute to take the role of the English speaker.
We chose to do our own vows and this caused much laughter from all our guests as well as us. I don’t think i have laughed so much.
Everything was just perfect and i could not have asked for anything else.
After the ceremony we all went inside to eat and to party. It was so nice to see all our guests mixing and laughing together and by god after the 18 months we have just had it was so well needed.
Would i do this again ? absolutley but i might have to wait another 25 years!!!!!