In March of 2002, eleven years ago today in fact, friends
Nicky and Paul got married in the spectacular seaside village of Dartmouth,
England. Perched majestically above the village, The Britannia Royal Naval
College, the site of the wedding, shimmered in the warm spring sun that Easter
weekend.
I find myself thinking of this weekend often and the
memories feel as fresh today as if it was last year. The ceremony was beautifully
done and the reception was the perfect mix of class, elegance, and warmth. But it was the way in which Nicky and
Paul folded their friends into every aspect of the weekend that made it such an
extraordinary time. Rather than
feeling like just a guest, we were made to feel like family.
Much laughter took place that long weekend and the memories
have stayed close to my heart all these years and are revisited often. Being
guests at the Speat house in Torquay our first night in England, where Nicky’s
parents hosted about a dozen of us; taking the small ferry across to Dartmouth;
playing miniature golf with the guys while the girls got ready for the big day;
hours spent in the pub the night before the wedding; meandering the cobbled
streets of Dartmouth popping into shops, the wedding speeches; cutting of the
cake with the ceremonial sword; drinks and dancing at the reception; long lazy
brunch in the pub the morning after drinking pints, reading the paper, and
reminiscing about the antics from the wedding; chilly afternoon walk to the 600 year
old Dartmouth Castle; warming up at Paul’s parents house to watch the wedding
video; and topping off the weekend with a meal at a local Italian restaurant.
Life has changed for all of us the past eleven years, but I
have a feeling that if we were to do it all over again, we would find not much
time has passed at all.
Happy Anniversary to one of my favorite couples!
