The good, the bad and the downright beautiful

This is not a wedding report. There aren't countless fancy pictures. This was a wedding of a wedding photographer, she hired Polly to take the shots. All the guests were wedding photographers. I wasn't pulling out my 40D in the presence of greatness, and there was much much greatness. These are the only photos i took.

Instead, this is a little tale of a florist at a wedding.

I was honoured when Emily asked me to do her wedding, then she said it was camping, and i remember saying "how wonderful" but thinking "bugger" I have never done camping.

After 6 1/2 hours of being stuck in traffic, being offered sexual favours by men in vans, I finally arrived at a field in Sussex, in torrential rain, wearing flip flops and a short sleeved cotton top. Everyone else was in proper wet weather gear and wellies. We had a campfire, and drank ale, i lost my camping cherry right there.

The next morning at 4.30 am i set out my work table, and started. It was glorious sunshine. I was cutting sloe branches from the hedgerows and long meadow grass It couldn't have been more "lifestyle".

Then it rained on and off all morning, and i took cover in the van, and watched my work rained on, blown by gales, and wept just a little. I know what you are thinking why didn't I run out and rescue them? I did the bridal party flowers, but the rest i left.

I had moved them in and out of shelter 27 times by this point. I was working on the principle of natural selection.

And then my flower prep table became the altar, and the sun shone and 5 minutes before the bride arrived i realised i was still in my pyjamas.

and the ceremony was beautiful, and the dress, and the bridesmaids dresses and the songs, and the ribbons and the corsages.

There is a saying somewhere that says if you want the measure of somebody you should look at their friends. I don't think i have ever spent a weekend in the company of people so amazing.

In summary, the good was meeting so many people, in particular Charis and Owen off of O&C photography, Christian, and Allison off of The Peoples shop, and dressmakers extraordinaire, and Martin and Lynne off of Stef's Aunt and Uncle, and campfire toast.

The bad was the weather, and the beetle in my bed.

The beautiful? Everything.

Thank you to The Wedding Reporter for the picture of Emily and Stef,.

and to Mr Ferrari, and Lapelman and Ghislaine, and Angela, without whom i wouldn't have even got to Sussex, but that is a whole other tale......