Wedding - How I saw my wedding - Mark's views

Friday May 4th - the day before

The Journey Home
I went to work as usual in Cheadle Hulme. After work I had to return to the house to pick up something that Dawn had forgotten. We were having tea at the flat with Dawn's mother Jenny, her husband Bill and their son Matthew. While driving I thought about a few of the recent significant events...

Thursday July 27th 2006 - New Brighton
A friend of mine rang me up. She was a bit down so I suggested we hang out at New Brighton as the weather was decent.
We relaxed on the beach, Dawn even managed a brief swim. We enjoyed the day even though we got rather sunburnt.

Sunday August 6th 2006 - Church Meal
After the Sunday morning church service there was a party to celebrate Harry Orr's 80th birthday and Tony Holland's retirement from the gym business. It was a fairly relaxed event but one moment stands clear in my mind. I was queuing for food and I found myself talking to a couple that I hadn't seen for quite some time. Dawn was behind me in the queue so I introduced them to her as they hadn't met before. I was relaxed looking forward to some food. Elaine asked me "Are you two going out?". Dawn and I both went bright RED. The following day we decided to go out and see how we get along!

Saturday August 25th to September 8th 2006 - USA
Many months earlier I had arranged to visit my youngest brother in Boston USA. I decided to make the most of the holiday even though it was difficult being away from Dawn. To help us stay in contact I gave her my email address and my brother's phone number - more about this later.
I saw many sights in Boston such as the

USS Constitution, the Cheers bar and I went whale watching.
We also visited a few other places such as Gloucester where the film The Perfect Storm was set. Typically the weather wasn't good, it was cold and windy, as someone said "Apart from the hurricane the weather has been good".
Dawn took pictures of a couple of liners that visited Liverpool while I was away - Saga Rose and Seven Seas Voyager.
I kept in contact with Dawn via email and the phone. Towards the end of the holiday if the phone went my brother just handed it to me without even listening to it.
I enjoyed spending time with my brother John and his wife Alicia.

Saturday 11th November 2006 - Proposal
Leona and Mike had arranged a party at their house to celebrate that it was one year since Dawn became a Christian. People quickly spotted the engagement ring on Dawn's hand.


Sunday 18th February 2007 - Church Roof
On a frosty morning we drove to church as usual. Inside the building seemed just as cold as outside. We looked up and saw that a big section of the roof was missing! Will the repairs be ready in time for our wedding?




Friday 4th May - Continued
At the flat
It was quite a rush eating the evening meal (I think it was chilly con carne) I arrived later than expected.

Wedding Rehersal
We arrived at the church hall and quite a few people were busy putting the finishing touches to the decorations. We noticed that the person scheduled to do PA for the wedding hadn't arrived. Someone suggested that Dawn could do the mixing for her own wedding! A quick phone call confirmed that we would have someone to do PA in a few minutes. Someone asked me if I could help them take some things to the tip tomorrow!


At the flat
I went back to the flat with Dawn, Bill, Jenny and Matthew. Despite being tired everyone seemed too excited to have an early night. Not sure what time I left but it was before midnight.

At the house
I drove home safely but I couldn't seem to relax. I decided to stay up and play a strategy game. I didn't do very well at building railways but at least after a couple of games I was relaxed and tired enough to get some sleep.

Saturday May 5th 2007 - The Wedding Day

I didn't sleep very well. I must have been nervous. I couldn't seem to concentrate. Dawn phoned me :-)

I put on some battered clothes and filled a bucket with soapy water. I was just starting washing the car when my brother David arrived. I found that washing the car helped me relax a bit. There were so many things going through my head... would there be enough chairs for the church service, would there be enough food, would the person with the video turn up, would there be any arguments (aagggh!).

I changed into my wedding suit and got ready to go to my wedding with my brother David.


I arrived at the church building and chatted with some of the guests. Dawn had warned me that she planned to be a few minutes late. More guests arrived and people began to sit down. I began to wonder, when will Dawn and the bridesmaids arrive? I overheard someone on their mobile talking to the driver of the wedding car. They were having trouble finding the house where Dawn and the bridesmaids were getting ready.



I heard that Dawn and the bridesmaids arrived at the building. There was a slight delay as they sorted themselves out and posed for a few pictures. Here is a pictures of Dawn with her mother Jenny.


We signed the register documents making the marriage "official".


Most of the music during the ceremony was 'live'.


Pictures in the Park
We then went to the worlds first planned urban park - Birkenhead Park for photographs. Dawn asked me to hold the flowers, before I could say "Don't take a picture" the moment was captured on film.


My youngest brother John couldn't make the event as he lives in the USA but he did phone me while I was in the park. My cousins who live in the UK came to the wedding.
From Left to right: Me, Dawn, Jenny, Helen, Carol.


Buffet
We had the buffet meal at the church building. While we had being in the park taking pictures people had been busy setting up tables and cooking the meal:

After the meal we took a few more pictures... this picture shows my closest relations.
From left to right: Hugh Hyland, Anne Hyland, David Hyland, Me, Dawn Hyland, Jenny Greenwood, Bill Greenwood, Matthew Greenwood.


Update in progress - Pictures coming soon...

Wedding
Journal Index