NS March 5th, 2008
I’ve seen this meme in a few places, most recently at Everything In Between, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. My situation is a bit more unusual in that I’ve had two weddings…to the same man. First, we married in a registry office in London in 2000 and then had the ‘white wedding’ (renewed our vows, I guess you could call it) with family and friends present in the US in 2004. So for each question relating to the weddings specifically, there will be two answers. The first will always apply to the 2000 wedding and the second to the 2004 wedding. Here goes!
1. Where / how did you meet?
We met in Germany at a beer festival in June 1998. He was over there on a six-month IT contract and I was doing a working summer abroad after my first year at university. We hung out in a large group and he gave me his number at the end of the night “if I wanted to hang out with someone who spoke English” but I didn’t plan to call. A few nights later I was watching tv in my living room with my two roommates when suddenly there was a man on our balcony, knocking on the sliding glass door. He’d remembered where the taxi dropped us off and came to ask if anyone wanted to join him for a drink. A few of us went along and we ended up talking all night, until the bar staff were putting chairs up on the tables and asking us to leave
2. How long have you known each other?
It will be ten years this summer
3. How long after you met did you start dating?
Two weeks
4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
There was really no engagement to speak of. We just decided to get married and were hitched within two weeks of making the decision. But we were together for 1 1/2 years before that happened
5. How long was your engagement?
As stated above, two weeks
6. How long have you been married?
Eight years
7. What is your anniversary?
February 5th
8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
At the first, we had seven friends in attendance. Afterwards we had a party at our flat, I think about 40 or 50 people came to that. At the second, just under 100 people attended
9. What kind of cake did you serve?
At the first, our friends bought the cake as a surprise. It was just a standard white sponge cake with white fondant icing, square and two-tiered. Store bought. At the second, we had a round three-tier cake with three different flavored layers. I think they were white cake with raspberry filling, chocolate, and hazelnut
10. Where was your wedding?
The first was at a registry office in London. The second was at a B&B in Indianapolis, where we lived for three years
11. What did you serve for the meal?
After the registry office, we had our witnesses back to the flat for a lunch of lasagna, salad and garlic bread. At the second, we had food stations including ones devoted to sushi, smoked meats, fruits and veggies, pasta salads and then a variety of other stuff. It was fabulous!
12. How many people were in your bridal party?
Just two witnesses at the first. One attendant each at the second
13. Are you still friends with them all?
Still friends with our witnesses, though we don’t see them very often. And of course we are still friends with our wedding attendants as they were my sister and TNH’s brother
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
No
15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
At number one, feeling a sense of relief that we wouldn’t have to be apart anymore with all the visa headaches and everything. At the second, hearing TNH’s wonderful vows to me that he had written himself. They still make me tear up when I think of them
16. Any funny moments?
After the first, I nearly threw up in the bushes outside. Our friends had insisted on getting us drunk the night before and I didn’t have time to eat the next morning. The champagne toast nearly sent me over the edge but I managed to hang on by a thread until lunch sorted me out
At the second, I forgot my vows halfway through and pretended to choke up with tears and turn away but I was really sneaking a peek at the cheat-sheet I had tucked in my cleavage. No one except TNH and a couple people in the front row were any the wiser but I was teased about that for ages
17. Any big disasters?
Nope, not at all. The only glitch was that the photographer’s flash broke when he was taking pictures before the wedding and he had to go out and buy another one which meant we didn’t get to take very many photos beforehand so had to do them all afterwards and missed the cocktail hour
18. Where did you go on honeymoon?
Nowhere after the first. After the second we took our British friends who had come over for the wedding (five of them) on a roadtrip to Tennessee, which was a blast. We stayed for nearly a week in a cabin in the Smokey Mountains and then spent a night in Nashville hitting up the rib joints and bars. We called it our ‘groupmoon’
19. How long were you gone?
A week
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
Nothing. I loved both just as they were
21. What side of the bed do you sleep in?
On the left when I’m in it; on the right looking at it
22. What size is your bed?
UK king, which is about a US queen
23. Greatest strength as a couple?
We make each other laugh and balance each other out — he’s much more laid-back and I’m more passionate. Too much or too little of either of those can be bad so we keep each other in check
24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
Not having very many interests in common
25. Who literally pays the bills?
He earns the money, if that’s what this means. I make sure they get paid though
26. What is your song?
“Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones
27. What did you dance your first dance to?
Didn’t dance at the first one. “Feels Like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk at the second
28. Describe your wedding dress
At the first — grey skirt, pink cardigan, black shoes. At the second — Monique Lhuillier dress. Strapless, ivory, lavender crystals, organza ‘petals’ from the knees down through the train. Sounds sooo unlike me but I loved it
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
First — none. Second — white hydrangea, lavender sweet pea, yellow roses
30. Are your wedding bands engraved?
Mine is, his isn’t. Must resolve that at some point
