A wedding and a bit of tears, too

As I previously mentioned, we attended a wedding a couple of weeks ago of some good friends of ours, and we got all girlie and dressed up for the occasion, sporting a super fashion pair of Dr Martens I cannot find a link for – so very sorry in advance.

The whole day was so special and sweet, and the girls and I were pretty excited at the idea of attending a French-Scottish wedding! Admittedly, it was more of a french one with the whole bride’s family there, and also pretty similar to an Italian one: loud, fun and never ending!

The day started slowly, and quietly. Fred helped the groom with his Kilt, while we nervously waited for the car to take us to the venue. Cristina and I were mostly uncomfortable in our pretty outfits, but managed to walk without making too much of a fuss. You must know, we both require a pair of jeans and t-shirt to be comfortable in our current skin, so the whole idea of a dress was dreading and not at all appealing, but we made it!

The ceremony was sweet and short, when the bride walked in we all gasped, she just looked so beautiful in a wonderful dress, and I do believe the groom was speechless himself! A sweet encounter, a few words from the court clerk and a lot of smiles, just as I would like for mine to be, and they were married.

We all celebrated the happy couple soon after in a very nice pub in Hampstead Heath, The Holly Bush, close by the wonderful park and with a wonderful weather too, and trust me when I say it was no short of amazing: food and drinks were flowing, and everyone was very happy with the whole thing. The music – which we helped with as well – was a mix of romantic ballads, french songs and fun contemporary tunes everyone enjoyed.

The tables were absolutely lush, and the moment we walked in the room all you could smell was the fresh flowers and eucalyptus compositions made by a close friend of the bride, the most beautiful white roses I have ever seen. Everything looked delicate and simple, just perfect. When I dream about my big day, this is the sort of thing I would go for, small and intimate, for a few people I love, something of which I can remember the smells and sights clearly.

But enough about me, let’s move on to the food! We had previously picked what we would be eating on an online page, and thanks to my close-by friends, I managed to try some other bits too! Yes, I am definitely talking about Cristina and Nathalie, and you can find her here.

The entree was a burrata with english garden peas, crushed pistachios and cress. It was served with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and with a slice of toasted bread. To say I enjoyed the whole thing it would be an understatement: it was fresh, tasty and I have definitely had more than one – thanks to the sister who is lactose intolerant.

The main I have picked was a sirloin steak, cooked to perfection on medium rare just as I like it, served with a grilled mushroom, an onion ring, and some hollandaise sauce on the side: it was huge, even if the picture does not give it any justice. All was washed down with plenty of champagne, white wine, and water – yes, we indeed had to turn to water at some point!

All of this was followed by some of the guests and the newlyweds giving speeches, which of course had me – and pretty much the whole room – in tears. Surprisingly, my very rustic knowledge of french helped me not only understand all speeches at the first attempt, but also have a (very short) conversation with a family member, and it made me miss the time I was able to speak it. Maybe I will go back to it? Who knows.

And then the dancing started, first the married couple, then everyone else: we cried even more, at times. We are very sensitive people, I am assuming by the look of things & pictures.

But, the showstopper. A wonderful vegan layered cake, precisely a banana cake. It was moist, rich and just perfect all around. The decoration in chocolate was the only point I would make, but I do not like chocolate so I have no say in any of it, ha.

The gold and silver were sublime with the pale pink of the frosting, and the figs just added that fall feeling to the whole cake: it looked decadent and fancy, and tasted pretty good too! When we first walked in, we thought it was not the real deal, and it was a beautiful surprise to the bride and groom as well.

It was indeed a wonderful day, if it wasn’t for my jet lag from New York and a little stomach bug I caught on our flight back. I had to have an early night, while everyone else danced the night away. I have seen pictures and videos that made me a bit jealous, but I am glad I got to be there and really felt part of the family throughout the day, which was very sweet and makes me tear up a bit now, too.