Hi all
Just wanted to share with you am amazing story of how in the face of tragedy, immense worry and upsets on my best friend's wedding day - how well people work together to make a bad and sad situation turn into a magical event.
For 5 years I have kept at my best friends boyfriend and said - "hey you have a free celebrant here marry the girl or I will" ... hee hee. This year they will have been together for 10 years.
Finally this year he proposed and the wedding was set for the 26th Sept. Opps can't do it love I have 2 other bookings, they move the date. I am honoured and so excited because Ruth is like another sister to me - my soul mate best friend.
They are very earthy people and the ceremony and reception will be held on their property in Kuranda. To get to Kurnada you need to travel up a two lane range quite slowly and it can take a good 30 minutes, trucks, slow drivers, bad drivers and very little over taking lanes - the road is about 12km long and rises to a level of about 430m about sea level. It's mainly two lanes with a few overtaking bays and lookouts on the way up.
I personally, along with many of our friends, their families have waited for this day to come and finally the day arrives.
My two lovely boys and I get up in the morning, excited, they have their suits ready we rush to the markets to get the ginger flowers, then the pastry shop to get the cakes to the caterers and then the florist to get the bridal party flowers. I pack my PA system, table, chairs, tent - yes it's an all weekend affair camping, porta loo's porta showers many esky's, people from interstate and even a very famous funny comedian from Melbourne, the brides brother, a great time is expected to be had by all.
The boys and I zip up the range early in the morning to deliver the lot and come back down the range and I to attend to other matters, meeting clients - I get all that done pop back into the car and think well it's all going to plan and think I am ample time to shower, get up the range, meet my lovely bride, lace up her dress have a quick glass of champers as arranged and then drive to their property, get set up and do the most important ceremony of my short career - well?
After meeting my clients, I noticed my phone had died. Yep forgot to charge it, get home put it on charge and the calls start coming.
An accident had happened on the range and someone had died so the range was closed - I ring the groom he is frantic. We thought it was YOU thank god I am taking to you now, RING THE BRIDE. She is frantic, so I ring her and we are in tears. I explain what happened and then I am informed the only way to get up the range is via Sky rail (like a mono rail). So I pack the kids, take limited stuff, get in contact with the photographer, tell him to meet us there, bump into the hairdresser on my travels and we all meet at Sky rail. The grooms brother has arranged with the Manager tickets for $20.00 per adult and free for kids. It was amazing over 40 adults and 15 kids meet at sky rail. Sorry but me being so upset over all of this just needed to see the Bride. I get on first gondola with my boys, the photographer and hairdresser Rowie our friend, a guests also but was arranged to trim the grooms hair, when we arrive a bus has been arranged and is waiting. I tell him I can't go the house yet I need to see the bride. We get to the resort when she is leaving from and I see her. And yep the tears come and come. So glad I went to see her even though we where an 1 and 40 minutes late, because if we had have seen each other when she arrived it would have been a total mess of a ceremony. I help get her dress laced up, run back and get the bus to the house.
Well a few people told me that night I was quite bossy - did I give a hoot? No way, this wedding was going ahead - they needed me and I wanted to make it so special from them.
I have a 30 second very cold shower (I need to because of the adrenalin my boys and I have been under) get changed, forget my tummy tucker, and the hairdresser looks at my hair and says - where is the hair dryer. Well we are in the bush, by a huge river on a property with 5 massive water tanks. Tthis couple are so earthy and environmental they have a composting toilet, chickens, bee hives, fruit trees and have only just gotten into the 20th century with mobile phones and a very slow computer ... .. and she is asking for a hairdryer.. yeah, she does the best. I get set up and the bride arrives in two very dirty dusty cars (yep they did hire limos but they could not get up the range) . The caterers had to drive and extra 3 hours via the Gillies range to get to the property.
At approximately 5pm. the ceremony is halfway through and I am asking the guests to make sure they eat, drink and be merry when the truck with the much need food arrives - well timed, we all laugh and then I throw in a few fun things. They are married, food is on its way and we all look at each other and say - the band? Will they, wont they get up the range? But they make it and we have one wonderful night. The bride's brother (Trevor Marmalade - for those who know him) had us in hysterics and the band did a fantastic job. The food was wonderful and I will even say under all the stress I went through that day - I was a trooper. We celebrants are really Chameleons, and it really shows. (I wish some people would understand, especially brides, that we have a life outside of being a celebrant).
I am saddened that a lovely man in his 70's lost his life, possibly due to heart failure or a diabetic attack, but in spite of everything that happened, so many people worked with love and passion to make my wonderful best friend's wedding day - WONDERFUL AND MEMORABLE.
We are troopers.
Lol JoJ |
