April - June 2023

 And it seems that, just like that, I’m a married woman!

Well, not really just like that 😂…looking back on it now, there was a huge amount of planning and preparation involved but when you’re in the middle of it all you’re just ticking off things on the to do list.

We did take a little trip just before as light break. We had tickets to see James Norton ( Tommy Lee Royce in the fantastic Happy Valley) in the play Little Life. I knew very little about it or the book from which it was taken but, after all, it was James Norton.

I can’t praise the writing or performances highly enough. All round it was fantastic, but something that constituted part of a “light break “ it certainly was not. *Spoiler alert* It deals  with some dark themes including rape, self harm, grooming etc but I hadn’t anticipated the main character becoming an amputee. After three years I thought I had come to terms with my own experience. But having it played out in front of me,I have to admit, I found it very difficult and if I’m honest, it threw a wobble … Not so much the physical depiction of being an amputee. More the interplay between the characters and the effect it had on them and their relationships. Caught me on the hop ( pardon the pun ) and I really had to take a minute at the end. We were lucky enough to speak to the cast afterwards and asked how they managed to come down after such intense performances..Gogglebox apparently is a go to for Mr Norton 🙂

Home again and before I knew it the wedding was upon us. All I can say is that it was everything we wanted it to be. When asked what the theme was, we said we wanted it to be Joy, Love and Family.❤️

We can’t thank everyone enough and will list the contributors and suppliers at the end of the post but I have to thank my Physios Sian and Kelly along with my Pilates instructor Leila for building my strength, allowing me to complete not one but two ceremonies. A special mention also to my Prosthetists. Beth for custom making me a cuff that allowed me to sign the wedding register and Hannah for providing me with wonderfully comfortable legs that not only meant I could stand throughout the ceremonies but allowed me to achieve my aim of walking down the aisle (s) without sticks!

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If you’re wondering what the music was, it’s an instrumental version of Dolly Partons Here you come again. Given both David and I have been married before and us managing to squeeze two ceremonies in on the day, we thought it very appropriate 🙂

I don’t know if I was just swept along in the moment but it’s a testament to the power of adrenaline that I was able to throw myself into getting in and out of a  vintage vehicle camper van and even climbing stairs!..it wasn’t pretty or graceful mind 😂

All in all, despite the odd inevitable hiccup, it turned out to be a magical day🙂

Through the kindness of our wedding guests David and I were also able to enjoy some wonderful experiences during our honeymoon. 

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We spent the first week in New York then took an Amtrak up the coast to Boston. It wasn’t all plain sailing mind you. On arrival at our hotel in New York, we were told they had no record of our request for an accessible room and that there were none available. No amount of discussion or digging out confirmation emails was making any headway. They said the fault was with British airways who made our booking. In the end, both being shattered we agreed that we would pick it up in the morning. 

If I’m honest, the guy on reception was pretty unapologetic and really quite disinterested. Took no ownership of the problem and actually started getting annoyed with us for questioning him! If the States is known for its customer service, this guy obviously missed that training day. Not a great start Hilton 🙁

The next day still no joy so we contacted BA. When we finally got through to someone it turned out that it was all our fault!..Although we had booked an accessible room, we hadn’t stipulated what my accessibility needs were! We had also failed to complete a form that they hadn’t bothered to send us or indicate as part of the booking process!

The lady told us that just because an accessible room is booked they don’t assume it is because of an individuals needs, more that it was probably the only room left! ( I kid you not, that is exactly what she told us) 

David and I were absolutely gobsmacked and from our response I think the lady knew that she had dropped a clanger. A few choice exchanges later and we were told that she would speak with the hotel management and ring us straight back. 

True to her word, she did. We were moved to an accessible room within the hour and some money credited back to our account. The Hilton Reception staff were also much more apologetic and helpful when we spoke to them. Nevertheless, a worrying discovery to find how accessible rooms are viewed as a last resort. This probably explains how a lot of them look a little unloved and uncared for.

In contrast, our hotel in Boston couldn’t have been more helpful or welcoming. The staff were amazingly friendly and our room was immaculate. I can’t recommend the Hyatt place Boston Seaport highly enough.

I have to also commend the level of assistance offered by British airways and the airports. The great service by Amtrak passenger assistance and the overall positive experience of getting around both New York and Boston as a wheelchair user. I’ll expand on that in another post.

I’m aware just how long this post has turned out to be but honestly it hasn’t even scratched the surface of our last couple of months. Nevertheless, I’m sure you need a rest by now. Having returned from honeymoon with Covid, I know we did. 

Massive thanks to the following suppliers and contributors who made the wedding day so wonderful.

Hair and Make up: Bridal Hair by Lesley & Makeup by Urszula

Venue : Mary Rowntrees Cafe & Restaurant- Thai

Weeding car: VW Splitty Wedding Hire

Cake: Clare’s Cakery

Flowers: Bees and Butterflies Flowers

Flowers and venue dressing: Sams Seasonal Circles

Photography: Inspire an Image Wedding Photography 

And of course, our fabulous Family & Friends! 🙂❤️