Father God, your blessings are everywhere I look in this wedding. Thank you.
Thursday morning - the morning before the wedding...
It began with me pushing open the office door of the place I work now (and I love it here! One of my favourite temp placements ever because my work is easy and repetitive and my bosses are lovely to me) and seeing Roz (one of my managers) jump.
"oh Janet - I didnt expect you to burst in like that...I uh...I wasnt finished decorating" and she and Jenny (my other Manager) burst into nervous giggles.
I came closer to my desk...and found it was covered in bright yellow, fresh rose petals.
Lovely :)
"The roses are from my garden" Roz explained - "this one" and she pointed at a beautiful red rose on a pin by my keyboard "is for wearing later if you like"
Oh I do! I love it.
The roses smelled heavenly. I was so blessed that my new Bosses had blessed me like this. I worked steadily all morning (I was finishing at noon and being picked up by Caris to work on Wedding things and check into our awesome Hotel Suite) and around 11:00am, Roz came over to me. "Janet, we're going to have a quick meeting"
"Ok" I replied, and lifted yet another archiving box. Oh. This one was quite heavy. I ignored Roz's statement as they often had meetings in the office but as I'm just a temp and my job is seperate to the office duties (I basically just lift dusty, heavy boxes all day) I dont ever attend them and just carry on with box-lifting and tagging.
"No no - this time, we'd like you to come" Roz insisted.
Oh sh*t.
Alarm bells went off. What had I done wrong? I'd worked so hard these past 6 weeks.
"We just want a quick word with you" Jen continued, and gestured towards her desk area.
Oh no. No, no, no.
But you know what? I got to the area of the office where Roz and Jen sit (they're best friends and chat happily throughout the day, it's so cute) had a cake on the table...with my name on it! YAY!!! The office is small so the office staff is small, too - but each member was around the table with a big smile.
"Happy wedding day, Janet!" Sabrina, Rudi, Jesse and Joe all hugged me.
Woah.
They dont even talk to me, normally. This was awesome!
"This is your pre-wedding morning tea" Roz said with a wink "Do you like it?"
Roz. I love it.
I got presented with a beautiful hand-made quilted card (I didnt know Roz made cards! It reminded me right away of Sue and Christine) and we all shared the nicest cake I've ever had. Seriously. I'm not looking at this with rosey-coloured glasses...it seriously was a FINE cake. Wow. Vanilla sponge cake but it was soft and melted on my tongue. I wanted another peice but behaved myself and the leftover cake got sent to very happy security guards on the ground floor.
Here's my desk and the cake:
Before I knew it, it was noon. Time to go!
It hit me again and again that tomorrow I was getting married. I savoured the feeling of excited butterflies in my stomach.
Caris messaged me "I'm 2 minutes away"
Ok. Time to get ready for the wedding!!!
We met up and raced home so I could pack my bag and grab things for the wedding. I had printed out the wedding signs but they needed framing. I'd bought jars (to act both as vases and later as wedding gifts for a few beloved wedding guests, we had to pack my laptop and silly hats for the wedding photo booth, the huge wooden 'wishing well' for wedding cards to safely be kept in, I needed to pack my wedding dress and shoes...
...my head was spinning. On a normal day, this would have been stressful, but today - as I had for the past 4 days - I was fighting a cold/flu and was finding it hard to breathe through a runny nose and hard to operate and function with a sore, tired body. Working towards tomorrow's wedding when I felt sore and knackered was tough.
That's when Caris shone.
"Right. Go and get 2 suitcases"
"Huh?"
"Don't question me Janet - just do it"
I nodded and did as she bid. Why 2, though?
"One is for your Bali honeymoon and one is for the hotel stay tonight, ok?"
Ah. Good thinking, Caris.
Caris sternly pointed at the pink suitcase on the left. "Start packing your wedding dress and clothes for today and tomorrow. While you do that, I'll gather together the jars, the hats and the wedding signs. Go!"
And she marched off down the hallway.
I stared blankly at the empty suitcases glaring at me. After 4 and half hours of lugging boxes around this morning at work, my energy was sapped and my head was throbbing.
Where do I start?
I don't know how much time had passed, but Caris made a few trips back and forth from the house to her car. She eventually came back to me...and 2 empty suitcases.
I heard her exhale.
Oops.
"OK Janet - stay awake, stay with me, stay focused" and Caris began directing me.
"Go and get your wedding dress. Yes, keep the hanger. Now shoes. Not those ones. Those ones. Yep. Hey, what will you be wearing tomorrow while we race around? Have you got bathroom stuff you wanna bring?"
and patiently, lovingly and sternly on and on Caris directed...until both bags were packed.
"Good work, Janet" Caris gave me an encouraging hug "OK, let's go"
We packed Caris' car boot with suitcases, jars, clothes and wedding signs. We stopped off at the flower stalls on Beaufort Street and together, we picked roses, stock and "baby's breath" flowers that would compliment my dreams of an "English garden" Wedding Reception. It took 4 trips back forth and $280.00 later, we were done.
I'll stop here and tell you the lovely story about the money for the flowers - because none of it was paid by me:
The Wedding Flowers Story:
As well as the Cool kids at *Clarks, I made 2 other friends: Jackie (an Executive Assistant to one of the top Directors) and Linda - she was new to Clarks and was working in HR. Linda especially became a close friend of mine. When I met her, she was sat alone in the reception area with a worried look on her face. I couldnt help myself, I went over, hugged her and tried to make her feel welcome on her first day at her new job. We've been close since.
Anyway, when I got FIRED from Clarks, my first panicked thought was "How will I pay for this wedding?"
Yep. Not 'how will we eat/pay the rent/bills/survive'...nope. How will I pay for this wedding?
I remember gulping out "I dont know how to pay for the wedding" in tearful sobs as I hugged each of my work friends goodbye. Linda hugged me especially tight "Dont you worry - I've GOT this" she told me.
And she really did. Linda called Rydges and got my hotel room upgraded. Linda also organised with the cool kids, Jackie - and Yuki (who I dont even know - she's another girl who works on the HR team - look at that for generosity) to each 'put in' for my wedding flowers. I didnt know. Kelly sat with me at the Hen's afternoon tea (I tried to switch chairs so I could sit with each person at least for 10 minutes during the high tea) and gave me a hug. She pressed a big item into my hand and whispered quietly "This is for you - from Linda, who couldnt make it today but said to send her love"
and I looked down and in neatly folded bills...was $280.00
The exact amount of money I needed to pay for my Bridal Bouquet, Bridesmaid corsages and Groom's/Groomen's buttonholes.
Oh Linda. Thank you so much.
Only, this was a week before the wedding and I'd little-by-little paid for my flowers already.
Instead, the money went towards Rose Centrepeices for the Reception. Caris and I checked into the hotel room (it took Caris and I a few trips up and back in the lift with the amount of flowers and other wedding things we had to carry) and Jess met with us that evening. After dinner, we sat together (in matching Pj's that Caris had bought each of us - how cool!!!) and cut and arranged the flowers to be table centerpeices (and later, guest gifts) at the wedding reception. The money that Linda had arranged made our Reception the most BEAUTIFUL venue.
Thank you Linda, Jackie, Amy and Yuki...your kindness and generosity paid for these:
It was INCREDIBLE to check into our gorgeous Spa Suite. Caris and I were there first, Jess was still at work. We started arranging wedding signage and other items. We put all the jars in the spa and ran the tap to soak the lables off. Caris remembered we left the wedding wishing well at my house (argh!) and said she was going to go home and pick up her overnight bag as well as leave her car at her house and get Broxon to drive her back, anyway.
"While I'm gone - you can sleep" Caris pointed sternly at the bed.
"I have so much to do - " I tried to explain. I was coughing and sneezing and rubbing my eyes as I did.
"BED" Caris repeated. I'll be gone about an hour and a half - have a little sleep.
She didnt have to ask me twice. The bed felt like clouds and I was asleep in moments.
I was so ill and so tired I didnt even think to text Alun and see how he was.
Mrs Thomas (Al's Mom) called and woke me after half an hour...but I didn't mind because she and Mr Thomas were wishing me all the best things for the wedding tomorrow. I also recieved loving, excited texts from beloved friends.
Tomorrow, I get to marry the man of my dreams!
Jess arrived in the evening shortly after Caris came back. We went out to dinner (they paid for me) and came back to work on flowers. I wrote wedding 'thank you' cards while Caris and Jess arranged flowers. We all fell into bed at 1 or 2 in the morning (!!!) exhausted.
Here are a few of the Wedding signs Caris and I made for the Reception:
Thursday morning - the morning before the wedding...
It began with me pushing open the office door of the place I work now (and I love it here! One of my favourite temp placements ever because my work is easy and repetitive and my bosses are lovely to me) and seeing Roz (one of my managers) jump.
"oh Janet - I didnt expect you to burst in like that...I uh...I wasnt finished decorating" and she and Jenny (my other Manager) burst into nervous giggles.
I came closer to my desk...and found it was covered in bright yellow, fresh rose petals.
Lovely :)
"The roses are from my garden" Roz explained - "this one" and she pointed at a beautiful red rose on a pin by my keyboard "is for wearing later if you like"
Oh I do! I love it.
The roses smelled heavenly. I was so blessed that my new Bosses had blessed me like this. I worked steadily all morning (I was finishing at noon and being picked up by Caris to work on Wedding things and check into our awesome Hotel Suite) and around 11:00am, Roz came over to me. "Janet, we're going to have a quick meeting"
"Ok" I replied, and lifted yet another archiving box. Oh. This one was quite heavy. I ignored Roz's statement as they often had meetings in the office but as I'm just a temp and my job is seperate to the office duties (I basically just lift dusty, heavy boxes all day) I dont ever attend them and just carry on with box-lifting and tagging.
"No no - this time, we'd like you to come" Roz insisted.
Oh sh*t.
Alarm bells went off. What had I done wrong? I'd worked so hard these past 6 weeks.
"We just want a quick word with you" Jen continued, and gestured towards her desk area.
Oh no. No, no, no.
But you know what? I got to the area of the office where Roz and Jen sit (they're best friends and chat happily throughout the day, it's so cute) had a cake on the table...with my name on it! YAY!!! The office is small so the office staff is small, too - but each member was around the table with a big smile.
"Happy wedding day, Janet!" Sabrina, Rudi, Jesse and Joe all hugged me.
Woah.
They dont even talk to me, normally. This was awesome!
"This is your pre-wedding morning tea" Roz said with a wink "Do you like it?"
Roz. I love it.
I got presented with a beautiful hand-made quilted card (I didnt know Roz made cards! It reminded me right away of Sue and Christine) and we all shared the nicest cake I've ever had. Seriously. I'm not looking at this with rosey-coloured glasses...it seriously was a FINE cake. Wow. Vanilla sponge cake but it was soft and melted on my tongue. I wanted another peice but behaved myself and the leftover cake got sent to very happy security guards on the ground floor.
Here's my desk and the cake:
Before I knew it, it was noon. Time to go!
It hit me again and again that tomorrow I was getting married. I savoured the feeling of excited butterflies in my stomach.
Caris messaged me "I'm 2 minutes away"
Ok. Time to get ready for the wedding!!!
We met up and raced home so I could pack my bag and grab things for the wedding. I had printed out the wedding signs but they needed framing. I'd bought jars (to act both as vases and later as wedding gifts for a few beloved wedding guests, we had to pack my laptop and silly hats for the wedding photo booth, the huge wooden 'wishing well' for wedding cards to safely be kept in, I needed to pack my wedding dress and shoes...
...my head was spinning. On a normal day, this would have been stressful, but today - as I had for the past 4 days - I was fighting a cold/flu and was finding it hard to breathe through a runny nose and hard to operate and function with a sore, tired body. Working towards tomorrow's wedding when I felt sore and knackered was tough.
That's when Caris shone.
"Right. Go and get 2 suitcases"
"Huh?"
"Don't question me Janet - just do it"
I nodded and did as she bid. Why 2, though?
"One is for your Bali honeymoon and one is for the hotel stay tonight, ok?"
Ah. Good thinking, Caris.
Caris sternly pointed at the pink suitcase on the left. "Start packing your wedding dress and clothes for today and tomorrow. While you do that, I'll gather together the jars, the hats and the wedding signs. Go!"
And she marched off down the hallway.
I stared blankly at the empty suitcases glaring at me. After 4 and half hours of lugging boxes around this morning at work, my energy was sapped and my head was throbbing.
Where do I start?
I don't know how much time had passed, but Caris made a few trips back and forth from the house to her car. She eventually came back to me...and 2 empty suitcases.
I heard her exhale.
Oops.
"OK Janet - stay awake, stay with me, stay focused" and Caris began directing me.
"Go and get your wedding dress. Yes, keep the hanger. Now shoes. Not those ones. Those ones. Yep. Hey, what will you be wearing tomorrow while we race around? Have you got bathroom stuff you wanna bring?"
and patiently, lovingly and sternly on and on Caris directed...until both bags were packed.
"Good work, Janet" Caris gave me an encouraging hug "OK, let's go"
We packed Caris' car boot with suitcases, jars, clothes and wedding signs. We stopped off at the flower stalls on Beaufort Street and together, we picked roses, stock and "baby's breath" flowers that would compliment my dreams of an "English garden" Wedding Reception. It took 4 trips back forth and $280.00 later, we were done.
I'll stop here and tell you the lovely story about the money for the flowers - because none of it was paid by me:
The Wedding Flowers Story:
As well as the Cool kids at *Clarks, I made 2 other friends: Jackie (an Executive Assistant to one of the top Directors) and Linda - she was new to Clarks and was working in HR. Linda especially became a close friend of mine. When I met her, she was sat alone in the reception area with a worried look on her face. I couldnt help myself, I went over, hugged her and tried to make her feel welcome on her first day at her new job. We've been close since.
Anyway, when I got FIRED from Clarks, my first panicked thought was "How will I pay for this wedding?"
Yep. Not 'how will we eat/pay the rent/bills/survive'...nope. How will I pay for this wedding?
I remember gulping out "I dont know how to pay for the wedding" in tearful sobs as I hugged each of my work friends goodbye. Linda hugged me especially tight "Dont you worry - I've GOT this" she told me.
And she really did. Linda called Rydges and got my hotel room upgraded. Linda also organised with the cool kids, Jackie - and Yuki (who I dont even know - she's another girl who works on the HR team - look at that for generosity) to each 'put in' for my wedding flowers. I didnt know. Kelly sat with me at the Hen's afternoon tea (I tried to switch chairs so I could sit with each person at least for 10 minutes during the high tea) and gave me a hug. She pressed a big item into my hand and whispered quietly "This is for you - from Linda, who couldnt make it today but said to send her love"
and I looked down and in neatly folded bills...was $280.00
The exact amount of money I needed to pay for my Bridal Bouquet, Bridesmaid corsages and Groom's/Groomen's buttonholes.
Oh Linda. Thank you so much.
Only, this was a week before the wedding and I'd little-by-little paid for my flowers already.
Instead, the money went towards Rose Centrepeices for the Reception. Caris and I checked into the hotel room (it took Caris and I a few trips up and back in the lift with the amount of flowers and other wedding things we had to carry) and Jess met with us that evening. After dinner, we sat together (in matching Pj's that Caris had bought each of us - how cool!!!) and cut and arranged the flowers to be table centerpeices (and later, guest gifts) at the wedding reception. The money that Linda had arranged made our Reception the most BEAUTIFUL venue.
Thank you Linda, Jackie, Amy and Yuki...your kindness and generosity paid for these:
It was INCREDIBLE to check into our gorgeous Spa Suite. Caris and I were there first, Jess was still at work. We started arranging wedding signage and other items. We put all the jars in the spa and ran the tap to soak the lables off. Caris remembered we left the wedding wishing well at my house (argh!) and said she was going to go home and pick up her overnight bag as well as leave her car at her house and get Broxon to drive her back, anyway.
"While I'm gone - you can sleep" Caris pointed sternly at the bed.
"I have so much to do - " I tried to explain. I was coughing and sneezing and rubbing my eyes as I did.
"BED" Caris repeated. I'll be gone about an hour and a half - have a little sleep.
She didnt have to ask me twice. The bed felt like clouds and I was asleep in moments.
I was so ill and so tired I didnt even think to text Alun and see how he was.
Mrs Thomas (Al's Mom) called and woke me after half an hour...but I didn't mind because she and Mr Thomas were wishing me all the best things for the wedding tomorrow. I also recieved loving, excited texts from beloved friends.
Tomorrow, I get to marry the man of my dreams!
Jess arrived in the evening shortly after Caris came back. We went out to dinner (they paid for me) and came back to work on flowers. I wrote wedding 'thank you' cards while Caris and Jess arranged flowers. We all fell into bed at 1 or 2 in the morning (!!!) exhausted.
Here are a few of the Wedding signs Caris and I made for the Reception:
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