wedding flowers lavender, paper anniversary – In a Vase on Monday 1 October 2018

This week I’ve been thinking of the past…it’s was our first wedding anniversary last week.   My favourite flower is lavender, we got married in late September when it’s in its full glory – we grew lavender plants for all the table decorations, it was in my bouquet, mentioned in quotes.  It was both a decoration and as a colour in our bunting.   The smell of lavender brings back so many happy memories, not just of our wedding day.  Our wedding was purple, floral and fabulous.

So for my In a Vase on Monday – I went to pick lavender from our garden as I did a year ago, I picked eucalyptus to represent my wonderful Australian family.   it’s from a huge tree at the end of our street.   The vase is one I glazed a couple of weeks ago – it’s raku glaze.  I don’t usually photograph the vases in detail but I thought you’d all like to see the shimmery glaze.

I learnt the technique at Create in Bolton – I wrote about making a clay daisy flower for the garden last week for my In a Vase on Monday.

• Making a pottery daisy 26 September 2018

lavender and eucalyptus in a blue raku vase I glazed

The thing with raku glazing is you don’t quite know how it will come out.  It’s an interesting process, there are fire, alchemy and sawdust involved 🙂  I’ll write about this in more detail another time, after our next raku firing session.

raku pottery vase – shades of blue, green, copper, white.

As usual, I’m joining in with Cathy from Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday. Do have a look at what she’s and the gardening bloggers from around the world have picked for their vases this week

Quote from the song – you and me by you + me

The quote in the frame is my ‘paper anniversary’ gift to my awesome husband; it’s from a special song we played at our ceremony:

You and me were always with each other
Before we knew the others was ever there
You and me we belong together
Just like a breath needs the air
I told you if you called I would come runnin’
Across the highs the lows and the in between…

‘you and me’ written and sung by you + me

Do have a look at the YouTube video it’s beautiful You and Me – You + Me

Liz from Echo Design made the quote frame for me for my ‘paper’ 1st wedding anniversary present for my wonderful husband.

Our wedding – flower and love filled

It was our paper anniversary last week.  I realised I hadn’t really written very much about wedding last year on a gloriously sunny day in September – it was very ‘full-on’ for most of 2017 and this year too.   I wasn’t very well last year, high arthritis pain levels, so it took a great deal of energy to organise our wedding even though it was a team effort.

We got married in the garden, had an afternoon tea, two wedding cakes, and a hog roast. There was music til late – love, laughter and happiness celebrating with our family and friends from near and far.  My wonderful Brother was in my thoughts as he always is. He’s in everyone’s heart and always will be.   My awesome sister in law and my brilliant nieces were crucial to our wedding day – it was just brilliant that they were there to celebrate with us.

irregular choice purple floral candy whistle shoes and purple, lavender, rose wedding bouquet

Our wedding flowers

The flowers in my wedding bouquet have very special meanings for us – I’ll write about that another time – we picked the flowers with our florist – she said grooms hardly ever come to meet her – and she says it’s a shame. I’ll write another time how to work with a florist to choose a bouquet and flowers for your special occasion.   There’s eucalyptus, the lilac rose is the same colour as ones in my wonderful sister in laws garden in Australia – and lavender there’s always lavender 🙂

with my husband at Abbeywood Estate Cheshire, September 2017 – Photo by Sara Porter Photography

My wedding dress and headpiece were made for me by the awesome Rachel and Charlotte at Legend Bridal in Great Harwood Lancashire.  They are truly wonderful people and interpreted just what I wanted – a ‘posh, party dress I could wear again’ to perfection – and I felt like a Queen 🙂 I hope to write more about the process of working with them soon.

• www.legendbridaldesigns.co.uk

We got married at Abbeywood Estate in Cheshire

• www.abbeywoodestate.co.uk

I could write so much about my wonderful husband but I’ll just say ‘I love him mind, body and spirit’ and the day he burst into my life, things changed for the better, forever.

*****

Reflecting on everything that’s happened this year and last, I’m reminded;

‘Life isn’t a dress rehearsal, twirl the dress, wear the shoes, eat cake, drink gin, go adventures with those you love’

This is why I write ‘Carpe Diem’ to signoff my posts.

*****

Do you have a favourite flower? I know that’s a tricky one for my gardening readers – especially as your favourite isn’t even a flower you can even grow in your own garden 😉 

Carpe Diem

Love Bec xxx xxx