We Got HITCHED!!!

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed... Something Blue!

 So, for those of you who know us well you will know that we have been together now for just over 13 years.  Again, those of you who know us will also know that I’ve wanted to be Mrs S for long enough.  And those of you who don’t know (probably because I’ve called him ‘my husband’ for long enough), I’ve proposed every leap year day since 1998 – so that’s four ‘official’ proposals and countless dropped hints over the years and each time a refusal or a swift change of subject.

Did I ever think in my wildest dreams that he would say yes this year?  Nope.  So, when at half past six on the morning of 29^th February this year I mumbled from under the duvet “before you go to work, I’ve got to ask you if you’ll marry me.. I know you’ll say no but I just wanted to ask.”  He said “Yes, OK – but one condition; we do it in secret and don’t tell anyone until afterwards.”

Do you think I’d argue?  No way!!  I have joked so many times over the last 13 years that if he ever said yes I’d do it whatever the conditions... “I’ll marry him in a bus stop wearing a bin liner if he’d just say yes.” 

So, quick thinking me suggested that Easter might be good as we’d already booked our caravan holiday in Norfolk and our fab friends Mark and Michelle would be with us and could be our witnesses.  What a great idea!  So, since 29^th February I’ve kept the biggest secret of my entire life... and anyone who really knows me knows that I’m totally rubbish at keeping secrets!!  

As a three year old girl I spent the afternoon baking with my Mum and icing a cake for my Daddy’s birthday which was the next day, we hid it in a tin and put it on the top of the kitchen cupboard... “don’t tell Daddy until tomorrow”.  So, Daddy comes home from work... what’s the first thing I say?  “Daddy, Daddy it’s a secret, I can’t tell you about that cake in the tin up there!”  See, useless!!

I can’t tell you how hard it’s been to keep this particular secret from everyone.  Firstly my sister Jill, she’s my best friend in the whole world; I’ve so wanted to tell her!  Nightmare – we had a spa day for the girls and for Mother’s day.  What did Mum ask me?  “So, did you propose to him on leap year day?”   Now the other thing I find impossible is telling a lie, I don’t know how I did it but I didn’t tell but I also didn’t fib; I told Mum that of course I asked him – I just didn’t tell her what his response was! 

Then, I was running in a cross country race up in the Lake District and staying overnight at my Dad and Jool’s house... it was sooooo hard not to say anything at all.  It was my birthday in March and I had a lovely birthday lunch in Harrogate with Mum, sister and brother in law, nephew, brother and sister in law and nieces... how hard was that to keep schtum?  Then, my brother Sam rang me to see if they could pop in on their way home from their holiday in Centre Parcs... OMG!  This is all in between going running three times a week with my lovely friends Carol and Caroline and going to numerous crafting classes and events with my other great friends Monica, Linda and Lorraine.  It’s also been a nightmare chatting to my neighbour Dianne and not spilling the beans.

Well, now the secret’s out!  We got married at 11.15am on Tuesday 10^th April at Fakenham register office while on holiday.  In attendance were Michelle and Mark Elliott and Milly, Molly and Barney Elliott (doggy bridesmaids and page boy) and Mr Mo (doggy usher).

Something old: earrings

Something new: dress, shoes, bag

Something borrowed: Michelle’s hanky! (clean)

Something blue: my dress

All I need to do now is practice my new signature!!  For those who don’t know my new surname is Szczecinski (pronounced Sheshinski) I think Andrew will still call himself Mr Greenwood from time to time!!