A lovely portrait of the beautiful bride from photographer and family friend, Ian Cameron. One of the reasons Doug gave for loving her was that, “Beth is the most gorgeous girl in the world and she still won’t take his word for it.” Maybe she will now.

Doug’s sister, Jenny gave us a reading from ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ by Louis de Bernieres

This wedding will always live in my memory, as well as Beth and Doug’s for a very good reason.

At most weddings, rings are exchanged between the bride and groom, and until now it’s always been the best man’s job to remember them.

It recently occurred to me that it would be symbolically more equal if the bridesmaid had the one that the bride was to give to the groom, and every couple to whom I’ve suggested this has agreed.

Doug and Beth thought it was a great idea.

Except that just as we were about to have our first reading, Beth whispered to me, “I’ve left Doug’s ring in my room!”

Luckily I didn’t have to try to copy Peter Ustinov, and read the phone book; while Cameron Henderson entertained us on the fiddle, bridesmaid Emma raced up, ransacked the suitcases and got back down again just in time to give her slightly out of breath reading of Rowena Edlin-White’s poem ‘Wedding day’. I love it when things go wrong – it’s such fun, and everyone talks about it for years!

Postscript: the new Mr & Mrs Broadley are back from their honeymoon and sent me a few more pics, and a lovely message saying, ” All of our guests commented on what a great ceremony it was and many said it was the best they had ever been to! This was all down to all your great advice from when we were writing the ceremony and choosing readings to keeping everyone entertained on the day.”