A Week to Remember

Restrictions on travel between Regional and Melbourne were lifted

 as at 11:59 PM Sunday 8th November.

We had not seen our D-DIL since May when they arrived with THIS in hand.

Surprize!

Unable to go to them, 

We have watched her progress through Instagram, 

emails and Zoom.

With Baby due December 5th

We have even had the Baby Shower via Zoom

Monday, the restrictions on reasons 
for travel were lifted. 

Tuesday, they came down to Melbourne
to Attend the Wedding.

Wednesday 11:40 PM

Obviously not wanting to miss any more of the "Fun that is 2020"

Hazel Mae turned up

- 3 Weeks early!

In the space of 34 hours we gained a Daughter-in-Law and a Grand Daughter.

It's been a VERY big week.

Wedding Day - The Ceremony

The Tecoma Pavilion is one of the oldest structures at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Built in the 1880's  it was originally used as a rest house, a place for Gatherings and Celebrations.  

Now fully restored it met the Brides one criteria.

 

The Wedding Venue had to be Historical.

A warm day (32℃) with blue skies and a backdrop of our Beautiful City the setting was complete.

Vows were said

along with an ancient Hand-Fasting Ritual 

using Ribbons handwoven by the Bride and Groom.

The origin of the term "Tying the Knot"

Yellow - 

For Joy and Cheer and Happiness.

Green - 

For Steadiness, Calm and Hope.

Blue - For the Ocean the Bride crossed to get here woven with the Red line of Fate that binds her to the Groom.

The Final Ribbon 

has a 12th Century Love Poem woven into it in the Original Middle High German.

Just the required Paperwork to be signed 

and Our very enthusiastic Celebrant declared them Married.  

Checking Congratulatory messages which flooded in during the Livestream

After Ceremony Photos:

A few moments alone at

The Tecoma Pavilion.

Heading off to the newly opened Arid Garden.

As close to Texas as our Bride can get?

Riding off into the Happily Ever After?

Our new Mr. & Mrs.

But Wait...

There is a Cake to Cut

and of Course -

It's not Official until you Update your Status on Facebook!

* * *

Footnote for those not living in Melbourne - COVID Restrictions:

2 Weeks prior to the Wedding Date some of our restrictions started to be eased.  We could now travel 25km from home and also sit in to dine with a small group and numbers attending weddings changed.

The day before - The Regional barrier and reasons for travel were lifted - DS#1 & DDIL could come! Restaurants could seat up to 40 depending on venue size with a limit of 10 per group.

For a wedding that was 2 Years in the planning - 

We had just 2 Weeks to actually pull it off!

No Ordinary Wedding Day - Preparation

All the Glossy Magazines indicate that your Wedding Day should start in a relaxed manner.  

Leisurely Breakfast before going off for Hair and Makeup, get your nails done too.  

Spend time with Bridesmaids doing what Bridesmaids are supposed to do.

The Glossy Magazines say NOTHING about what to do if your Uni moves an important exam to the Morning of your Wedding!

That's right! 

Our Bride is currently studying Theatrical Costuming, and one of her main assignments which involves Costuming and Makeup for a Gruesome Murder Victim was moved with 10 days notice

                            - to the Wedding Day.

* * *

Image: Opera Australia 2011

Appointments had to be moved. 

Lists rewritten.

What was always going to be an Emotional Day 
- just got all that more complicated. 

(Gilbert and Sullivan couldn't have written it better!)

Transport to the Wedding Venue was organised.

The Guy at the Car Wash was more than happy to give Bessie the Best Wash and Vacuum she has ever had and got a little enthusiastic with the Wedding Ribbons.

(Bessie wasn't impressed with the Big Bow and not disappointed when it blew off before we got too far...)

For me it was a 5:20am start to get across the other side of town to the Hairdresser - whom I haven't seen since lockdown.  

Traffic was a nightmare.  

And for the first time in 46 years - He was late.

Back home - Coffee and Toast was interrupted by a phone call.

Mum - Just letting you know. 

You need to collect the Veil and Shoes from here and the change of dress and...

I don't have a Mask....

We had previously done a reconnaissance trip to DIL2Bs School but NOT from DS#2s home.

 

So with the boot packed with the Wedding Dress, Flowers and all the important things you need for a Wedding we headed off for my first ever trip across the Westgate Bridge.

Meanwhile the Bride, having finished her exam was now having her Hair and Makeup done by her classmates who were using the opportunity to add to their Portfolios.

They were more than happy to be part of the day.  

They even made their OWN List

Exam, 

Hair, 

Makeup, 

Gown

And

"Leave Looking Fabulous"

Time to Go.

(Sorry can't resist this....)

"The Three Maids from School"

accompanied her down to the Foyer

And Bundled her into The Waiting Carriage

While at the Royal Botanical Gardens 

the Groom awaited his Bride...

And also set up for a Livestream of the Ceremony...

                              

It was always going to be Livestreamed - Covid just made it all that more important.

Family and Friends gathered Together yet Apart and joined Us for the Ceremony as it happened.

Still to Come - The Ceremony.

This Week...

Can you take the hem up for me please?

I am used to being asked to take Hems up.

4 inches off the bottom of a Petticoat should not normally send me into Panic Mode.

And then just a Rolled Hem to finish it off.

I have done them Many Times, 

in another Life - when I was making Costumes for Toys.

But THIS was no ordinary Hem.

This was the Inner hem of Her Wedding Dress.

One of 7 Petticoats  

and She kept stepping on it. 

So it needed to come up.

* * *

Mum..  

Can you Sew a Lapel Mic into the Dress?

You can take the Clip off so it can't be seen.

Oh and the cord for the receiver has to be somewhere easy to access . . .

* * *

Can You make something with This?

Guipure Lace from my Mother's Wedding Dress and Chantilly from my Grandmother's.

Perhaps for your Hair-combs?

Maybe not for my Hair - I have another Idea.

Masks are Mandatory.

Even for Weddings, (don't worry, we are allowed to remove them for Photos)

I think this Works!

Mom and Grandma won't be forgotten.

* * *

Being Mother of the Groom and Stand-in for the Mother of the Bride means that this could not be done without a List.

Actually - Many Lists...

Some of My Lists even have their Own Lists...

We WILL get there!

Well Done Melbourne.

Over the course of Melbourne Lockdown we have been tuning in to (Premier) Daniel Andrews Daily News Conference. Sunday's conference was one that everyone was eagerly awaiting. He sounded tired and very emotional as he told everyone that we could start the road back to our "New Normal".

There will still be rules and restrictions but Shops can open and yes, You can go for a Beer - or in our case Coffee.  

How Sweet was it to sit down and have a Latte in a Glass!

It's not the Coffee that I have missed but the "People Watching" - the company of strangers.  The banter at the tables.  

These people are the Friends we haven't met and we have missed them.

Sunday's announcement also removed our 5 km travel restriction - expanding it to 25 km.  We can now have that 'Spatially Distant" Coffee elsewhere.  

This is what we found at the very end of our allowed 25 km. 

Oh to see the Water and Feel the Sea breeze on my (masked) face! 

It did more for my COVID muddled brain than any therapy.

Then there WAS an added extra - 25 km happens to intersect with where our DS#1 works.

We have not seen him since they put the "Barrier of Steel" between Regional Victoria and Melbourne.

It was SO good to see him again.

We eagerly await each announcement. 

As Infection numbers fall so do the restrictions.

We have brought down our Second Wave. 0 New Infections/ 0 Deaths

 Well done Melbourne! Keep it Up.

And we Celebrate? - with Donuts!  (Of course we do.)

Flowers for My Wedding Cake

 In Australia the THREE most photographed things at a Wedding are in Order:

1.  Bride

2. Wedding Cars

3. The Cake

Our Bride to Be doesn't understand the ritual of leaving home, Chauffeured to the Church in a Glorious Car bedecked with White Ribbons. 

All that see her on her journey wish her well. Often with a Toot of Horns or a Wave. 

So there will be no Vintage Cars this time.

However - There WILL be Cake!

I have been working on the Special Flowers for their Cake over the past few weeks.  

Cake decorators are pedantic about Botanical Accuracy when making Sugar paste Flowers and this time A LOT of research has gone into these blooms so I can get them as close as possible.

The Groom wanted Australian Flowers.  

The Bride?  Well of Course it would need to be Flowers from "Home" for her.
The "Yellow Rose of Texas" (Harison's Yellow Rose) and a certain little Wildflower that is close to her heart - The Texas Bluebonnet.

They haven't seen their Flowers yet so this is all I can show you.  I am happy with how they have turned out - Just hope that they are!

Life in Lockdown - Continues...

My Grandfather used to say that there was "No Rest for the Wicked - and Precious little for the Righteous".  Those that know me can wonder about which category I fit into - nevertheless I don't think my feet have touched the ground since my last post.

Back in an alternate Timeline (AKA - 2019) we were planning a Wedding.  Everything was falling into place nicely.  

Big ticket items were being Crossed off the List.  

Venue - Tick  
Mother of the Bride, 

Airfares and Accommodation - Tick

Wedding Dress - Tick

Florist, Photographer - Tick Tick

Celebrant - BIG Tick

and then the one thing that would really muck EVERYTHING up

 - A Global Pandemic.  

Back to Square ONE.

The Reception Venue closing down was bad enough.

But Closing Our International Borders means the Bride's Mother and Friends can't come.

We have watched restrictions bounce over the last 6 months from 

NO Weddings Permitted at all, 

through "Just the Minimum Five", 

to Ten allowed - including the Celebrant.  

We wait and Pray 

for Just a Little more wriggle room...

* * *

25th October UPDATE:

We can now plan for "Celebrant, Photographer, Couple 

and "No more than 10 Guests." 

That JUST scrapes in the immediate Family, 

2 Friends and a Bridesmaid.

A new Wedding Venue has been booked and we are almost back on track. 

Almost - there are a few other Issues we have had to deal with but I will cover those in another Post!