April 2008 -

The Coffee House wedding - Ian and Trudi tie the knot!

(we're extremely grateful to Janis Neville, Jonathon Neville, and Paul Jordan for the pictures)

Thank you to all those who made the journey down to the Office on the Beach. 

We suspect that many people didn't realise we were serious in that description! 

 

This picture (right) is from the office window.  Now, we had been agonising for weeks

over the weather... would it be good enough to hold the reception on the patio?  We

didn't want to hire a hotel or village hall or anything, but we knew that if the weather

turned against us, it would be an absolute disaster... because where we are, the

weather comes in like a hurricane, every time.   We didn't want to be stuck inside with

a house full of guests, saying: 'honest, you'd like it when the sun shines...'

 

We checked the weather forecasts every day... and at one point, we knew it would be a gamble.

Even the Met Office and BBC weather sites wouldn't commit themselves.  So we crossed our

fingers and went for it.

 

And what happened? The sun shone! It was a glorious day!
It was a slightly unconventional service at St Symphorian in Veryan, on the Roseland Peninsula - the music was by Jacka Jazz, a local trad band.

Ian and Trudi were told off by the minister for holding hands during the service.. and at the end, instead of going out in a stately manner, we danced down the last part of the aisle!

Invitation was by koala bear. This was all to do with the Australian theme - Trudi's sister Janis not only handled all the cooking, described by one guest as 'gourmet', but also made the cake and brought it 11,500 miles, from Sydney!

The little koalas were handed out with the orders of service. The minister was wearing one on his cassock.

Ian's best man was his son, Christian

  
The cake was quite remarkable. We have a little Jack Russell terrier, Louie, and so the cake had a little boy terrier and a little girl terrier. The markings on the little boy terrier are absolutely identical to Louie's own.

How Janis got this cake through several airlines, and security in Bangkok, is an epic story of its own.

  
Having arrived from Sydney via Singapore and Bangkok, gone out on a shopping expedition with Trudi, then fallen ill and waved away the paramedics at midnight, Janis set to, took over the kitchen, and cooked for five days straight.

Judy (left), Fiona and Jean arrived and waded in with invaluable help, before the gourmet tables were set... and Trudi decided to break open one bottle of champagne before getting changed and going off to the church.

 

 

  

 

  
We were quite impressed that everybody seemed to find their way to the Office On the Beach - well, it's not the easiest route. Only a mile and a quarter from the church, but it's all single-track roads, and not many signs!

However, everyone seemed to manage it.

Even the band. 

 

Everybody seemed to enjoy both the sun and the food...  on the top line, Ian's long-lost cousin Richard is wearing his koala in his buttonhole, chatting to Paul Jordan, of the Falmouth Packet  (Ian used to work there!).  The Rev. Howard Gray has said something which caused Fiona to grab at the table, and Steve and Sam Penk approve of the food.

The guy in the shades is Trudi's nephew Jono, who came all the way from Australia to give her away.  That's Trudi and the Rev. Howard in the middle, and little Louie on the right is getting a taste of the food.

 

The youngest visitor was the daughter of the Bowers from Yorkshire, and the band continued to play on even though only the bride and groom danced.

 

 

 

 

 

And Louie behaved impeccably throughout!

And to everyone who sent good wishes, gifts, or travelled so far for the event...

- Ian and Trudi