Church Weddings - Keith and Cally Shepherd

 

Wedding Date: 14th August 1999 Venue: Christ Church - Sayers Common Reception: Hilton Metropole, Brighton East Sussex Written by Keith Shepherd

Following our engagement on Cally's 24th birthday at Christmas 1997, the stage was set for a wedding to remember. With both of us being of Christian faith, and with Cally being the only daughter of Angela and John Bridgeman, we knew that not only would a full traditional wedding be expected of us, it was also desired by us. We decided on an eighteen-month engagement to allow our parents and us to prepare for what would be a large event. Our initial dilemma was where to hold the event, accounting for Angela's wish for a country wedding and our wish for a reception in our hometown of Brighton. But in what month should we marry? We wanted great weather but at the same time to avoid any of our guest’s potential holidays. We could deal with the holidays, but the weather – well, this is England! Following a trip to see various reception venues, we decided to attend a wedding fair in Crawley, West Sussex for inspiration. Along with Angela and John we embarked on our short journey to Crawley and were amazed by the scale of the event. First to catch my eye was the car stand, where I saw and fell in love - excuse the pun - with the most beautiful 1952 Rolls Royce Phantom in claret over black and with a royal coat of arms on the carriage-work and a plaque on the roof. Decision made. That was the car to have, having belonged to Her Majesty the Queen and used extensively by her as she toured the United Kingdom and commonwealth following her coronation. The initial problem was that the car was popular and booked for almost all of 1999, our wedding year, except for two dates, one in April and the other the 14th August. So the date was set - it would be the 14th August 1999. Who ever scheduled a wedding around a car! Fortunately the date was free at Angela's church in Sayers Common, a beautiful Victorian red brick church in its own churchyard, a stone's throw from Hickstead Next the reception. It had to be in Brighton and it had to have a large capacity. After visiting several hotels, we found ourselves by chance in the Clarence Suite of the Hilton Metropole. We were sold. The hotel had all the magnificence of a five star venue, had grand reception rooms and was very much a part of old Brighton. We were well on our way, although still a year away from that focal date. The year went so quickly with the event growing on a daily basis that we even thought of employing a stage manager! With bridesmaids selected (seven in total and two page-boys), Cally was set with her party. I had selected my best man and five ushers to manage our day and then promptly announced that the dress code would be formal morning suits complete with top hats and canes (much to my father's horror!) After attending both of our parish churches to hear our banns being read, the day approached, activities heightened and our hearts began to beat a little faster. As we are both music lovers, we asked Simon Gray, the musical director of Brighton Theatre Group (with which we are both associated) to arrange the music for the ceremony. Three hymns and three arias later, we were all prepared. Two friends, Karen Orchin and Wendy Fane agreed to sing during the wedding as we signed the register. These two ladies, with their beautiful voices, sung “The Lakme Duet”, “Pieu Jesu” and “One Hand, One Heart” for us and our congregation. This was a truly moving moment in our ceremony. The service was traditional in line with the Church of England, although we agreed that Cally would not need 'to obey' - did ever a woman?! After prayers for us, the congregation, and most importantly for my late and adored mother, we progressed to being a married couple in the eyes of the law, God and our closest family and friends. Upon leaving church for the photo-shoot, we undertook a barrage of flashguns in the bright sunshine (hooray). Can anyone really smile for three hours continuously? Shots in the churchyard were followed by wedding party shots at the All England Show Jumping Ground, Hickstead, because Angela is a keen horsewoman. With our arrival back in Brighton, almost an hour behind schedule, we entered the magnificent Clarence suite to greet our guests in one of the longest line-ups I have ever seen. It felt like we were back stage at a Royal Variety Performance! With that concluded, we began to dine on melon with summer fruits, followed by champagne chicken and seasonal vegetables, then the chocolatiest of desserts. Speeches followed, with the first being by the bride's father. He was amusing beyond his character, and with Cally being an American Express employee, you can imagine the many uses of the phrase 'that'll do nicely!' My own speech (or sermon as it was called) was from an enlarged heart on such a day. I had not realised the affection that we would all feel within that suite. Some embarrassing facts about my mother-in-law emerged (with the risk that I wouldn’t make my first anniversary), along with some quips about my best man and a tribute to my parents. The best man then rose to his feet. I became increasingly nervous as Mark began not a traditional speech, but one sung! To the tune of “Rule Britannia”, Mark sang six embarrassing verses depicting my life since we had met twelve years earlier - I had never realised what an easy target I was! With our guests waving Union Jack flags supplied by Mark's wife, our matron of honour, we sang, laughed and cried with delight at the most entertaining best man's speech that I have ever heard. Even the staff of the hotel serving us were called to listen to Mark. My embarrassment was complete. Finally at 8.30pm we concluded our wedding breakfast (or supper as it had become) and made our way to greet our evening guests who had so patiently waited over an hour in the adjacent bar. We then danced until 1.00am. Mark sang again (can we ever silence him?) and all of our guests partied enthusiastically. Exhausted after our final 'goodbyes' to our guests, those of us staying in the hotel migrated to the café-bar and drunk wine, coffee (black) and tea until dawn. As the prefect end to a perfect wedding day, we were surrounded by those who mattered most to us. We were a privileged couple, embarking on a life-long journey as Mr & Mrs Keith Shepherd.

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