Wedding at Thornbury!

We are still in awe at the beauty of today's experience! Thornbury Castle, which is where Henry VII kept many of his concubines, was the amazing setting of both the ceremony, garden reception, and luncheon. The ceremony went off without a hitch, beautiful with the sun streaming through old windows and candles burning nearby. It was truly amazing! Melissa's gown is gorgeous.

Just now (I'm typing at a terminal in a nearby sitting room) I heard her pout a bit, not wanting to take it off, because she is stunning in it! The entire family is wonderful, we almost feel like family having been a part of such an intimate experience. 19 of us did the rehearsal dinner last night, at the Marriott Royal Bristol - an old hotel of sorts that is gorgeous and smack in the middle of Bristol. And then in a caravan, dodging the Bristol Marathon that was going on literally outside the hotel, we made our way out to Thornbury. We nearly knocked a few onlookers over as our car drove through cordoned off areas to leave the hotel.

Melissa lived here for three months as a baby, before they moved to the States. Her aunt and their family still live in the same neighborhood and are fantastic!

I was nervous, of course, doing the ceremony but it went well, they are truly officially married, and I can't wait to see the photos!

Next year, this castle will celebrate its 500 year anniversary. There is a church nearby, we drank wine from their vineyard, and strolled into secret gardens around old walls. Melissa and Robert have the biggest smiles I've ever seen on them - and both look gorgeous! What an terrific wedding, it all turned out so very well.

We're off to the hotel, going to have an early night and then up early for our trip to London. I still need to recap a bit of our day yesterday, seeing Avesbury, but we'll get to that later.

Tschuess!