When we think of weddings we tend to think of all the traditional things – big venue, bride in gorgeous white dress, long black cars, bridesmaids, pageboys, guests in suits and hats. It’s an incredibly expensive undertaking.
For some, the price is just too much.
Recently, I discovered that the wedding plans of the son of friends had been badly affected by an unexpected redundancy notice. They had to look at the wedding expenses and see what they could cut. An obvious candidate was the wedding car at nearly £500. The dad said that he’d drive the happy couple, instead, but that would mean double journeys and fallback plans for others in the family.
It so happens that there’s a nice middle-aged sort of Jag in my family, so I volunteered to turn myself into a chauffeur for the day.
It was great! As soon as the ribbons were on the car I found that traffic stopped for me, even when I didn’t even have the bride and groom on board. (I’ve stored this information up for future use and may always keep a supply of white ribbons in the glove compartment.)
I ended up going to the wedding reception in the afternoon and then back to the extended family reception at the parents’ house in the evening. (By that time I was off duty and could indulge in a few glasses of Pimms.) I had time to chat with members of their family that I hadn’t seen for years, as well as meeting a few new ones.
The Wedding Proposal was at the printers, by this time, but this lovely wedding day did make me wonder what kind of wedding Elle and Lucas will have in the end. Will they do the traditional thing at a stunning venue? Run off to Vegas, as Elle once suggested? Or get married on a beach, somewhere exotic …
I wonder if they need a driver?
Sue Moorcroft blog 
It sounds like a great experience! Maybe you should invest in an old Rolls Royce and do it some more? 😀 (You need a chauffeur’s hat though)
LikeLike
I don’t suit peaked hats. It would have to be a cowboy hat, I think. Or maybe a tasteful little pillbox. 🙂 x
LikeLike
Great post, Sue, and a timely way to promote your book!
LikeLike
🙂 Thanks, Anne. x
LikeLike
What a lovely thing to do! It sounds like something that might happen in one of your novels! 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve already tried to sell the idea as a serial but it wasn’t taken up. Feel there is ‘mileage’ (ho ho) in the idea because when I was driving the Jag once before loads of cars stopped for me … and I realised I was closing up on a funeral. They thought I was one of the cortege! 😦 I pulled over and let the rest pass. But, as you say, it might work better as a minor line in a novel.
LikeLike
What a lovely thing to do for them! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you – but it was fun. And it wasn’t me who cleaned the car first! 😀
LikeLike
Love the car! You’re welcome to be the chauffeur at my wedding. On second thought, let’s not go there!!!
LikeLike
Perhaps you’ll have an un-wedding and I can chauffeur at that? 🙂 xxx
LikeLike
Hah-hah! Good idea. Hx
LikeLike
What an interesting experience!
LikeLike
I do sometimes do things just for the experience, Angela. It’s part of my mental make up, I suppose. 🙂 (NB This is good experiences we’re talking about! I don’t embrace the other kind if I can help it.)
LikeLike
Oh, you’re such a nice lady. You remind me of a program I once watched with Derren Brown, on luck. The ‘lucky’ lady turned out to be the one who did random acts of kindness – essentially made her own luck. Good for you.
LikeLike
Thank you! That might give me more of an idea for my serial, actually … Thank you very much! 🙂 (But this idea may turn out to be too much like a book I know to be in the bottom drawer of Nikki Moore. I’ll ask her.)
LikeLike
What an excellent experience, Sue. Gorgeous car, too!
LikeLike
Thank you. The car does get looked after quite well, I have to say. 🙂
LikeLike