Well, we have made it! What a year this has been!
Living through the worst pandemic since nineteen eighteen!
Its anyones guess as to what twenty twentyone will bring
Thankfully for tonight though, we don’t have to sing!!
We know a great deal of time and effort has been put into today,
So you both can re-new your vows in your own special way!
Over 21 years of marriage, and still going strong.
Mark, well done! you couldn’t have done THAT much wrong!
At the beginning you both met at Romsey Rapids park.
Who knows what you got up to there in the dark!!
A simple ‘will you go out with me’ and a ‘yes okay’
Bonded a special love til this very day!
Childhood sweethearts who have been together since school
The era when perms were the fashion and ‘curtains’ were cool!!
Remember the famous camping trip that caused you such strife
Who would have thought back then, you would become ‘man and wife’!
You moved into your 1st home and gave birth to your cute little lad
And to be honest Connor, you haven’t turned out tooo bad!
That same year, you walked down the aisle to say ‘I do’.
Unfortunately that day, there was an issue or two!!
Firstly the page boys would have tripped up for sure
If nan didn’t take up their trousers, 10 inches or more!!
Your wedding dress needed a nip and tuck too.
Not what you’d planned we would end up having to do!
‘Cowpat’ I think was the phrase used for the cake
So a few frantic phone calls we needed to make!!
A cake shop in Shirley stepped up to the mark
So you didn’t end up cutting the cake in the dark!!
That being said, your wedding day was bliss
Sealing your vows with a big loving kiss!!
That night, Beaulieu Hotel was your chosen venue
And we’re pretty sure it wasn’t food on the menu!!
Another bundle of joy came along to make the family complete
Calum was born, so tiny, so sweet!
Your boys have now grown, so handsome and tall.
I’m sure you will agree, both are a credit to us all!
Of course not forgetting loved ones no longer here.
Your Dad especially George, who I know you hold dear.
He is looking down on you, bursting with pride
Seeing you happy, with Mark and your boys by your side.
‘Once in a while love gives us a fairy-tale’
A vow you both gave, never destined to fail.
To say ‘I still do’ to your soulmate and bestfriend
Cementing your love for each other until the very end.
❄️❄️❄️
As I said yesterday, Isn’t the poem Rache wrote us beautifully perfect.
Rache is extremely talented. Her poems always have us in stitches or tears. Maybe one day she will let me share a few with you.
We didn’t want the vow renewal poem Rache wrote for us, to be lost over time, that would be criminal. It deserves to be honoured and remembered. To be handed down throughout time as part of our history.
But what would be the best way to do so?
Over the last few months I’ve thought long and hard about how to do that.
Firstly I copied and pasted it into our family tree, but that alone just didn’t seem good enough. We wanted it displayed.
After hours and hours of internet browsing, trying to find a perfect solution but always coming up short, I bit the bullet and ordered a framed print, which I thought would be a nice way to show if off but when it arrived it was far from what I wanted. I think I already knew in my heart of hearts, that this would be the case. I was nice, don’t get me wrong but nice wasn’t going to cut the gain unfortunately.
It had to be special, a statement even.
I had a picture in my mind of the poem, written on a chalkboard or engraved in wood but finding a company to make it wasn’t easy at all.
I emailed so many companies, who didn’t even reply. Maybe they didn’t need to business or it was something they didn’t want to do but a quick reply to say “Sorry but” would have been nice. Only three companies replied in the end. (A little shocking with today’s economy.)
One reply was from a guy called Matt, who was more than happy to help. He went above and beyond what I’m sure was expected from his boss and with help from his design team aka Richard, it wasn’t long before my order was placed, an order for not one but two A1 chalkboards.
One was, the poem above, the other, a couple’s prayer that was also read on Christmas Eve.
All that was left to do was wait patiently for my order to arrive.
A few weeks later, earlier than expected, my order was delivered. We were very excited.
I hate to say but unfortunately my order had been damaged in transit. I’m not really sure how, as they were extremely well packed. We were gutted.
I have to take my hat off to Matt, he was pretty amazing and had them remade and back with me in less than 48 hours.
Omg we are super pleased with them. It’s like Matt and Richard got inside my head and pulled out my thoughts, resulting in the most beautifully made pieces of art.
I can’t stop looking at them. I hate to use the word perfect again but they are PERFECT!!!
Beyond perfect actually.
Now all I have to do is find the right spot for them. I initially thought of putting them in the hall but for now I think I will leave them just where they are, because they just look so damn good.
I hate doing this but I feel I should give you a breakdown of cost etc, just incase you fancy doing something similar, maybe your favourite quote, song lyrics, wedding vows or even scripture. There are endless possibilities.
Matt works for Porter & Woodman Group, who can be found here, https://www.personalisemygifts.co.uk/ & www.chalkboardsuk.co.uk & www.woodenboxuk.com & www.christmashampersuk.com.
I contacted them at www.chalkboardsuk.co.uk.
The price for two chalkboards was as follows:
For 2x A1 unframed chalkboard – £24.95 ex vat each.
Pre drilled holes – free of charge.
Screws and black covers (x4) – £1.95 ex vat.
Single colour print of the wording – £40 ex vat (so 2 lots of £40 ex vat in my case)
Delivery – £9.95 ex vat (Leading time for the printed items was 3 weeks from payment and artwork approval.).
Total cost £172.50 including vat. (Birthday present money well spent. 😀).
£86.25 each, which may seem a little extravagant but going by the prices of framed prints like this one below, it’s not extravagant at all.
When you buy something as personal and unique as these are, I think it’s money well spent. I personally cannot think of a better way to spend the money I was gifted for my birthday. In a way it makes it even more special, knowing that the people I love the most, brought me these gifts that will be treasured for a lifetime, with hopes that they will become heirlooms, but then again I have two boys who don’t seem the slightest bit interested in family history or even having their own little families. Hopefully these beauties and all my family history research doesn’t end up in a skip somewhere or I may just have to haunt them. 👻
I can’t say it enough, I am totally, utterly impressed and absolutely love them. I really couldn’t be more pleased and to top it off, the service was 2nd to none. I highly recommend them!!!
Huge thanks to Matt and Richard for all their help. You really need to check this company out, there flipping awesome.
Until next time, stay safe, stay true, and make magical memories.
Too-da-loo for now.
🦋🦋🦋
Intwined 