Isafari's secret wedding vow renewal part 3

[Isafari]

December 29th 2004
Awake long before the alarm goes off this morning. I am a tad disappointed that DH knows of the vow renewals but, still excited.....nervous.......we have been married 20 years and I feel like I am going on a first date I console myself with the thought of surprising DH through out the day as to where we are going and what we are doing as he doesn't actually know any details apart from the fact that a taxi is picking us up at the hotel

Dh gets up and showered and I push him out of our hotel room to go and get ready with our friends son in their room while she comes in with me.

I have a shower and do my make up by about 8.30am....we are having a good girly chat when there is a knock on the room door. It is Anna, the mobile hairdresser that I have booked to pamper me this morning. I open the door and she hugs me like a long lost friend.....we have been sending emails back and forth for a few months now and have become quite close.
I sit by the window with a view of US and she sets away doing her thing on my hair. I leave it totally up to her as to what style I am going to end up with.
By 9.30am, she twirls my chair around and I am free to go and look at my new 'updo'. I love it.

Flowers are also here by now......I ordered a small bouquet for myself and the three buttonholes. My suit is a deep aubergine colour so I asked for lilac and dusky pink in the roses.....matches my top. I also snook an appropriate shirt and tie into our case so that DH matches.

Friend scurries along to her room to check that the male of the species are ready and DH hasn't shimmied down the hotel walls and made his escape. I fill in the time while she is gone by getting clothes on and pacing Oh......I do quite fancy myself today so I do a bit of preening in the full length mirror

Ok, time to go....nerves have got the better of me again and I have to remember that I am carrying fresh flowers so that I release my grip a little.

DH is under orders to give us a few minutes head start before he comes down from their room to the hotel foyer. We get down there and are greeted by Jim from Quicksilver. I can see the limo outside in the sunshine and I start to get excited OK, maybe not that excited yet...... Jim seems very nice and I relax a little too as I see David the videographer is also here. Boy, is DH gonna be shocked...he is expecting a yellow cab and no frills.

We get set up so that we are standing by the Xmas tree for when DH gets down here (David hiding behind tree to get DH's reaction).
I see friends son first followed by my handsome hubby....... he's smiling Nope - as he gets closer I realise that he is grinning from ear to ear with only a slight lapse when he sees that he is on film.
We head out into the sun and a stretch limo just happens to catch DH's eye....no taxi in sight! Jim has the door open ready and the four of us get inside. DH is in shock........"who died and made him King"

I think Dh is getting nervous a little now....if I lied to him about the taxi, what else have I in store
Limo is beautiful - inside and out. Even has my fave tipple inside.....Pepsi on the rocks
DH wants to know where we are going......."trust me" I say.....just a little park area. I have in fact hired Cypress Grove Park for the morning at Winter Park in Orlando. We arrive........I am impressed The park is so beautiful.....so clean.....so.....right!
We get out of the car and Paul and his wife Mary are waiting - yep, another surprise....we have photographers too.

We all walk to the back of the park and head towards the gazebo by the lake where the actual ceremony will take place. It is breathtaking I spot the reverend walking towards us.....everything has gone to plan

The ceremony was very touching and special..........more so than I was expecting. I can remember feeling so loved, so lucky to be standing here after 20 years of marriage and still feel like this about DH.........OK, you can all go and puke now.

Don't understand why but I got the giggles for a while.
Time for the rings...another surprise for DH. I bought him a new ring. It is the 'one ring' from Lord of the Rings....you know, the one with the writing on it. I can see that DH is surprised and, that he loves it.

I can see David panning the camera in closer so that you can't see our friend crying.
What a perfect day this is......don't want it to end.
Most of our photos have been taken from the moment we got out of the car and without us knowing so, we take a stroll thought the park taking a few more photos in different locations.

Time to get back in the car and....another surprise for DH....waiting for him (thanks to Gregory from Quicksilver) in the back of the limo is a cute plush Mickey & Minnie bridal couple holding a certificate with our details on it. (OK, this is more for me but, I do deserve a little treat). Also, an envelope with DH's name on it. He now has a share in WDW.

We are now on our way for a boat cruise at Winter Park....another surprise.
I have hired the boat so that there is just the four of us and the skipper (is that the right word!) It's a bit breezy but still enjoyable. I manage to turn my head with the wind with the greatest of skill so that my curls and tendrils stay in place....what a princess We are on Lake Osceola in a quiet suburb less than 10 minutes from downtown Orlando. We have an hour-
long, guided cruise through three of the seven lakes and two, narrow man-made canals on the Winter Park chain. There are some pretty impressive houses out here......fit for my new princess status.

Back again to Jim and the waiting limo. I think DH is beginning to trust me now.
OK, I have booked us in for a meal at Brio's situated in Winter Park. I think this is the last surprise of the day We all have a fantastic meal. DH has a pork creation and the rest of us have different pasta's. Much to my disappointment, we have no room for a dessert so the heavenly sounding creations on the menu will have to go without our expert opinions.
I go off to 'powder my nose' while trying not to slip on the tiled floor - sure it wasn't this slippy on the way in I get a few "congratulations" from a group of 'ladies who do lunch' which puts a smile on my face.

Back to 'my' car...if only We flop down in the limo and tell DH that we are now going skinny dipping back at the hotel. Jim plays along with this and I'm sure DH is thinking..."what a wonderful way to end the day"
Unfortunately for DH, we are heading to Downtown Disney for a few hours....shops. We have a wander around and I am making a mental note of what I 'need' to buy when we come back here next week. We get a lot of folks congratulating us....we do stand out a tad amongst the shorts and t/shirts Giradelli's (excuse spelling) jumps out at us and as we now have a little room in our bellies, we all decide it is time for dessert. Yummy....who cares if a princess has ice cream dribbled down her chin.

Before we know it, it is around 8pm and time for our last journey in the limo
Jim takes us back to the hotel and we say out thank you's and goodbyes'. In my opinion, Quicksilver come highly recommended.

We pull on tracksuit bottoms and head to our friends room......time for Xmas presents. We stay here for about an hour opening pressies and having a laugh. Before I know it, I am nodding off to sleep so we decide to call it a night and head back to our own room. I put my bouquet in the ice bucket so that I can enjoy the flowers for as long as possible. And, that is all you lot need to know about my wedding vow renewal day.

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[Britchick]

oh that's lovely, we will have been married 18 years next year and are going to do the same. did you need a licence or anything?

[Isafari]

oh that's lovely, we will have been married 18 years next year and are going to do the same. did you need a licence or anything?

No license....I just contatcted the reverand via email. In fact, I did it all via email from flowers to car to location. If I can help in any way, just say the word ::

[Keith]

Thats absolutely beautiful are you available for vow renewal planning services?

[Britchick]

No license....I just contatcted the reverand via email. In fact, I did it all via email from flowers to car to location. If I can help in any way, just say the word ::

thank you, we're actually going to do it in South carolina

we want a non religous ceremony so i'm going to get my friend to go and see a few celebrants for me

[Isafari]

Thats absolutely beautiful are you available for vow renewal planning services?

Sure....would actually love that

thank you, we're actually going to do it in South carolina

we want a non religous ceremony so i'm going to get my friend to go and see a few celebrants for me

That sounds wonderful ....is DH in on it?

[Britchick]

That sounds wonderful ....is DH in on it?

yes he is and he's come up with one of the ideas

[Isafari]

yes he is and he's come up with one of the ideas

:n005: sounds exciting....sharing?

[Tink]

This always moves me to tears. It's a rare thing, Isafari; the close love you share with your beloved DH. I know you've been through much together and it's wonderful to see how close it's brought you.

[Britchick]

:n005: sounds exciting....sharing?

well one of the ideas we have is to go out onto one of the barrier islands and do it bare foot on the beach- both of our friends have boats so it is practical

i am worried however that it will rain or my hair will be a mess lol but then Jon and i aren't really formal people and will be a lot more comfortable with that

the other option is on the waterfront with a horse drawn carriage- think gone with the wind.

either way we will be a party of 13 and we will take everyone to dinner afterwards

looking at this place perhaps and we may stay there the night - without kids lol

http://www.woodlandsinn.com/