The Royal Wedding 29th April 2011

I am so proud to be British, I don't say that kind of thing very often. However I think we pomp and ceremony rather well in this country and I have thoroughly enjoyed the spectacal.

The day started for me shortly after 7am after being aware for several hours that hubs was awake and already watching the television coverage. If you met hubs you would never think for a moment he was such a royalist. Its crazy but he has been so excited since the engagement! I suggested back in November 2010 that we had a small party but he said no. Then when the idea was suggested again it was given the green light.

Yesterday Hubs worked like a trooper doing the cleaning and getting the house ready for our guests. After he had done all that he then helped me in the kitchen as we prepared our home made Beef burgers, Red Thai Curry Chicken Burgers and Fish Burgers. Plus a variety of salads and side dishes. As usual instead of catering for 8 the amount of food would have fed forty! Hubs will be eating the chicken burgers for sometime to come!

I wondered down stairs at around 730am. I have to drink around half a pint of water in the morning before I get up to boost my blood pressure. Otherwise I can have a flaky time of it and feel like passing out. Hubs was super organised, the house was spotless, he had showered, shaved and dressed. He had even ironed his outfit. He doesn't iron.....ever! He never shaves or has a shower on his day off work. His response when I questioned his enthusiasm was "if I can't shower and shave on the wedding day of our future king its a pretty poor show!" I started to look around to thank the aliens that had obviously abducted my husband and replaced him with a doppelganger!

I was then handed a cup of tea and a yogurt along with my morning tablets. The morning tablets I always forget to take until Hubs reminds me at lunchtime. So where had my husband gone? I was then told I had to sit and rest as nothing needed to be done. Wonderful, I don't know about Catherine Middleton but I was starting to feel like a bit of a princess!

At 8am P&P shouted over the fence as they had some bunting, flags and tea towels going spare and hubs then set about decorating the garden and the front of the house. I wasn't too optimistic at this point that the BBQ would be happening the skies were pretty dark and the wind was freezing cold! Once the decorations were done it was time for another cup of tea..... how very British! We sat and watched the TV coverage with Hubs updating me with what had been shown before I got up. He had been up since 4am due to taking the dogs out and then being too excited to go back to bed.

At a little after 9am the first text message arrived that sent me int a panic! C's message said she was nipping into the town centre and she would be with us shortly. The agreed time for our guests arrival had been 1030am. I was lounging on the sofa feeling smug that everything had been done and I didn't have to move until 0930am. My resolve was I wasn't moving until I had seen the Beckham's enter Westminster Abbey. Within minutes of receiving C's message the phone went off again, this time it was my sister it read "have seen the Beckhams I am on my way over". What is wrong with people normally everyone is late, normally I would be waiting for them! Panic stations, the rest of my third cup of tea is slurped down and I head off for a shower.

At this point I haven't decided what I am going to wear, I have informed the guests the dress code is red, white and blue, but other than Jeans and a red polo shirt there isn't much of a wardrobe choice with these colours! I decide that as I am the hostess I will wear what I like, I opt for a Betty Jackson T-shirt and Linen Jacket in teal along with my jeans. As Hubs has nicked my tiara and has been wearing that for the last few hours I go to plan b, which is to wear a black fascinator in my hair and some nice jewelry. Thankfully before the rest of the guests arrive my sister wrestles the tiara off him and she wears it! My sister arrives whilst I am in the shower and Hubs is ironing my outfit. The morning of luxurious calm has been shattered as the  guests all decide to arrive by 1010am, not the 11am I had envisioned!

There was quite a bit of arguing over which TV station we should watch, the majority of us felt it should be the BBC rather than Sky. Hubs had the remote and it took quite a bit of persuading to get him to take it off Sky!

We had an absolute lake of soft drinks and alcohol in the house and all we drank were cups of tea! We all loved the coverage and we felt that both Prince William and Kate Middleton looked lovely. I felt immediately that Kate's dress was very similar to Princess Grace of Monaco's. I kept coming out with all these facts about the royal family, royal protocol etc and our friend AC was amazed. He said where did you find all this information out? I told him I read a lot, I studied history and I love Royal documentaries. Bless him he told me I should go on Mastermind! I couldn't as my memory is terrible for dates! Its just my mind works in an add way the more obscure the fact the better the chance is that I will remember it. After that they said I was the royal correspondent so whenever the commentary when quiet on the TV I had to do a voice over!

When they were pronounced man and wife we raised a toast with a glass of champagne! As there were eight of us the bottle didn't stretch far but as the majority of people were driving it was enough for several toasts. It was very nice Champagne, normally I don't like the stuff but this was good!

At 1340, after the kiss on the balcony hubs and AC fired up the BBQ and 30 mins later the great cook off began! The food went down a storm and we were well and truly stuffed! C and AC brought desserts to save hubs and I having to do any more prep. AC brought a delicious moist chocolate cake gorgeous with double cream we had that around 4pm. C brought a selection of Waitroses finest, an apple tart, a Key lime Pie and GU Chocolate mouses. Our guests were spoilt for choice! Obviously desserts were followed by more  cups of tea!

Our guests left at 5pm after spending a wonderful day with us. The dogs behaved brilliantly and enjoyed all the fuss they received from our visitors. It was one of the best events Hubs and I have ever hosted. The guests all got on and enjoyed lively conversation. Especially at 3pm when we put on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding that we had taped the night before. That really got the debate going!

A wonderful day, with wonderful company and wonderful food. Thank you xx