I don't own the songs in this chapter, I am using them only for entertainment purposes
Saturday 22nd June 2013
The past week has been hectic, after Christian's party I had to throw all my attention into the big charity fundraiser. Everyone has flown in for a two day rehearsal and then gone again while I've been with Chris Laurence working on the set itself. The tickets have all gone and I'm in shock, over forty six thousand have sold and will be in attendance on July sixth and I am ecstatic!
I think the ticket sales did boost after the charity single came out but I think it has been a lot to do with the celebrities involved in the show getting to work too. They've all been on twitter, facebook, youtube and the likes begging for people to buy tickets. I wouldn't be surprised also if the fact that Nicki Minaj has gotten Justin Beiber to come and perform their song with her has a small thing to do with the influx of teenage girls that are coming but we have one direction so that might also be it.
Simon Cowell himself is coming along with a lot of his friends and I thank God every day that Christian decided to set out four areas for the V.I.P's one of which are my family and friends who are on the board mostly too and who will be coming to stage for the last song along with the people who have used or do use Carla's Cancer Trust and one of the local School Choirs who Lila has been getting ready.
Of course with everything I am exhausted, the last thing I organised was the firework display which is going on at the end of the show along to some music which have to match up with some Pyros, thankfully we've gotten a very interesting group of firework display showmen to do it all and they have been working hard, even nicer for us is they're doing it all for free and won't even let me pay for the fireworks they're using and practising with, it's for charity so they're not going to take a penny. (Ok Christian and I did send them a huge box of the fireworks they use anonymously though because not taking anything was ridiculous for the amount it's probably costing them!)
I can't wait to finally get into the grounds on the fifth of July for the sound check and run through. It's so big it's exciting. My favourite bit of all is the three big screens behind the stage and the two off to the sides, I find myself getting intimidated by my own eyes and end up playing a game of cat and mouse turning around quickly to try and see myself only to see the back of my head!
Today it's day one of Mia's bachelorette party and Ryan's Bachelor party. Christian really wanted out but I've persuaded him to get up and on the plane to Las Vegas and be nice with Ryan, at the end of the day no one is happy about Ryan and Mia marrying but Ryan is going to be a part of the family and we all have to accept that and the way Christian can do that is by getting on his jet with Elliot and going to Vegas.
The bridal party is going to Salish Lodge and spa for the weekend, it's what Mia wanted so I organised one. There's Mia of course, myself, Kate, Grace, India, Grandma Trevelyan, Clare, Cassie, Laura, Meredith, Connie (Ryan's Mom's preferred name) it's a family only wedding and the same applies for the bachelorette party apparently!
I've booked the entire spa up for the day so that we're not disturbed. Everyone is instantly off doing their own thing and enjoying themselves which is exactly what I wanted. I stick with Kate, both of us spending a lot of time sat down and looking through the babymoon package and discussing our advancing pregnancies!
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and that's what's important. When we sit down for lunch Mia gets all her gifts, some serious and a lot of gags off me and Kate, an afternoon spent shopping well worth it for her reaction to the fluffy handcuffs and pink flogger I got her, if only she knew how much use Christian and I would get out of it.
The afternoon is spent as a group getting a facial and sipping cocktails (virgin for Kate and I) by the time we separate to get ready for dinner Grace and I have to carry Mia to the room.
"Mom…Mom…"
"What is it Mia?" Grace is clearly pissed at her daughter.
"I know you don't like Ryan… but… but… I love him Mom… he makes me so happy!" She's so drunk it's funny but I do everything I can not to laugh and get into Grace's bad books.
"If I had any doubt of that Mia you wouldn't be marrying him next week." She says her voice melancholy. "Ana I think she'll be missing dinner and sleeping this off."
"Good idea." I reply, Mia is in no shape for dinner.
Wednesday 26th June 2013
Today is the day of the rehearsal dinner at Grace and Carrick's house. The entire wedding party is here because the only people involved is family, the only people missing is Ryan's extended family who will arrive on Friday for the Sunday wedding.
The garden is set up just as it was for my wedding and Kate and Elliot's wedding except in Mia's colours, of course the flowers aren't up yet but everything is perfect. Mia is having a night wedding, they're marrying at 8pm so it will be dusk and the whole garden will be lit by fly replant candles in Mia's colours. Just imagining her beautiful face shown in the candle light will be amazing.
The rehearsal goes off perfectly and Ryan does look so in love when he looks at Mia, he looks at her like he sees nothing else and that's important, she should be the only thing he sees.
The dinner is a little awkward, Elliot and Christian got Ryan on his own in a room in Vegas and gave him the real third degree and even though he passed apparently they're still not convinced that Ryan is it for Mia.
Saturday 30th June 2013
Mia looks just spectacular in her gown, it's so unlike what I expected Mia to ever wear. I guess I always imagined her having the big princess gown but no Mia's dress is a short only reaching the mid-thigh, with an A-line silhouette, strapless with a small amount of lace along the breast line, there's gorgeous beading around the waist and crystals, and of course true to Mia the dress is whiter than white made out of stunning tulle fabric.
Her hair is all curled on one shoulder and rather than a tiara or a veil, she has a beautiful silk lily clip surrounded by crystals and within her curls a little glitter and tiny white daisies. Her makeup of course is flawless, and simple. It's not what any of us were expecting with Mia but she's radiant and beautiful and she looks so happy as she holds her three lilies along her arm.
Laura, Clare and I are in light yellow knee length satin dresses, with one strap on the left shoulder, there's a flower on the shoulder with crystals in the middle and a ribbon around the middle, with gold sandal heels. Our hair is in a high ponytail with a yellow ribbon wrapped around our heads like a ponytail and it's tied so the ribbon falls straight down our backs, mine is hidden behind my long hair unlike Laura and Clare's. Our flowers are simple too, five light yellow roses with three white lilies in a tiny bouquet.
India looks so beautiful in a white dress with a yellow ribbon on her middle and along the hemline and she has her own bouquet of flowers that match mine but minus one lily and two roses to make them even smaller. Her hair is curled and she has a little yellow head band with a bow on top.
My mouth drops open when a string version of There You'll Be plays and I look at Mia who just shrugs. Clare and Laura walk down first and India keeps a hold of my hand and toddles down the aisle straight into Christian's waiting arms. He takes his seat leaving me to stand with Laura and Clare as Carrick walks Mia down the aisle.
It's no surprise that he cries as he hands Mia's hand over to Ryan but Mia barely notices, her wide smile all for the man who in the next twenty minutes will be her husband.
They keep the vows modern but traditional, again, simple like everything else that Mia chose. They look amazing in the candle light, Ryan in a white tux with a yellow tie (I know for certain Mia won that argument!)
After the service we have a sit down dinner and the speeches. Ryan's sister Meredith speaks for him as she was his best woman and Carrick speaks for Mia making her cry too. After the food it's time for the first dance and cutting of the cake before the couple depart for their hotel where they will stay until they jet off to Hawaii tomorrow, our wedding gift to the happy couple.
Even I shed a tear during the first dance, the couple are lost in each other's eyes and it's so beautiful. There's no big party at the wedding, just a small marquee with a CD player, no band. Once they've danced they cut the cake and we create the human arch for them to leave.
"You ok?" I ask once everyone's quieted down and the clean-up has begun.
"I can't believe it, my little sister just got married." Christian says before necking back a well needed brandy. "She looked so happy Ana, she was smiling just like you were on our wedding day and him… I don't think he noticed anything or anyone but her, even when India yelled for you and everyone laughed he just watched her and grinned."
"I know, they're in love Christian, hopefully their love is like ours." I say as I wrap my arms around him. "Everlasting and eternal."
"Come on wife, it's time for me to get you home and show you how much I love you!" He says pulling me to my feet making me giggle, I love this man more and more every day.