Just a normal week...?

Well Monday was fairly normal although I had had a slight headache since our 6-2 win in soccer on Saturday. (2 assists for me from the right wing). Tuesday my throat was rather sore but I went into work anyway. Worked into the evening as it was Sofia's (one of the interns) first time on that event and needed to do some extra set up for the school concert coming in the next day. That meant I could sleep longer Wednesday morning to try and rest the throat which was getting worse and another intern- Maggy was looking after the group. I went in at midday in time for the actual concert to look official and help with security. Still worked more than a full day as finished about 9pm. Thursday I again slept with no alarm set and felt slightly better. Again went in at lunch time to start prep for the Saturday wedding. Thursday nite we hosted a DVD launch party with a preview screening (study series called Discipleship Explored) so I helped with that making another late finish. Friday was up early and in at work at 9am as we were hosting a press conference for an American bishop. After I sorted them out it was onto the wedding preparations as Lucy (the bride) and her mum and aunty and others arrived to start decorating. Spent most of the day working on the wedding prep as I was basically the wedding planner and was overseeing all the event management personally for this one. Lucy (the bosses daughter) and her husband Tom are a great couple and good friends so I was more than happy to go the extra mile for them. Saturday was a beautiful sunny warm sunny day. Started at 11:30 with 2 interns and finished the final setup. The church looked great for the ceremony which was very nice. Then there was a drinks reception downstairs in the hall which was also decorated. After photos in nearby Regents Park the couple made an entrance and cut the cake and 2 speeches. We also had a slideshow of photos on the big screen along with music. Meanwhile upstairs in the church myself and 3 others were working furiously to transform the church into a reception venue. All the remaining chairs were stacked to one side (we had stacked 250 the day before only leave 200 for the ceremony) and then we placed out 10 large round tables and 100 gold chairs and set and decorated the tables for a 3 course dinner reception party. We had exactly 3 hours to do the complete changeover. We also hung 4 large silk banners across the room from gallery to gallery along with fairy lights making a false ceiling. Next all the guests were given sparklers and everyone went out onto the steps again for more photos with the sparklers all going together. Tom and Lucy then departed by cab for a trip around the block. Doors were reopened for the evening guests to walk back into the church in its transformed state with live jazz music playing and a team of waiters and waitresses to serve a top class 3 course meal prepared by our own resident chef, Jack. Quiches for starter, lamb with a potato mash and gravy and green beans and peas for main followed by a mouse custard cream type dessert. 100 dinners all of a standard you would expect from a top restaurant. More speeches (meaning more great humour from father of the bride!) and then the "first dance". I got to sit down as a guest for the evening which was a welcome change from running around sorting things out! Everything had gone like clockwork all day however and we saw the couple off in a black cab while we all cheered on the steps of the church, (and I had to intervene and stop people throwing confetti inside the church, knowing what a mess I would have to clean up otherwise!!) The guests left and then began the cleanup and put the church back to right for Sunday morning. Lucy's family all stayed behind to help and 2 hours later (1am) you could hardly tell what had been there! By that time I had missed the last train so went with the groomsmen to the house for drink and food and then at 2am headed home. 90 mins later I crawled into bed and slept slept slept! 61.5 hours of work for the week so no, thankfully, not quite a normal week for me here in London!! But a great wedding well worth all the effort and God bless you Tom and Lucy in your  lives together!!