Loyal Bride Vs Groom readers, I bring sad news. The curse has finally been proven beyond all reasonable doubt to be true. Actually come to think of it, for loyal readers that’s probably good news since the curse does produce interesting stories (seriously… you can’t make this [insert ruder version of the word ‘poo’ here] up!)… Ok scratch that, let’s start again.
Aethiests, skeptics and witch burners, I bring sad news. Finally the believers can offer indelible, undeniable (and other words that according to the thesaurus mean broadly the same thing) proof that there is some form of mystical or higher power, and not only that but there’s firm evidence that they have a rather derisive sense of humour! For new evidence proves beyond doubt that the curse, about which we have so often joked, incontrovertibly does exist! And he’s also in charge of the weather!
Now, when we realised that our best dates to have our wedding would be over October half term we appreciated that there was a significant chance that we might not get good weather. It didn’t really bother us, a bit of rain wouldn’t dampen our spirits and it’s the UK, you have to expect rain even in summer! But when you decide instead to get married on a tropical Island not far from the Sahara desert where you’re reliably informed it hasn’t rained literally in years you do start to find the idea of sunshine and lounging on the beach with your friends and family. Knowing our luck of course we did joke to our friends in our invitations that having not rained in the last two years it was probably going to be some sort of monsoon or something! …in hindsight that may have been a mistake!
After the stresses of arriving the previous night and getting everyone sorted with their apartments we had rather hoped to do little but hit the beach on our first full day. It seemed a brilliant idea until we eventually arose from a pleasant slumber, opened the curtains to examine the sweeping panoramic view from our apartment and saw…rain…lots of it! Well that and lots of local farmers and banana plantation owners doing cartwheels down the streets! It rained, it poured, apparently certain guests snored.. Still, best to get it over with early I guess!
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The following day I awoke with a start. Outside there was a deafening roaring sound, the sort of sound that can’t help but signal impending doom. Dom was first to open the curtains this time and her shriek of disappointment told me all I needed to know. Water poured everywhere, an unstoppable tirade of river-like proportions. I actually started to look around for any materials that might be suitable to make an ark, and it was in this process that I walked through the wall of water, beyond the edge of the verandah of our apartment, at which point the gods, clearly pleased with my ark building intentions, reduced the rain to a mere trickle… it turns out you probably shouldn’t judge the amount of rain on the view from underneath a flat roof!
By about day 3 things were getting silly. It turns out that when an Island gets no rain whatsoever they don’t tend to worry about little things like waterproofing the properties! We went out to see our friends and family staying in one particular apartment block only to discover water coming through patio doors, water-logged balconies and, in the case of my (fortunately good humoured) usher’s apartment water pouring through the ceiling directly onto two of the beds… and their suitcases… and them! Things were looking pretty bleak!
On the morning before the wedding something miraculous happened… THE SUN CAME OUT!! It was absolutely scorching hot with cloudless skies and was the absolute perfect day. Had all been forgiven? Would we be getting our tropical wedding after all? The weather forecast didn’t seem so sure! One thing’s for sure though, a big decision needed to be made…
