I love reading lots of blogs, but I especially love Redpeffer and her writing, and I also discovered The Reading Residence last year. These great blogs have teamed up to run a new linky call The Theme Game, today is the first week and the theme is Doorways.
Now I love taking photographs, especially of buildings, even more so of churches. Just one of my ‘things’. I can get lost in the history of it all, what, when, how, where? I was trying to decide on which particular photo album to descend, which story to unravel. Then I decided on a different tack. How about a story that involves a journey through different doorways? So here it is, my story of doorways.
So I start at the beginning of my doorways journey. 5th September 2009, one rather pregnant me, and my Dad. It’s my wedding day, second time around, this time actually in England, this time with family and friends in attendance, this time with my Dad giving me away. I love this photo, taken outside the first of many doorways that day, my front door. I love my Dad’s expression, he doesn’t say very much, ever, but it’s all on his face that day. Love you Dad.
I wasn’t meant to be 6 months pregnant on my wedding day, this wasn’t the dress that I was buying! I should have been having a dress taken in, not one made from scratch, to expand as I did! I had to have this made when our ‘bump’ decided to be conceived very much quicker than I’d envisaged! Anyway, that’s a whole different story. Back to doorways …..
Doorways number two on my journey that day, sees Dad and I walk through a church doorway. It’s the wrong church in so many ways! It’s not our local church, it’s not the church we’d booked to get married in, not the church that has such a family history with Daddy P’s family. The vicar forgot to mention when we booked the church in January, that it would be closed for repairs from the end of August until December that year. She finally remembered to tell us in June. Flights had been booked from Spain, Reception organised, hotels booked, invitations printed. By then I was pregnant and VERY hormonal. We had a number of other churches we could pick from. We picked this particular village church, we liked the feel of it, it has a wishing well outside, it was a lovely church, just not the right church! It didn’t have bells either, she forgot to tell us about that until the rehearsal. Uum. Doorways, are so much more than just openings!
As we entered this doorway, my oldest friends little girl said ‘Mummy, it’s Cinderella!!!’ I will remember that moment for all my days.
So I entered doorways with one man, one wonderful man, who has never let me down, always been my hero, and I left with another. One who is not quite so perfect as my Dad. One who has no concept of time, one who cannot get his work/home balance right, but one who does care, who doesn’t lie, who doesn’t pretend. Doorways to a new beginning, a new name! 
Doorways leading to a new chapter in my life, leaving my past behind me, looking forward, wondering what the future would bring. Walking through doorways with Daddy P by my side.
There was one great sadness to our day, Daddy P’s father , aged 91, had died in July that year. Until December 2008 he’d been in remarkable good health really, active, full of life. He was so looking forward to seeing his little boy get re-married, he was so looking forward to having a new grandchild. As regular readers will know, we subsequently named Monkey after him, when he arrived in December, when bump was a boy!
There was someone missing from certain doorways that day. A doorways photograph that should have included Daddy P’s father as well as my parents.
I’m not actually a great one for having my photo taken, I’m a control freak really. I like to be in charge, I like to be the one behind the lens! I had to accept, that for one day I let others click away, take the shots. Doorways with stories to tell, doorways that saw us covered in confetti, doorways that witnessed laughter, lots of laughter that day.
Doorways to the future. Doorways to marriage, and future motherhood. Doorways to a new life and to the unknown, doorways to adventures, hope and happiness.
What do Doorways mean to you?
Despite the little hiccups along the way with the church it looks like it was a perfect day. And the Cinderella comment is sooooo lovely and perfect! 🙂 lovely theme, signifying the start of the next phase of your life too x
We were surrounded by so many special people, so many people who had seen me struggle through doorways to a new beginning
What a lovely post – who knew there was so much you could say about doorways!
I love doorways, they are leading you to new adventures
Such a wonderful post. I loved walking with you down memory lane. The Cinderella comment is absolutely fabulous, and despite it not being the wedding that you’d imagined, so lovely to see such happiness shining through on all of the photos. Thanks for joining in with #TheThemeGame x
Thank you, it was a memorable journey
She was right, you do look like Cinderella! What a lovely post. xx
Thank you 🙂
What a lovely post – I really enjoyed reading it. And you look beautiful as Cinderella despite not everything happening as you had originally planned!!
I loved reading your ‘doorway’ post.
I am getting married in July and it really moved me, espically the entering one door with your father & leaving with your husband. And who couldn’t love the Cinderella comment! You looked lovely! Sx
What an absolutely lovely post. I enjoyed reading every word. I love the photo of you and your dad and you looked wonderful-your friends little girl was absolutely right. Thank you so much for linking with #TheThemeGame Oh, and thank you for the compliment too 🙂
Oh thank you 🙂
what a lovely story and I like the doorways theme, you look lovely even if it wasn’t the dress you had in mind, very pretty and blue.
Thanks
Your dress is beautiful! Very Cinderella-Disney-Princess. I love churches and old building to photograph or just to stand and look at or explore.
Thank you, something magical about photos og old buildings
What a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing. And, love the Cinderella comment! x
Thanks 🙂 not sure about a pregnant Cinderella, but it was very sweet
Beautiful memories and photos. Beautiful doorways too 🙂
Thank you
what lovely photos and story. I get the cinderella comment too 🙂
Thank you
Aw! The Cinderella comment brought a tear to my eye! You did look absolutely beautiful. I had a one year old in tow when I got married to hubby No. 2 (the current one!) and when the registrar asked if anyone had anything to declare he blew a raspberry! Little Monkey! Nice post for the Doorways linky. X
Thank you, bet your little man had everyone in giggles with that!
This is a lovely post, and by the way, you do not look 6 months pregnant on those photos!
Mel
Thank you, it was very well hidden, but trust me I did!
Oups, I just realised I had forgotten to mention I had found your post through #thethemegame, and if you fancy it, you can read my entry http://lecoindemel.com/old-family-photographs/
What a beautiful post. I love the idea of entering one door with your dad and leaving with your husband – sums up the concept of being ‘given away’ perfectly! We had our wedding pictures taken in Regents Park amongst all the tourists and I remember one little girl (about 4ish) saying ‘Mummy, it’s a princess!’ – it will stay with me forever! Beautiful! #TheThemeGame
Oh wow, thats lovely too
such a nice post. Love the first pic with your dad! and the Cinderella comment from the little girl – aww!
Thanks
Love these photos, doorways have so much meaning to them don’t they? Your day sounds wonderful, even if there were a couple of things that weren’t quite perfect. Special memories x
Thank you, don’t know a wedding that has run without a few glitches! Went to Mauritius first time around and it rained!
Like the other comments, I also love the Cinderella mention! The wishing well in the church sounds like, well a Fairytale…
The well is outside, but just a lovely touch. It is a beautiful little village church.
Aw, that’s a lovely post. And I agree with the little girl, you did look like Cinderella.
Thank you, felt more like a weeble wooble!
If it makes you feel better my hubby & I got married when I was five months preg. and although it wasn’t planned that way, it didn’t make the slightest bit of difference to us either. As you’ve said, a wedding day is all about being surrounded by the most important people in your life that you love.
Lovely post 🙂 #PoCoLo
Exactly, nice to know I wasn’t alone 🙂
What a lovely post and you did look like Cinderella! Beautiful x
#PoCoLo
Thank you
What a lovely post. You look so beautiful 🙂 Both you and your dad are glowing in that first picture, I absolutely loved it. I loved your interpretation of the theme. A doorway to the future. Wonderful.
#PoCoLo
Thank you 🙂
A fabulous post lovely lady and one I really enjoyed reading – another great idea for a linky 🙂 There have been so many starting over the last few weeks. Thank you so much for linking to PoCoLo x
Thank you
Wow! You looked stunning and I love your take on the journey through the doorways x
Oh thank you, wasn’t quite the size I’d expected to be!