Monday Moods: I feel... married.

We flew in from India,

relaxed for about a second at our flat, 

and started gearing up for the wedding

of our good friends,

Neil & Julie.

Ever since I moved to England, 

I've dreamed of attending a wedding here.

The movies had assured me that

it would enchanting,

I could wear some cool head gear,

and odds were in my favour

that Hugh Grant would be there...

since he seems to be in every British wedding movie ever made.

It was pretty obvious that their wedding would be gorgeous

after seeing the itinerary on their wedding site.

I just didn't plan on how stunning the day would be.

The wedding was at the Oxford Oratory,

afterwards mingling in the courtyard

, a NOLA style parade led us through the windy streets of Oxford

and on to the reception,

held at Oxford's famous Bodelian Library.

First we had a drinks reception in the famous outer quad,

were given private tours of the 600 year old library,

and eventually, were invited in to dinner inside.

Julie used the setting's theme to make the reception amazing.

Vintage English books were used as center pieces

place settings were personalized book marks,

and the favours were these pretty Penguin Classics Books.

I was drooling,

and couldn't wait to share the reception with you.

Don't worry though. 

When the professional pictures come in,

I'm going to be sharing them with you.

You'll see pictures of Julie looking perfect,

Neil looking dapper,

and a wedding with a New Orleans style parade

that is gonna make you loose it.

Cheers to Neil & Julie-

to a beautiful couple,

sweet friends,

and top-notch party planners!

{if you dig Julie's style, you might be a fan of her pinterest boards!}

mandatory wedding picture

The groomsmen hanging out with Mr. Thomas Bodley, himself.

Holly & me... Pre-dinner reception in the quad of the Bodelian.

 And what was served for the pre-dinner drink?  Pimms No. 1.... naturally.

My friend, Renee, and her initial reaction to walking into dinner. We all were felt blown away!

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? I haven't.

This is so perfect. Remember when I blogged about this same place just the other week?
It was used to film the infirmary in Harry Potter?

So this is an English Rose. No wonder they have such a nice reputation. Gorgeous!

The perfect setting.

Bride's Chair.

Vintage books Julie & Neil collected over the year at local charity shops. Imagine their new library!

My lovely accessory for the evening: The J. Lhuillier clutch that I won for the Royal Wedding!

Whoever said British food isn't good never tried this goat cheese-crowned delight.

Personalized book plates and notes inside the books given as party favors were a clever way
 of expressing thanks and creating a lasting momento of your wedding.

Don't you like the cake topper? It was originally used at Julie's grandparents wedding. Isn't that sweet?

Love the simple roses. Perfect, I tell you!

You can visit the Bodelian when you come to Oxford! To see this room (and where it was filmed for Harry Potter), it costs a few "quid,"  I think £3. If you are in the main quad of the library,
just enter in the door behind the statue of Mr. Bodelian.

*all images are original to Aspiring Kennedy