Today David and I got married, after knowing each other for twenty years and being a couple for the last nine.

We decided that we didn't want to compromise our values by having a "traditional" wedding so we have spent the last few months organising and planning a day that would please US.

Firstly, we decided that we wanted to host the wedding party (not reception) in the garden so for months now, we've been working on trying to prepare the garden to a stage where we'd feel happy to bring our guests on this important day. Last weekend, when the weather had been appalling for several weeks, we were on the verge of moving the venue to a local village hall because we'd got 90 guests coming and the weather was still looking dire. We decided to make a final decision on Monday when we could finally see the five-day forecast far enough in advance to cover our big day. Monday dawned and we saw a forecast of sunshine and light showers so we stuck with our original plan and hope that the showers would be few and far between.

Secondly, we wanted to be as environmentally friendly as possible so we've sourced as many as possible of the materials we've used from our adopted home of Cornwall. I stupidly (or otherwise) chose to cater for our party myself, using locally sourced ingredients, produce from our own garden and other (mainly) wholesome things. Finally, we wanted to ensure we had a day that was enjoyable and not stressful or intimidating for us.

So, we woke at 6.30am, flauting tradition, together in our own home.

I set going on finishing preparing the food, with help from Claz. The kitchen has been a hive of activity for days, with anyone who popped in to volunteer help given something to do! It's been a lovely experience, despite me wondering more than once whether I'd been an idiot to attempt to do this. They've put up with me marching around, hair in curlers, giving jobs to anyone standing around looking like they had nothing to do.

DMs tasks were to sort out the entertainment (music from our collection, randomly played through itunes, using an amp and a pair of speakers from the house. He also had a Lurker to polish and prep for us to go to the registry office in.

My Mum continued with the cleaning of the house, which she's turned from a filthy pit two days ago into a gleaming place today.

People started arriving to help en masse by 10am and my soon-to-be in-laws sorted out the seating arrangements in the marquee, with Claire halping to sort out layout and logistics. It wasn't until today that I realised the tables had all needed propping up because our lawn sloped and is a bit bumpy. They'd all got blocks of wood, pots, stones and other things helping to make them level and stable.

Tony (brother-in-law-to-be) manned a chainsaw and cut up a load of timber for fuelling the fire pits, then he helped me, along with his two sons and Patti to assemble the second fire pit - the first was in place two days ago. Linda (sister-in-law-to-be) washed out dustbins normally used for storing animal food so they could be filled with drinks that needed chilling and ice with which to chill them.

Janet & John brought in all of the flowers and decorated the garden with garlands, wreaths and arches. Janet had made my bouquet including some flowers and foliage from our own garden, some locally gathered wild flowers and some English bought flowers.

My last job before getting ready to go to the ceremony was building a straw toilet. With 90 people expected, that was going to put a huge amount of pressure on our house's two toilets! So, I built a straw toilet for the men. It worked a treat and it seems as though our guests actually quite enjoyed the experience!

David and Linda (his sister) were doing the final clean, polish and dressing of the Lurker when I went off for my bath and to get ready. My sister helped me with my hair and my nail varnish and we were giggling madly while doing it.

When I walked downstairs, there was this amazing, stunningly handsome man standing there waiting to take me off to the registry office and marry me. My stomach leapt - I was finally going to marry this man I've loved for so long. We went outside and our next-door neighbours were revving up their motorbikes, kitted out with white wedding ribbons and they led the Lurker down the hill, through the villages and into town, where we drove through the centre, with the bikes abreast in front of us, into the Registry Office car park. Later, my friend told me that our guests had seen us drive the car up past the window from their seats in the room.

The ceremony was beautiful - all we contributed to it was to choose the music and to choose which form of words to say. Our guests arrived to Madeleine Peyroux's version of "Dance me to the end of love". We arrived to "Wild Honey" by U2, signed the register to "Song for the lovers" by Richard Ashcroft and left to "Everybody needs somebody to love" by the Blues Brothers. The registrar said such kind words about us. It was both serious and funny at the same time. She had a really gentle touch.

On the drive home, we lost one of our outriders to a broken clutch on his bike so we carried on up the hill, to waves and smiles from passers-by, without our escort. By the time we arrived home, our helpers had arrived and were already in the process of serving drinks to the first arrivals. All I did then was showed them where to find oven dishes etc and left them to heat the scones for the cream tea.

We did our speeches first - before any food so we didn't have the pressure of worrying about having to do it later. I messed mine up big time because I forgot all of the important people I needed to thank and my first words to our guests were telling the men to go and pee in the straw toilet. I got in that loop because Iain said he'd been writing his speech at 12.30 before he left to go to the registry office and my reply was that at 12.30 I'd been making the straw toilet! Dad, David, Iain and I all spoke. The men all said wonderful kind things about me. My Dad did his while holding himself up with walking sticks, after a knee replacement operation two weeks ago. DM did a lovely speech and made me very happy.

Claz masterminded the day's delivery of the food I'd prepared. Becky and Toni also worked hard helping with serving food. Cream tea in the afternoon, meze/tapas style appetisers then pies with salads, followed by puds and coffee.

The weather was fab - hardly any rain. The guests all seemed to be having a great time. The fire pits were keeping us all warm. The music played, we danced, we laughed, we loved our day. We shared the day with our families, our friends and neighbours, our beautiful dogs and all within our own home, sharing our world with the buzzards mewling overhead and the livestock on the hillside.

It was perfect. We said "night-night" to our last guests just before midnight, blew out the candles in the lanterns and went into the lounge to watch the footie (recorded earlier). We didn't make it as far as the second half before giving up and heading off to bed.

One of my friends said to me that "she could totally see why we'd come here and done this BIG thing (moving that is)". Another friend told me that our friends are all fabulous, friendly and inclusive. Someone who is VERY finicky told me the food was superb. One of my friends told me that having asked another friend how he knew me, his reply was "I met Linda when I worked with her ex-husband, but Linda got me in the divorce settlement....and I'm so happy she did!" David told me he loves me. I told him I love him.

Our day was perfect.

Look at my shiny new recycled silver wedding ring!

Thanks to my sister Jan who took this shot.....because I was busy at the time!

David has started a gallery of photos of the day.