The Wedding, The Movie

You can watch it in this teeny tiny window or to watch it full screen click the little button that looks like 4 arrows in the bottom right of the video. Or if you want to see it in its full high definition glory then click on the HD button and you'll be taken to Vimeo in a new window.

Also, all of the pictures from the big day are available here...

Thank you thank you thank you!

Thankyou to everyone for making our day so special. It was truly amazing.

Special mentions go out to...

Dee for the amazing photos that you can see here

Brendan for his dolcet tones and musical prowess

The bridesmaids and groomsmen for their patience, support, good looks and exceptional dance moves

Liz and Toby for their amazingly hilarious speeches that can be seen below

Andy and Pete for their excellent grasp of public speaking

Our two Dads for their lovely speeches which can be seen below

Lizzie and Mark for their organisational and people wrangling skills.

Ben for being our cinematographer and for his record breaking drunken pursuits

Dan for thijacking the camera with hilarious results which can be seen here

AJ and Adam for carting our junk back to London

Andy and Bella for their highly professional high speed photoshoot styling and assisting

Sal for taking care of our wedding outfits after the wedding

Dan and Mark for making the best dressed jars in Sri Lanka

Everyone who sacrificed their holiday time to sew ribbons and make table decorations, Monica, Jess, Amy, Katie, Nick, Dad, Mum, Liz, Mark, Lizzie, Brendan, Andy, Bella, Pete, Mel, Dan

Richard (Dad) for making an impossible ring box and sharing his knowledge of squirrels and being born in Sri Lanka

Pam (Mum) for arranging the tables and finding all those puppets

Pearl (Mum) and Rob (Dad) for decorating the prettiest cupcakes ever

Poonie and Greg for an unforgettable villa

Nana and Neil for looking after us so well at the villa

Mama and Jerome for feeding us all and an excellent speech!

Chin for taming the girls' hair in the humid heat

Henri and everyone at the Sun House, it was just perfect and beautiful

Georgia for writing the beautiful ceremony

Mahendra and everyone at Wijaya Beach for all their decorating, the fireworks at the best party venue ever

Lel, Al, Katie, Nick and Jenny for being spontaneous and deciding to come at the last minute
Monica for expert Bollywood dance moves

Chris for being the brightest guest and Lucia for being his lotion applicator

Paul for being our personal terror and crisis expert

Willem and Haydn for introducing us all to No Face, the game that swept the nation and for keeping us entertained

Grandad for the beautiful flowers

Mike and Ruth for the cake topper effigies

Emma, Dan and Evie for their lovely lovely poem

Everyone who smuggled booze for us

And especially our parents for their generous contributions and advice, without which none of this would be possible.

Speeches....

Richard's father of the bride speech from Tom Neish on Vimeo.


Rob's father of the groom speech from Tom Neish on Vimeo.


Liz's very best lady speech from Tom Neish on Vimeo.


Toby's best best man speech from Tom Neish on Vimeo.


The bride and groom speak from Tom Neish on Vimeo.


Tom's Song from Tom Neish on Vimeo.

The Dan Show

The Dan Show! from Tom Neish on Vimeo.

A message from the Father Of The Bride...

Hi,

I am Emma's dad Richard, Yes I did' run amuck' in the Galle Face Hotel Foyer when I was eleven years old.

I remember the day quite well. My little chum and I [colonial speak] decided to collect all the ash trays from the public areas (cocktail bars and reception rooms etc.) with the idea of throwing them all into the Indian Ocean, which incidently is only a stones' throw from the hotel (or should that be an ash trays throw from the hotel?). Anyway, we did have fun that day. I vaguely remember my little chum and I were chased back into the hotel by a rather large mustachioed guy with a turban – a sort of Indiana Jones Temple of Doom type baddie, by then some of the ash trays had found their way to a watery grave.

I would just like to say that I am sure we will all have a great time in Sri Lanka [formerly Ceylon]. I spent a very happy childhood there. It is a beautiful island. Tom and Emma have chosen a great place to get married. Galle is a very pretty historical World Heritage listed colonial town.The famous Dutch fort is the place to be seen, a walk around the ramparts in the early evening is the place to go to see lovely sunsets across the ocean.

See you there,
Richard.
.............. I wonder how many ash trays there are now, in the Galle Face Hotel....hmmmm...

When? Where? Who are these people?

Emma & Tom

FEBRUARY 17th 2009
Galle, Sri Lanka

Maps

Click on the maps for a more detailed view.
Here is another more detailed map.

Important dates

In the week before the wedding we'll be quite busy running the all elephants through the choreography but after the wedding we'll be spending a few days on the beach at Hikkaduwa and would love to see you all there. (See Accommodation section soon for more info about Hikkaduwa)

December 2008
Sat 27th ..... Sydney hen day/night

January 2009
Sat 24th - Sun 25th ..... London hen party
Sat 30th - Sun 31st ..... London stag party

February 2009
Sun 8th ..... Mr Neish and Miss Scott-Child fly to Sri Lanka
Mon 16th ..... Pre-wedding dinner and rehearsal
Tue 17th ..... The Schneish Wedding Extravaganza!
Wed 18th ..... Mr & Mrs Schneish go to Hikkaduwa Beach
Sun 22nd ..... Mr & Mrs Schneish rack off on a honeymoon elsewhere in Sri Lanka
Fri 27th ..... Mr & Mrs Schneish go back to London

Accommodation

Everyone wants to know the best place to stay, and there are amazing options for all budgets. A few people have asked about where everyone else is staying so we can all be together, it would be great if we were all near each other to create some sort of schoolies week/Ibiza Uncovered holiday madness, but it is just a suggestion.

Also, please let me know before you book anything. I am trying to make sure groups of certain sizes can all be together, so let me know where you're going first and I can tell you if it is already booked by someone else. But there are plenty of places to stay.

The plan...
Days before the wedding
The Bride and Groom will be in a villa in the Galle Fort with the 'wedding party'.
We suggest...
You stay around the Fort, or on the beach near Wijaya.

The night before the wedding
The Bride, Bridesmaids and Scott-Children will be staying at The Sun House
The Groom, Groomsmen and Neishes will be staying at the Villa in the Fort
We suggest...
You stay around the Fort, or on the beach near Wijaya.

The night of the wedding
Mr and Mrs Schneish will be staying in the Sun House
We suggest...
You stay there on Wjaya beach that way you can crawl your way back to your bungalow.
OR
We have to book out ALL the rooms at the Sun House but there are still 2 rooms that will be empty. If you would like to stay there for a cheaper rate, let me know.

After the wedding
Mr and Mrs Schneish will be staying a the Sunbeach Hotel in Hikkaduwa
We suggest...
You stay at Drifters Hotel (which is next door) , we can book out the whole place, the rooms range from delux US$40 to average US$20.
OR
There are some other more fancy places further up the beach that are 4-5 stars.

After that...
Explore some of the other amazing places in Sri Lanka. Kandy is beautiful or travel further down the coast to Tangalle. We will also put up recommendations for all these places.

Accommodation in Colombo

You may have to stay in Colombo for a night as you come to and from the airport, but we advise against it if you're afraid of terror. If you do stay there however, here are some places...


Posh Option
The Galle Face Hotel - Regency Wing
US$105 - $500
12 years before Bell patented the telephone, Galle Face Hotel was welcoming heads of state and royalty as their guests. This is an amazingly beautiful grand colonial hotel. You will be greeted by an old doorman with a giant moustache who may have been there since my dad ran amok in the foyer as an 11 year old boy. Spend the afternoon sipping G&Ts on the varandah watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean to the tune of pan pipes (played by a guy in a turban sitting in a tree!). If you have no problem perpetuating British colonialism and having doors opened for you by the natives this place is fantastic.

If you are spending a few hours in Colombo, this would be a great place to stop in for afternoon tea.


Average Options
The Galle Face Hotel - Classic Wing
US $70 - $150
The Galle Face has a cheaper wing, the rooms are fairly basic and haven't been renovated in a long time but you get to enjoy the varandah, pool and restauants just like the posh guests. Book ahead though so you don't end up in the really crappy rooms.

The Colombo Hilton
Not sure of the price
Well it's got more class than Paris Hilton, but it's still a big chain hotel with all the usual bits. The best part is "The Curry Leaf" the amazing resaurant that has an all you can eat Sri Lankan buffet. We certainly got our money's worth.


Shabby Chic Option
The Colombo YMCA - Fleabag Wing
US $4 - $7
You get a bed, a sink, a toilet and a shower. If you're lucky you'll also get a window and if you're really lucky the window will have bars on it. It's as basic as it gets and the stairwells smell a bit like wee, but if you're only staying for a night and you're on a tight budget, it's pretty good. We stayed there when we had to get up at 5 in the morning and it seemed hardly worth it to pay for a nice hotel for a 5 hour sleep.

Accommodation near the airport

Negombo is the town closest to the airport. If you arrive late at night, or you want to stay a night there before travelling further this is the place to do it. There are alot of hotels here except many of them are a bit shabby and feed off the indecision of jetlagged tourists. So here are some recommendations...


Average Option
Oasis Beach Resort
US$25-100 per double room
This one has been recommended by a guy who writes most of the recommendations on TripAdviser.com he's very good, I think it would be the best value for money and nicest. It is on the beach and also has 24 hour reception so it is good for late arrivals.


Shabby Chic Option
Hotel Silver Sands
US $10-$25
This has also been recommended by trip advisor as the best budget option. It looks quite cute and is also right on the beach. Have a look at the website, I'll let you decide if you think the people in the pictures are German sex tourists or not.

Accommodation in Galle

There are some amazingly beautiful places to stay in and around Galle. We would suggest that if you are joining us on the beach after the wedding, you should stay in the Galle Fort on the days leading up to the wedding to get a good culture/beach balance. The area around the city of Galle and the nearby beach towns is all very close though, so even if you stay out of town, it's only a quick ride into town to look around.

Posh Options
The Galle Fort Hotel
US$200+ per double
This place is AMAZING! It has won lots of awards including Wallpaper magazine's 'Best Bedlinen in the World Award', The Australian Newspaper's 'Top 10 Romantic Places to Stay in the World' and a UNESCO Award of Distinction for their incredible restoration of the historic Dutch villa. Every room is filled with antiques and no two rooms are the same.

Amangalla
US $550 - $1400 per double with a butler!!!
Ok, this place is stupidly expensive but it is really beautiful and it's a good place to go and pretend you're staying there while you have an afternoon cocktail or use their day spa. As one of the luxurious Aman hotels you can be sure that everything is as posh as posh can be.

The Fort Printers
US $145-170 per double
This place is nice and the renovation of this old printing factory is very modern (perhaps too modern) it is in a really good spot right in the middle of the fort but it lacks the antique character of some of the other hotels nearby.

The Sun House
US$175 - $200 per double 2 ROOMS LEFT ON THE 17th
This is where the wedding extravaganza will be, it's not in the fort it's up the hill overlooking it. We have booked out the whole place for the night of the wedding, but it isn't completely full. If you want to stay here with the Scott-Child contingent let me know and I'll arrange it.

The Dutch House
US $320 per suite, there are 4 suites
This is next to The Sun House and owned by the same people. It can sleep 12 people all together or you could hire the suites separately.


Average Options
Mama's Guesthouse
US $12 - $35, there are only three rooms a single and two doubles
We will be staying here in the week before the wedding and we think it's the best place to stay in the fort. The food is cooked by the lady who runs the place and is the best in Sri Lanka especially when served on their rooftop terrace overlooking the mosque. (Is it right to enjoy a beer while look over a mosque?) If you want to stay here the night beofre the wedding and the night of the wedding, let me know and I can arrange it.

Lady Hills
US $65 - $110
This is just up the road from the Sun House and has a pool area that looks down over the fort. The rooms are modern and quite nice and the restaurant area is pretty posh.

Ceylon Heritage
Approx US $40 for a suite with room for up to 6 people.
This is a small guest house run by a family, you have to walk through their lounge room as you enter. The suite upstairs is huge with antique furniture and a view of the ocean and I think it has a balcony. This would be good for a small group, let me know if you want to stay here, I have their phone numbers but they don't have a website.

Ocean View Hotel
Approx US $30 per double
This place is really cute and they have a beautiful rooftop garden that overlooks the water. The family that run it are really sweet, the only drawback is their no alcohol policy because it is a Muslim house. The website is strangely hi-tech looking and offers activities like 'men on stilts'.


Shabby Chic Option
Hotel Weltevreden
104 Pedlar St, ph: +94 (0) 91 2222650
US $10 - $15 per double, shared bathroom
Totally budget place, good for backpackers. Small rooms that face a central courtyard. All the staff were asleep when we went there including the dog. We had to steal a business card.

Accommodation near Wijaya Beach

Wijaya Beach is quieter than the other beaches around and most of the villas are privately owned and rented out instead of being hotels. The party will be here at a hotel/restaurant called... Wijaya Beach! They have 8 rooms, so if you want to crash there after the party it's a nice easy option and we've already booked them out.


Posh Options
There are a number of villas along the beach that would be great for a group, some also offer separate room rates as well. These are all in an area called Talpe, or Thalpe, which is a 10-15 min walk from Wijaya Beach.
Victoria Villa
Apa Villa
Ambalama Villa
Auraliya
The Beach Hut
If Villa

Average Options
We are booking all these places through Mahendra the lovely guy who runs Wijaya Beach so let me know where you want to stay and I'll book it.

Wijaya Beach
US$20 per double with bathroom
This is the closest place to crash, we suggest staying here if you're likely to be up the latest making the most noise!

Galawatta
3 Double cabanas US$40 each
This is idown the beach from Wijaya and has three sweet little bungalows.

Accommodation at Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is a town that runs along a really long beach. The southern end of the beach is called Narigama and has a less touristy, backpacker vibe. Further north there are some bigger hotels and resorts that seem to attract fat Germans.

Posh Option
Amaya Reef Resort
US$115 is the average price of a double room
This is one of the bigger resorts along Hikkaduwa Beach and is a 20 min walk from Narigama. We haven't actually been there but it looks very nice and they have and great big pool and fancy spa treatments and things like that.

Average Options
Sun Beach Guesthouse
Balcony room US$55 - there are two of these SOLD OUT!
Standard rooms US$34 - for two people, US$25 for a single - there are 4 of these
Sun Beach has a few really good rooms, from what I remember the ground floor standard rooms were a bit dingy, but the garden out the front kind of makes up for it. (How much time do you spend in your room anyway?). I would recommend the standard rooms here if all the rooms at drifters (below) fill up. They have ensuite bathrooms and fans.

Drifters Guesthouse
Luxury room (with air-con) US$45 - there are 4 of these SOLD OUT!
Standard room (with a fan) US$22 - there are 8 of these 4 LEFT!
Drifters is a cool little place, it is a two story building with a garden along it and a restaurant on the beach right in the middle of the action at Hikkaduwa. The guy who runs it got an Australian friend to help him set it up and he runs surfing tours and other local excursions. We are going to book out all the rooms here. If you want to stay here please let us know if you want an air-con room or a fan room.

Shabby Chic Option
The Harmony Guesthouse or Top Secret Bar
US$11 for a double with a shower and toilet including breakfast
For the hippy backpackers... or those of us who pretend we're hippy backpakers for a few weeks of the year, these places are great. The Harmony is further up the beach and has better rooms but Top Secret is the cool bar right in the middle of the action where we will probably spend most of our time ($2 cocktails Woot woot!) and they have a few rooms at the back. Both are owned by the same person. They also have double beds with palm frond roofs on the beach that you can use if you buy drinks.... and a 'Body Style' fashion shop, or so it says on the sign.

Flights

All flights in and out of Sri Lanka are from Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital city. Colombo is a 3 hour drive from Galle, where the wedding is.

When you're searching for flights you may notice that Colombo airport has two different names, Katunayake Airport or Bandaranaike Airport (just to keep you on your toes) don't worry, they are the same place. Make sure you check the time that you arrive in Colombo, the airport is located just north of the city. If you arrive late at night you could stay in Negombo which is the 'airport town' where there are lots of hotels. Or we could arrange a driver to drive you directly to Galle. We've had a look into group bookings, but you really need at least 12 people for it to make much of a difference to the fare AND everyone needs to fly in and out on the same flights. If anyone wants to do this, write a comment on this post to see if there's anyone else with the same flight dates.

Flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane...

The best value flights are Singapore Airlines, Cathy Pacific or Malaysian Airlines. Qantas and BA tend to use Singpore Airlines or Sri Lankan Airlines planes and they are quite a bit more expensive. Guests flying from Brisbane also have the luxurious option of flying with Etihad or Royal Brunei Airlines. Beware, Malaysian Airlines sometimes go back via Chennai, India. (Not ideal. Unless you actually want to go to Chennai...which I've heard is quite nice).

Flights from Perth...

A while ago I found a direct flight from Perth to Sri Lanka, but I can't find it now, everything goes through Singapore or Hong Kong. You WAsians are smart though, you should be able to figure it out.

Flights from London...

The best value flights are from Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines. Make sure you check the flight duration. Usually a difference in price of £50 means 5 hours of waiting around in a stinky airport.

Sri Lankan Airlines also do some direct flights, but you have to book them early otherwise they become very expensive. Cheap flights are available directly from Sri Lankan Airlines from www.srilankan.aero but they are non-refundable and you can't change the dates. Qatar Airways also offer good prices on their website, www.qatarairways.com and they have flexible fares.

Emirates also offer flights that seem cheap, except they stop twice on the way. Yuk! If you are booking online, Opodo.co.uk and lastminute.com have the best choice.

Flights from Manchester...

Flights are much cheaper from London... I would suggest a train to London then a plane to save about £100. Most of the flights just add on a BMI flight from Heathrow to Manchester.

Flights from Toronto, Calgary, Basel and Bangalore...

Dunno folks, you'll have to figure it out yourselves.

Dress code

Colonial beach casual.

This just means something nice but not too formal and shoes that won't get ruined on the beach. Shorts are ok for boys. If anyone wears a sari or safari suit they will get an extra piece of cake.

Climate

Weather...

Temperatures should range from 23 - 31C with an average of about 28. It will be very humid, hair will be frizzy!

Although February in Galle is the driest time of year, occasionally afternoon showers stir things up for half an hour at about 1-2pm.

Freak Occurrences...

Tsunamis are not caused by the weather. It's best not to think about them.

Visas

For Australians, Europeans and North Americans special visas are not needed for visits up to 30 days.

Transport in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a wonderful public transport system, but please DO NOT use it.

To avoid any danger of terrorism, please use private drivers, taxis or tuk tuks to get around and do not travel through Colombo at peak hour.

Taxis are fairly cheap, it costs about $40 US to hire a minivan and a driver for a 3 hour drive. Sometimes they will charge more for more people or luggage in the van, but it still ends up being affordable if you are in a group. You can also hire drivers for up to a week if you are planning on travelling around the island. It is the safest and most convenient way around, plus your driver will be happy to share his local knowledge. If you do feel a bit colonial hiring a local man for days on end to drive your white ass around, feel free to tip well and pay for decent accommodation for him.

We will get phone numbers for some reputable taxi drivers and post them here later. We will also try to book drivers to pick you up from the airport, let me know if you need me to do this.

For shorter journeys in Galle and on the coast tuk tuks are also cheap, about $1 for a 20 min ride and they take up to 3 people. Make sure you organise a price with the driver BEFORE you get in. You will have to haggle with everyone.

Money, money, money!

Currency...

Sri Lanka has Rupees as its currency although you wouldn't know it because everyone quotes prices in US$... then you pay them with the equivalent Rupees. Since the US$ has sunk a bit they are also quoting for things like hotel rooms in Euros.

It sounds confusing but it's quite easy seeing as 100 Rupees = $1 USD (well almost, it's 0.95c) so you just chop off two zeros. Here is a guide...

100R = $0.95 USD

100R = $0.95 AUD

100R = £0.46 GBP

ATMs...

are easy to find in Galle, Colombo and in big towns. But don't exist in some areas. Always try to break notes into lots of small notes and coins because of the old, 'But madam, I have no change to give you' trick.

Credit cards...

can be used in most hotels, but not guesthouses. For markets, restaurants and small shops cash is the only option, but touristy shops and supermarkets take cards.

Travellers' cheques

...are for dorks! Don't bother with them.