Grateful that she didn't have to find a church and persuade the vicar to marry a divorced woman in the middle of the wedding season, Sarah tackled another tricky subject. 'I know you don't want to think about it, but before we get to the fair and get dazzled by all the options, we do need to think about the budget. How much can you afford to spend?' She asked the same question in two ways to force her sister to think about the answer.

‘Ah – that is rather a pain.’

After her sister's pause had gone on quite a long time, Sarah broke in. 'You mean you haven't got any money? But you still want a traditional white wedding with all the trimmings?'

‘Don't be cross!' pleaded her sister. 'I know it's stupid but I want to sweep down the aisle in a fabulous dress.’

Sarah reflected that when Lily had got married before, she and her intended had rushed off to Gretna Green. Lily had confided later that it wasn't at all romantic; in fact, it had been rather sordid, and the marriage had started to go wrong almost before the ceremony had been performed. Sarah had kept her thoughts to herself about Lily's first choice of husband and was glad she had. Lily had learnt her lesson the hard way and was entitled to a proper wedding now.

‘And it's not just that,' her sister went on.

‘What is it, Lily?' Sarah was good at being firm but fair -her job gave her a lot of practice and she had learnt her skills on her sister.

‘His parents gave Dirk quite a bit of money a while ago and they're assuming he's still got it and can spend it on the wedding.'

‘Well, that's totally unreasonable! He probably used it for a deposit on his flat or something.'

‘No he didn't. He used it to settle a massive credit-card bill that he ran up while he was a student. He's really sensible with money now. But he didn't tell his parents. But as he did tell them how he'd saved to get the deposit for his flat, they think he's still got the money.' Lily sighed and Sarah felt a stab of sympathy. 'When they asked about it, he didn't have an answer ready so they assumed – and he was too chicken to say it wasn't true – that he still had it. So' -Lily sighed again – 'we've got to have a big posh wedding on hardly any money when really we should be saving up for things for the baby.’

If Sarah had felt sympathetic before, she felt even more so now. 'Oh, poor you. That's awful, having to spend your money on wedding cake and personalised confetti when you really want a cot and a good pushchair.'

‘Personalised confetti? What are you talking about?'

‘I was only joking. It's fantastically expensive and rather naff, in my opinion, to have your picture on every little fake rose petal your friends throw at you.'

‘Is that really possible?'

‘Anything is possible if you're prepared to pay, but you're not. Your guests can buy their own, bio-degradable confetti,' she stated crisply, hoping to end that topic of conversation.

‘Yes,' said Lily meekly. 'What about the dress? I know we should be saving but now it's happening I want it all to be so special.'

‘I know, Lily, and it will be. But listen, the average amount people spend on their dress is just under a thousand pounds, while the ones you had in your scrapbook – as I said, five grand minimum.' There was a hiccup and Sarah guessed that Lily was deciding whether or not to cry. 'But there are all sorts of ways round that. You could go to a sample sale, for example, if there are any on at this time of year. Or hire one? Have a second-hand dress?’

'No! I don't want to go down the aisle in a dress someone else has worn before. It would be unlucky.'

‘Oh,' said Sarah. 'So does that put my other suggestion out of the question?'

‘What do you mean?'

‘That you wear Mum's dress? I've got it, in a box. You could have it altered to fit you, and update it.'

‘Mum's dress.’

Sarah couldn't quite tell from her voice how she'd reacted to this. 'Well, think about it. But don't worry, Lily, I can organise you a really cheap – I mean economical -wedding, as long as you're prepared to compromise.'

‘I am. I'll have to.'

‘Then it will all be fine. Now tell me about me becoming an aunt.'

‘Oh, the baby! Well, it's very small, Sarah. Hardly bigger than a tadpole.’

For a tadpole, it was creating an awful lot of fuss.

The wedding fair was in a castle of white stone, converted into a huge hotel. It was, Sarah recognised, the perfect location for a large wedding, and she hoped Lily didn't suddenly yearn for it. The hotel had probably thought, reasonably enough, that once inside its spacious and undoubtedly romantic rooms, many of the attendees would fall in love with the setting and want their wedding there. Experience told her this would only be possible for those planning a long engagement. As a wedding venue, it would be booked up for at least two years.

The fine weather that had blessed Ashlyn's wedding continued and the festive mood of the day was enhanced as couples, groups of young women, and the occasional mother-and-daughter combination entered the building, full of plans and ideas.

Champagne or orange juice greeted everyone as they entered. There was a tray of chocolates too. Sarah took an orange juice, biting her tongue on her anxiety about Lily opting for the champagne. However much it went against the grain, she mustn't be a killjoy today.

‘Isn't this exciting!' Lily said, skipping a little. 'It's like actually being at a wedding already!’

Sarah smiled slightly. When she'd first started out in business, she'd taken stands at wedding fairs, but for a while now word of mouth and her website had got her all her custom. This was a relief. The amount of talking that went on during the long day didn't equate to enough brides needing her services to make it worth the effort.

For a moment, Lily hovered in the reception area, undecided where to start, then she pulled Sarah's arm. 'Chocolate fountains! Come on!’

Just the thought of liquid chocolate and wedding dresses in the same room made Sarah's heart quiver with apprehension but she didn't comment as Lily led the way.

‘Look at all that chocolate!' said Lily ecstatically. 'Isn't it heaven? It reminds me of when we melted down all our Easter eggs and ate them with a spoon.’

Sarah chuckled. 'You were sick.'

‘So I was!' Lily remembered happily. 'Sick as a canary!’

The woman in charge of this liquid heaven seemed confused by this image for a moment, then she handed them both strawberries. 'Have a taste,' she said.

‘Oh, Sarah, this is so gorgeous! I must have this!'

‘It might be better at the hen night,' said Sarah. 'As a bride, you shouldn't get near it, it would be awful if you got it on your dress.'

‘True,' said Lily, taking another generous strawberry's worth. 'And Dirk's mother wouldn't approve.’

At last Sarah was able to lead her sister away, but only after she'd tried every fruit, sweet and biscuit, coated in chocolate.

‘The chocolate's really nice,' said Lily gaily while they were still in earshot. 'I thought it might be a bit like that chocolate they sell in sex shops.’

Sarah was about to ask how Lily knew about such things but then decided she'd rather not know. 'Well, the woman did tell us it was only as good as the chocolate you used.’

They got past the painted stones as place names, the harpist (although Sarah was tempted), any amount of personalised helium balloons, several florists and a false nail stand unscathed, except by leaflets and cards. But when Lily saw a rack of wedding dresses, she escaped from Sarah's vice-like grip and sprinted towards them.

‘Aren't these the most heavenly dresses you have ever seen in your entire life?' asked Lily, when Sarah at last caught up with her.