Hannah and Matt
05/08/2006 – St. Mary’s Church, Bishopstoke.
How and when did you meet?
We met in August 2002 at a nightclub in Southampton. We were both out with friends.
How old are you both?
I was 19 and he was 21.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
He proposed in December 2003, we were having a meal the week before Christmas at a place in Winchester called Cafe de Paris.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
We had lots of celebrations. I went with seven friends to Magaluf for the weekend and Matt went to Poland for the weekend with 12 friends. Then two weeks later we both went out. I went for an Italian and on to some bars with a big group of friends and family and Matt went for a curry and then on to some bars.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
He helped choose (and pay for) the honeymoon. He helped pick a photographer and the food.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I looked at other real life weddings on the website and also got some good ideas from the Receptions magazine.
Do you have a confetti web page?
Yes.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
I wore a light ivory dress from Brides of Portswood. It was a princess cut dress with a long train and lots of sparkles. I wore it with a long veil and tiara.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had six. Three were my close friends, one was my younger sister (who is 21), two were younger bridesmaids (a family friend’s daughter and my cousin’s daughter). The older bridesmaids wore dark pink floor length dresses from Ghost with little silver tiaras. The younger two wore pale pink floaty chiffon dresses from Debenhams.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
The groom’s best man was his best friend and he had four ushers, three were close friends and one was his brother. They all wore black suits with dress coats, with silver waistcoats and cravats and pink rose buttonholes.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Religious.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
St. Mary’s Church, Bishopstoke.
Where did you hold your reception?
Rookesbury Park School, Wickham.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
Two white Rolls Royces.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 130 day guests and another 50 evening guests.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
The theme was pink and silver with lots of sparkle and feathers.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
We had pink napkins for the women and silver for men, the favour boxes were silver with a pink feather for the girls, black for boys with two packs of mini love hearts in them. The centre pieces were various pink flowers in a glass bowl.
Did you give your guests favours?
Yes, see above
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
The bouquets were light and dark roses.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
We had an outside caterer in. It was a hog roast with salad and potatoes. The dessert was tarte au citroen and chocolate fountain.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
Matt’s grandma made us a fruit cake (three tiers). It was covered in white icing with pink ribbon around it and a pink rose lay across the top. We also had personalised cake toppers made of us.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We had a magician come around the tables between courses. We had a DJ in the evening.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had our gift list with Debenhams.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
We spent our first night at a nearby hotel called The New Place. For our honeymoon we went to Barbados for two weeks. We booked this with Virgin Holidays.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
As we walked in to the room to have dinner and the best man announced us as Mr. and Mrs. West. Everyone clapped and cheered – it was a brilliant moment.
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
We experienced some problems when we lost contact with two of our DJs! Third time lucky we booked with a company called A1 Disco’s who were excellent!
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
I would make sure I did not get so caught up in the little things. The marriage is the important thing and so is spending time with your friends and family. We did a receiving line – which was an excellent way of getting a moment to speak with everyone.
