Jennifer and Jon
09/09/2006
Runnymede Hotel and Spa in Egham
How and when did you meet?
Jon and I met through mutual friends at the Millennium New Year’s Eve Party.
How old are you both?
Jon is 41 and I’m 31.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
Jon proposed on Christmas Day 2004. We had just finished unwrapping our presents and I was going to make a cup of tea when he said “Hold on, there’s one more present.” He then got down on one knee and said “I couldn’t wrap this present but will you marry me?” I promptly burst into tears and said yes.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
I didn’t have a hen do but Jon went to Latvia with eight of his friends where they had a whale of a time which involved shooting various firearms, lounging on the beach and partying the night away.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
Jon helped by keeping me calm and generally saying yes to my ideas.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I got some very good contacts off of confetti – especially my photographer and florist who were both recommended to me through Confetti.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
I bought some table cameras from the London store.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
My dress was “Victoria” by Sallie Bee at Sposa Bella. It had a beautiful boned lace bodice with an organza over satin ball gown style skirt. The trail was really long but totally beautiful. I bought the dress from Sasha in Guildford which is no longer there unfortunately.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
My best friend, Paula, was my only bridesmaid and she wore a beautiful 50’s style dress in a light sage green which echoed the design of my dress and a chiffon jacket in the same colour. It also had a gorgeous little belt with a diamante buckle.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Jon chose his two best friends. Paul was Jon’s best man and Steve was our usher. Both did brilliant jobs. We hired their suits from Young’s Hire. They wore black jackets with grey striped trousers. Jon wore a gold paisley style waistcoat with a gold cravat and the rest of the party wore a champagne with gold detail waistcoat and champagne coloured cravat.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a religious ceremony.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
We were married at our local parish church in Claygate.
Where did you hold your reception?
Our reception was held at the Runnymede Hotel and Spa in Egham.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
As a surprise for Jon, I had arranged an Aston Martin DB5 (complete with James Bond look alike chauffeur) to take us from the church to the reception. He loved it!
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had about 60 to the actual wedding and a few more in the evening so it was quite an intimate wedding.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
We didn’t have a particular theme at the reception but the colours where autumnal golds, reds and greens and ivory.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
We had rose petals sprinkled on the tables and a goldfish bowl vase filled with a variety of flowers in these colours.
Did you give your guests favours?
No.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
My flowers were perfect. My bouquet incorporated mango calla lilies, two different roses and berries with bear grass detailing. Paula’s bouquet was very similar but didn’t have the calla lilies or bear grass. The table decorations incorporated the roses plus some dahlias (in memory of my granddad) and lots of lovely foliage. Our florist was Gabi at The Fine Flowers Company.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
We had trio of melon with balsamic strawberries to start, followed by supreme of chicken with a roasted shallot and maderia jus plus potatoes and vegetables. For dessert we had raspberry and blueberry flummery in a brandy snap basket
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
Our wedding cake was a square, rich fruit cake and had three tiers. Each tier was decorated differently to reflect the detailing in my dress. It was made by Jennifer Taylor at Arty Farty Party Cakes.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We hired a jazz trio to play during the reception and a Frank Sinatra tribute band to play in the evening which was followed by a DJ.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had a gift list with John Lewis in Kingston.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
We stayed at the Runnymede for our first night – it was so nice to see our guests the next morning at breakfast. We then jetted off for 10 days at the Beau Rivage in Mauritius. This was booked through Mauritius Holidays.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Seeing Jon waiting for me at the altar.
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
We had quite a few last minute cancellations but other than that I think it ran really smoothly.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
The only thing I think I would do differently is to have a videographer but we couldn’t really afford the extra expense. Other than that, the day was totally perfect! My one piece of advice is really try to remember the day – it does go in the blink of an eye!
