Liz and Justin
06/01/2006 – Kenwick Park Hotel, Louth, Lincolnshire
How and when did you meet?
We met in Sydney in 2002 whilst we were both living there.
How old are you both?
Liz is 36 and Justin is 33.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
Justin proposed on Christmas Day 2004 – he gave me what I thought was my Christmas present and when I opened it inside was an engagement ring.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
Justin proposed on Christmas Day 2004 – he gave me what I thought was my Christmas present and when I opened it inside was an engagement ring.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
He was involved in all the planning.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I thought the message websites were helpful to ask any questions and to read other bride-to-be’s experiences.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
I basically lived in Confetti in Leeds – we bought our invitations, place cards, and table decorations.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
I bought a red organza evening dress from Debenhams.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
My 17 year old niece was my bridesmaid – she looked totally stunning and spent most of the ceremony in tears!
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
He had his best friend, Davin, as his best man – as we had a civil ceremony he didn’t have any ushers.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Civil.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
Kenwick Park Hotel, Louth, Lincolnshire
Where did you hold your reception?
Kenwick Park Hotel, Louth, Lincolnshire
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
52 – we didn’t get married until 5pm so just had one reception – something we picked up from our time in Australia!
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
Gold and cream. We asked the hotel to keep up the Christmas decorations as well.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
Gold plates with cream candles and pine cones and holly and berries which were actually put together by Justin on the day.
Did you give your guests favours?
Thornton’s heart shaped chocolates.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
Cream roses with dark green leaves and red berries.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
Following the ceremony, we had champagne and canapes and then we had a hot buffet followed by petit desserts and cheese and biscuits.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
My mum and sister made our wedding cake – a traditional fruit cake – which mum poured a lot of brandy into!
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
A swing band called Swing 4U played after dinner for the rest of the evening.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
As we had been together a while, we asked guests to contribute towards a late honeymoon.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
Our first night was spent at the hotel followed by four days in Barcelona. We are also planning a’proper’ honeymoon to Italy when the weather is better.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Seeing everyone there – some friends who we had met in Australia – and that all our plans had worked out perfectly.
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
No nightmare moments at all.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Even though I wanted to get married later in the day to give everyone a chance to get to the hotel, it meant that the wedding went really fast.
