Sarah and Steve
26/11/2006 – The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
How and when did you meet?
We meet at work in December 2000, making tea and fetching sandwiches for a living!
How old are you both?
I’m 28 and he’s 31.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
Steve very romantically proposed on top of the Empire State Building in New York last December, with a big pink plastic ring. We chose the real engagement ring in Tiffany’s the next day.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
The girls had a relaxing, pampering weekend at Center Parcs while the lads had a weekend in Estonia.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
Steve was extremely helpful throughout the wedding build-up. He was happy for me to decide on all of the girly things but was very keen to help me make all of our invitations and wedding favours and never lost interest in any of it. He’s a star.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I used the Bride and Groom forum for advice and tips. The girls on there have been really helpful.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
I visited the shop to buy some silver cord.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
I wore a chiffon Essence of Australia dress with lots of Swarovski crystal detail around the bodice. My shoes were from Rainbow Club. I wore a Swarovski necklace and matching earrings and a faux fur stole.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I just had my younger sister as a bridesmaid and she looked beautiful in her ‘mushroom’ coloured Monsoon two-piece silk dress and faux fur stole.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Steve had his best friend, Dave, as his Best Man and another good friend, Matt, was his usher. They’re all Scottish, so wore their own tartan kilts and Prince Charlie jackets.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Civil Ceremony.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
The Ceremony was held in The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.
Where did you hold your reception?
The reception was also at The Petwood Hotel.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
No, I stayed the previous night at the Petwood hotel, so didn’t need any transport.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 84 guests at our wedding and a further 25 came in the evening.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
Other than the brightly coloured kilts, the theme was winter white with lots of silver and crystals.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
I made ivory crackers for our favours, each napkin had a crystal decoration around it and the tables were dusted in iridescent glitter and table diamonds. There were also lots of twinkly tea lights scattered around.
Did you give your guests favours?
Yes, we had made each guest a miniature soap to go inside the cracker.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
Our florist was the lovely Maxine, from Russell Green Florists. My bouquet was a hand-tied posy of vendella roses, white lisianthus, hypericum berries, ivy and eucalyptus. The table decorations were flowers done in square vases with three taper candles in each one.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
The hotel catered for our wedding breakfast. We had leek and potato soup, followed by roast loin of Lincolnshire pork with apple sauce, crackling and all the trimmings. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
Steve’s step-mum very kindly made our wedding cake. It was a traditional wedding cake but without nuts – I’m allergic. It was three square tiers – the middle one turned off centre, with simple silver ribbons and sugar flowers to match the bouquet.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
A harpist played during and after the ceremony. In the evening we had a ceilidh band and a disco.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had a small gift list with Debenhams but were mainly given donations towards our honeymoon.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
Our first night was at Frimley Hall in Surrey. The honeymoon was a safari followed by a week on the beach in Kenya. We booked the holiday through Somak.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
It’s so hard to pick just one – the day was fantastic from start to end. Seeing Steve for the first time at the ceremony was a special moment, though the ceremony went by in a bit of a blur! Our first dance was very memorable – we’d had secret dance lessons and everyone was so impressed with it that we were made to do it a second time!
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
No. The whole experience has been thoroughly enjoyable.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
We had a line-up to please the parents and while it was nice to speak to everyone I was aware that the people at the end of the line must have been very bored – I’m still in two minds about whether they’re a good thing or not. My main advice is just make sure you enjoy it and don’t let any little problems spoil the day. Also, the day goes by so quickly – really try and take it all in.
