When was your wedding?
18th April 2009
How and when did you meet?
We met in a night club in Newmarket after a friend introduced us to each other then a week later on the 21th of April 2005 at 11.30 pm in the same nightclub he asked me out.
How old are you both?
I’m 22 and Ben is 23
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
He proposed to me exactly 2 years later on the 21st April 2007 at Alton towers. We went on the ride Oblivion and just before it dropped he proposed to me. then when the ride finished he got on one knee and pulled out the perfect ring. A day to remember.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
Yes we both went out in Newmarket on separate nights he had drinks with friends and family then went clubbing and I had a nice meal with family and friends then had a male stripper then clubbing. I was also dressed up as an old granny in a nighty, slippers and rollers in my hair. It was a fantastic night.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
I did most of the planning with the help from the family. He chose the rings and gave his opinions. But we bother worked together on it really.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I used the forum for advice from other users and bought a lot of items from the Confetti shop. My favourite being the personalised confetti. I also relied on the planner and to do lists, they where fab.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
We bought them online. We got lots of items, my favourite items being the personalised confetti and the mini baskets and buckets for favours.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
My dad bought it from Brides by Solo in Newmarket. It was an Alfred Angelo ivory strapless dress with pink embroidered flowers all over it with. It was gorgeous and took lots of time and tears taking it off
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had 2 bridemaids – my sister Charlene and best friend Jade wearing Alfred Angelo dresses that were long and pink with silver embroidery near the bust. I also had 2 flower girls – my sister Gemma 3, and Ben’s niece Daphne, 4 wearing pink dresses from Debenhams with a white fur half jacket from BHS .
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
They all wore a herring bone suit in navy blue with ivory waistcoats and light pink ruffle tie. His best man Ben. G, ushers Laura and Tom and Dads (mine) Jamie and (Ben’s) Arnold .
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Religious ceremony
Where did you hold your ceremony?
Barton Mills church St. Mary’s.
Where did you hold your reception?
Riverside Hotel Mildenhall
Did you have any special wedding transport?
I had a pink limo with white leather roof. It was a dream come true.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 61 come to the wedding and altogether in the evening there was around 120 guests
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
As a little girl I always wanted my fairytale wedding so that’s what I had. Pink and ivory with Butterflies were the theme.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
All the flowers where colour coordinated with butterflies in them but the table plans where slightly different. We colour coordinated them with a coloured foil balloons. Each table had a different coloured foil balloon alongside the ivory and pink ones. This worked really well and no one had problems finding their seat. We also had butterfly place cards from Confetti on the favours.
Did you give your guests favours?
Yes the men had little silver buckets and the women had silver baskets with pink and ivory dragees. The children had lucky bags that we made with a mini colouring book and pencils and sweets and the babies had a soft bear.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
Our fantastic Florist was Sally’s House Of Flowers in Mildenhall. I had a shower bouquet with pink callia lillies and white roses and freesias and greenery to compliment. The bridemaids had the same flowers but hand tied and the flower girls had wrist corsages and a wand. The table decorations where the same flowers but posy arrangements and large top table arrangement.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
The venue did the food. We had starter of chicken salad or melon, main was either chicken or lamb shank and pudding was chocolate cheese cake. It was yummy.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
Amazing Cakes by Jean did the cake. It was a three tier cake on a silver stand. It had ivory icing with scattered butterflies and a spray of gems on top finished with a pink diamante trim. It was gorgeous. The bottom layer was chocolate, the middle was sponge and the top layer was fruit.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We had an evening disco.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
No we asked for vouchers and money for a new home together.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
Our first night was at the hotel. Our honeymoon was booked with Thomas Cook and we went to the Dominican Republic for 2 weeks, and was absolutely fantastic.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
All of it was fantastic but 2 memories that will always stick in my mind were my fantastic dads face when he saw me, he looked so proud and seeing Ben for the first time at the church.
Did you experience any “nightmare” moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
None that I knew about. Everything was kept in control by my mum and dad who did a fantastic job. It was the perfect day.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
I would change absolutely nothing. And the one bit of advice would be to relax and enjoy it. It only happens once and it goes very quickly so take time to step back and breathe.
