confetti – Laura and Paul’s real life wedding
Laura and Paul
24/10/2005 – St. Martins Church in Hereford
RThe Three Counties Hotel, Hereford
How and when did you meet?
The first time Paul saw me was New Year’s Day 2000. I was out with my sisters and one of my brother-in-laws was out with his friends from work. After that night, I found out that Paul fancied me! It wasn’t until March that I saw him out in the club again; we talked and danced all night and it went from there really!
How old are you both?
Laura is 26 and Paul is 35.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
It was on Valentine’s Day, last year! I had to wait for him to come home from work to open my card, which was a bit weird. I just thought he had got me a funny card as he would usually get me! When he came home, I was sat at the table with our son, who was only 3 months old then. He gave me the card; I opened it and it had, ‘To my fiancée’ written on it. I turned around and he was on one knee and asked, ‘Will you marry me?’ After I had stopped laughing, I said, ‘Yes!’
Did you have hen and stag celebrations?
Yes, Paul went to Torquay with about 10 of his mates for the weekend and all I’ve been told is that they were drunk all weekend! I went to London with 8 of my friends for the weekend; we went shopping, of course, we then spent 2 nights getting drunk!
Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?
Paul never did a great deal; he just agreed with whatever I wanted to do, which is the way I liked it – because then I got what I wanted!
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I did use the website; it helped with lots of ideas that I had!
Do you have a confetti web page?
No, I don’t.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
Yes, I went to the store in Birmingham and bought all the favour bags from there!
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.
I had a lovely strapless dress; it had lovely detail at the top and bottom, which went round to the train; it was a champagne colour and a bargain in the sale from BHS!
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had 4 bridesmaids, all under the age of 9: there where mine and Paul’s nieces, who wore gold and ivory dresses from BHS with little furry wraps! They all had their hair put up with little paper roses in their hair.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Paul had Ian for his best man, someone who he has known for over 10 years, with my brother-in-law and his friend as ushers.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a lovely religious service!
Where did you hold your ceremony?
It was in St. Martins Church in Hereford.
Where did you hold your reception?
Our reception was at The Three Counties Hotel, and what a great job they did for us.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
Yes, I had a lovely white, old-fashioned car to take me to the church but I cannot remember what sort of car it was as Paul sorted that out and I haven’t got a clue about cars!
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had about 60 invited to the day and about 150 in total for the evening reception.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
Yes, I had gold and ivory!
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
I had a little gold bag with favours in for the ladies, while the kids had a little gold box filled with sweets. There was also a gold and ivory balloon on each table, as well as a little flower posy, which comprised of roses and lilies with a candle in the middle; there were little gold cameras on the tables too.
Did you give your guests favours?
Yes, the ladies had a little draw-string bag filled with Ferrero Rocher, while the men had chocolate liquors; even the kiddies had a little goodie box.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
I had a teardrop bouquet of roses and lilies as did one of my bridesmaids, though in a smaller size. The tables had a little posy on, which had roses, white roses, and lilies, with a candle in the middle. My florist was Hillmans and they did a great job!
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
We had a lovely soup and roll to start, followed by roast beef, which was so nice; and for pudding we had apple pie with custard or cream!
What did you choose for your wedding cake?
We had the cake made at Moores; it was just a simple 3-tier cake, which had gold ribbon on, to which we added then fresh flowers – it looked stunning!
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
During the evening, we had a good DJ, who played all sorts of music to suit everyone.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
No, we never had one.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
We spent out first night as a married couple at the Three Counties Hotel. We haven’t had a honeymoon, as we have 3 young boys, though we are off to Greece this month, which will be more of a family holiday than a honeymoon!
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
It has to be when we both read our vows in church!
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
Yes, I was late arriving at the church because we got stuck in traffic. I was meant to have been at the church for 1.30pm and I got there at 1.45pm… a journey that should normally take 20 minutes, took us 45 minutes!
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Just relax and enjoy the day because the day goes by so fast you wouldn’t believe it!
