Mel and Ben
12/08/2006
Ansty Hall Hotel, Ansty
How and when did you meet?
We met at university. We were on the same floor in the Hall of Residence. We were really good friends for 18 months before getting together in February 2000.
How old are you both?
26.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
He proposed at the bottom of a mountain in South Wales where he grew up.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
I had two! A night out in Covent Garden and a spa break in Coventry. He postponed his until after the wedding.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
We made all major decisions together but he left the finer details to me and my mum!
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Yes. I bought all my table decorations from the online shop and visited the store in London to get some inspiration!
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
Online: favour boxes, socks, hen night products, feathers, ribbon, speech book, cards, umbrella.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
I wore Suzanne Neville’s Madame Butterfly from The Pantiles Bridal shop in Henley.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
Yes. Three. My sister and two close friends.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
They all wore hire suits from Roy Palin suit hire, Coventry. They wore charcoal grey suits with ivory waistcoats and burgundy cravats. His best man was his brother. One usher was his brother-in-law and the other was a close friend.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Religious.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
In a church.
Where did you hold your reception?
At Ansty Hall Hotel, Ansty.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
Yes two cars. A Rolls Royce and a Daimler.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
80 day guests and 20 more evening guests.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
Ivory, white, green and silver were the colour scheme with touches of pink. The theme was traditional classic.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
With simple clean table settings dressed in ivory and white.
Did you give your guests favours?
Present boxes for ladies and top hat boxes for men (ivory) with five mint imperials and little notes inside for the five wishes. Feathers in the glasses. Sweet boxes for the four children.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
I had ivory roses with green foliage and diamantes. My chief bridesmaid had a smaller version of mine and the other two bridesmaids had head-to-head ivory roses with a green trim. The men had ivory rose cravats with green grass. The flowers in the church were ivory and white with two large displays at the front and one in the porch. The pews were decorated with ivory flowers, touches of green and ivory ribbons. The table decorations were tall vases with ivory lilies and touches of green with silver butterflies. Florist – Abloom, Coventry.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
The venue handled the catering: Melon, Roast Turkey, Creme Brulee, Coffee and petit fours.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
A three tiered square cake in white with ivory ribbon and ivory roses decorating each tier and the top. We had one sponge tier and two fruit tiers. It was made by Cakes by Barbara, Coventry and decorated by Abloom.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We had a church choir, a pianist at the reception and a disco in the evening.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
Debenhams and Argos.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
In the bridal suite at the hotel and we went to Coral Bay, Cyprus with Libra Holidays.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Seeing Ben as I walked down the aisle and thinking, “This is it!”
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
It was all quite stressful in the lead up but fortunately there were no nightmares!
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
No, because we all really enjoyed it. My advice would be to start planning as soon as possible and be as organised as you can as it helps later on!
