When was your wedding?
15th September 2007
How and when did you meet?
We met at work at Norwich Union and started dating four and a half years ago
How old are you both?
I’m 28 and Chris is 31 (just)
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
He proposed amongst the wrapping paper on Christmas day 2005.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
I had an amazing hen do in Lincolnshire. Myself and 14 of my close friends stayed in a Windmill and had a murder mystery weekend. My friends arranged loads of surprises for me and it was amazing! Chris went to Poland – Warsarw for a long weekend, they went quad biking and did lots of drinking!
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
He had quite a lot of input as we decided everything together. We had a star theme which is because of his astrophysics degree and the wedding colours were based on the Oxford Utd football colours which is the team he loves.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I was on the confetti forums very regularly getting some brilliant ideas and suppliers from the other Brides to Be and Smug Marrieds!
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
We bought insurance through confetti.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
My dress was Ian Stuart Wedgewood, and I travelled 200 miles to buy it in a fabulous shop in Sutton Coldfield where the service and hospitality is second to none. I made my tiara and all of the bridesmaid jewellery and hairpieces myself. My tiara was made my Linda Barlow.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had 3 bridesmaids, my chief bridesmaid was my little sister and one was my best friend from University and the other my best friend from home.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Chris had two best men, his Dad and his friend. The two ushers were Chris’s older brothers.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a religious ceremony
Where did you hold your ceremony?
The wedding took place at the Beautiful Abbey in Wymondham, Norfolk.
Where did you hold your reception?
Our reception was at Weston Park.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
We had a gorgeous antique Rolls Royce.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 84 people to the day and and 150 in total at the evening.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
We had a star theme, where the table names were constellations, and the stationery all had stars on. The colours were blue and yellow which are the Oxford Utd football team colours.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
Table names were constellations, and each table had details about their constellation including how to find it in the night sky. Lucklily for us the sky was amazing on the evening of our wedding and the stars all came out. The milky way was clearly visible.
Did you give your guests favours?
We had shot glasses as favours which doubled as place names, and we filled these with mint imperials.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
My bouquet was a contemporary trailing bouquet of artemis roses and pale yellow calla lilles with funky foliage. The bridesmaid bouquets were artemis roses with some blue hydrangeas poking out. My florist was Libby Ferris in Norwich and she is absolutely amazing. We had 3 screens behind the top table which had beautiful cream and blue flowers in. Alternate tables had a tall vase filled with blue hydrangeas, or fish bowls with calla lillies wrapped round.
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 and we had Pate starters, with traditional Roast Turkey for mains and handmade white chocolate profiteroles filled with baileys cream for dessert.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
Chris (the Groom) made our amazing cake which was 3 stacked tiered light fruit, with chocolate cigarillos round the edges and topped with blueberries. Stars cascaded down the sides. We also had some cupcakes which tied in with our theme.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We had a trio of flautists on the day at the reception during the welcome drinks. Then in the evening we had a DJ
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
Our gift list was with John Lewis
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
Our first night was spent at a small quaint hotel in Reepham, and we spent our honeymoon on the perfect island of Meeru in the Maldives. We booked with First Choice.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
The most memorable moment for me was when we were declared Husband and Wife and everyone cheered.
Did you experience any “nightmare” moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
The only nightmare was when the hotel we had booked for our guests accommodation in the evening went into liquidation and we lost our £500 deposit. Luckily we had wedding insurance so we got it back.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
I would do nothing differently. Advice I would give is do what you want to do, and on the day the guests will have an amazing time, so try not to worry too much about them. People will really appreciate the personal touch so try to make as much of the stationery and little touches as you can.
