Michelle and Richard real wedding story

Michelle and Richard Real The Dorchester Hotel Wedding Story

When was your wedding?

02/05/09

How and when did you meet?

At a mutual friend’s house warming party in Balham in March 2006

 

How old are you both?

I am 28, he is 35

Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?

He proposed in our flat one rainy Sunday afternoon.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?

I had my hen in London and we had afternoon tea at the Hilton on Park Lane followed by cocktails and dancing in Clapham. Richard had 2 stags, one in Brighton and one in London

How did your groom help with the wedding planning?

He helped with everything apart from what I wore. He was happy to see venues, choose food, music and table items. He was excellent at planning!

Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?

Yes I used the forums to chat to other brides

Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?

Yes from the store we bought favours, cameras and gifts for the best man

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it

I had my dress handmade by Joanne Fleming in Brighton and it was a 1930s style gown with a small train and pearls sewn into bust and shoulders

Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?

I had my cousin Cheryl as bridesmaid and she wore a stripy blue dress from Debenhams

Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?

Richard had his friend Gareth as best man and they wore suits from Austin Reed

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a civil ceremony

Where did you hold your ceremony?

The Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London

Where did you hold your reception?

The Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London

Did you have any special wedding transport?

Just a taxi to the hotel

How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?

33 guests to the day and 5 in the evening

Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?

Classic white with touches of blue

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

The hotel used white linen, candles and flowers

Did you give your guests favours?

We gave them CDs of our favourite songs, Green & Black chocolates and Fruit Salads

Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?

I had a corsage of orchids as did my bridesmaid which were done by The Dorchester florist

What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?

We started with Tartar of Wagyu Beef, followed by Duck Breast Salad, followed by Norfolk Lamb and Roast Veg and then a Raspberry and Vanilla dessert

What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?

It was made by Sugarplum Cakes and was a gift from my mum. It was vanilla sponge with white icing

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We used an ipod

Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?

We had a list with Debenhams

Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?

We spent our first night in the Dorchester and then went to Paxos, Greece for 2 weeks with Greek Island Club

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Having our first glass of champagne on the balcony after we got married

Did you experience any “nightmare” moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?

The rings weren’t ready till one week before and my dress wasn’t ready till the Wednesday before

Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?

Do what you want to do! We had arguments with our family over having a small wedding but everyone agreed that it was so intimate and easy to mingle and most said it was the best wedding they had been too!

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