Sarah and Sean
04/09/2006
St Andrews church, Halstead, Essex
How and when did you meet?
At a country music club in January 2002.
How old are you both?
I am 28 and Sean is 38.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
Sean proposed to me after five months together (we started seeing each other May 2002) at an Italian restaurant in Colchester.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
I went shopping with some friends and it was followed by a meal and then bowling. Sean went to London. He went shopping with his brother and then to pubs in Colchester with my dad, brother and my sister’s boyfriend.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
Lots of phoning around and looking on confetti’s website.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Yes, we did. We were able to find lots of details out.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
We looked in the London store and bought balloons and table confetti.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
My dress was a simple strapless dress in ivory and I brought it in a local bridal shop for a bargain price at £165
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
My sister was chief bridesmaid and my two best friends were bridesmaids. My friend’s little girl was my flower girl.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Sean chose his brother as best man. My brother and one of Sean’s friends were ushers and they all wore black suits.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a traditional church wedding, including Sean lifting my veil when he kissed me for the first time after we were married.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
The ceremony was held at St Andrews church, Halstead, Essex. I lived there up until five months before the wedding.
Where did you hold your reception?
The reception was held at a village hall about five miles away from the church. It was our third choice as the first had been redecorated totally black and the second destroyed by fire.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
We chose a Beauford Tourer in ivory and it was decorated with ribbons and fresh flowers.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had around 85 guests for the wedding and it rose to about 125 in the evening.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
We had balloons in burgundy, ivory and silver which was our colour scheme and we had horseshoes, bells and hearts.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
It was incorporated into our table settings by burgundy napkins, table confetti everywhere, and balloons placed around the room. Everything was in groups of three.
Did you give your guests favours?
We had slightly different favours. Each place was given a celebration chocolate, taking care that the children were given suitable chocolate according to their age. The rest were put into wicker baskets and were handed out in the evening by myself and Sean.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
My flowers were roses, gypsophiilia and ivy. I also had a lily in memory of Sean’s aunt, who passed away just a few months before our wedding day.
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 buffet type menu which a friend did for us.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
My auntie made a traditional wedding cake with two fruit layers and a madria cake layer.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
A friend of Sean’s who is a terrific singer sung me into the church, while my sister’s friend played the flute. We had a disco and the singer in the evening to entertain our guests.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had two lists one with Argos and one with Debenhams.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
Unfortunately our honeymoon flights were changed just two weeks before to leave at 8am so the hotel that Sean had booked needed to be cancelled as we had to check in at 5am! We flew to Italy for our honeymoon and stayed in Lido de Jeselo which is situated just an hour away from Venice.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Giving my dad a baseball cap with Father of the Bride printed on it. My dad is always wearing a hat of some description!
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
I fell the day before, spraining my ankle after collecting the wedding rings.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Relax and enjoy it.
