Victoria and Edward
How did you meet?
We met when we were sent to India for business by our International company – him on behalf of the USA and me on behalf of the UK. We were staying in a five star hotel in New Delhi for five weeks, during which time we fell in love. The first time he told me he loved me was in front of the Taj Mahal!
Describe the marriage proposal.
We were flying from the UK to New York pretty much every weekend. I was in New York and he took me out for the most wonderful dinner and was saying all sorts of wonderful things. After dinner we returned to Hoboken on the banks of the Hudson and he went down on one knee with Manhattan all lit up in the background. He had chosen my beautiful platinum solitaire himself – I almost passed out when I saw it – it’s huge! He had also made the effort to call my dad in England to ask permission.
How long did you spend preparing for the day and how was it?
We spent less than a year planning our wedding – and I had to do it all from New York as I moved there soon after Ed proposed. I was in England twice for planning – for two weeks each time. All I did was wedding stuff and my four bridesmaids were brilliant and took care of me very well. Both my mother and father also put in a huge amount of effort on our behalf.
What type of wedding ceremony did you have and where?
We married in Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean, close to where my mother lives. My father sings in his local choir in Buckinghamshire and he bussed in 25 choir members in full robes to sing during the ceremony. My step brother is an organist and he played all the church music for us – he is a real pro!
The vicar is a very good friend of my mother’s and is unusual in that she is a lady vicar. Her address was very touching and very funny, and made everyone both laugh and cry which was great.
Where did you hold the reception and what was it like?
The reception was also in the castle – we took over the whole place for the day. We had a harpist playing during the wedding breakfast and had an enormous cake made up of tiny dark and white chocolate boxes topped with sugar roses – all of which was made by a local cake maker in one of the small villages nearby. The band was wonderful and everyone danced the night away and seemed to have lots of fun. Ed and I were close to each other the whole day.
Is there anything you’d like to change, with hindsight?
I just wish we’d had more time! The wedding was at 1.30pm and the band ended at 12.30am, but I just didn’t feel like I had enough of a chance to talk to all the people that came from six different countries.
What advice would you give to couples currently planning their wedding?
Try to stay calm about everything – if you employ a florist and cake maker etc, tell them what you want and then leave them to do what they do best. It’ll take away a lot of stress if you don’t have to keep thinking about every little thing.
Is there any other detail that you would like to share?
Just enjoy it all – it’s your day – bask in it!!
