Caroline and Gerry’s Real Life Larnaca, Cyprus Wedding

When was your wedding?

14th September 2007

How and when did you meet?

We met through my best friend Sian. Sian was Gerry’s housemate in our student days.

How old are you both?

Gerry is 29 and I am 33.

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

At the City Inn, Birmingham on New Years Eve. We had a five course Champagne meal. Gerry couldn’t eat most of his as he was so nervous. He disappeared at one stage for 10 minutes and I gave him a bit of a telling off when he returned as I thought he’d drunk too much and accused him of spoiling NYE! Dessert was served, Gerry’s desert was placed down first, then a beautiful huge chocolate hand made cake saying “Will you marry me” was placed at my table setting by the waiter and a bottle of champagne was rushed over. He then proposed! Its was amazing and so lovely ‐ so much thought had been put into it. We then went to our room to drink our champagne and when I opened the door it was full of pink rose petals, roses and pink champagne. We then celebrated at the casino to end the evening perfectly!

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

Gerry’s stag week was in Prague, I don’t really know much more, nor do I want to know more than that. My hen weekend was in our home town in Birmingham. It was amazing and involved dinner at Living Room and onto a club on the Friday night, lunch and plenty of wine on Saturday afternoon in the Mailbox. A fire engine limo arrived at my house in the evening which drove us around for over an hour through Birmingham whilst we partied with champers and a great disco in the back. We were dropped off at Trickie Dickies (say no more!). We went onto the Nightingale until early hours of Sunday morning, then recovered at the Marriot Spa for a few hours on the Sunday.

How did your groom help with the wedding planning?

Gerry sorted out all the food and beverage planning at the hotel and being a chef (with most of our guests being chef’s) I was nervous about the quality of the food. He also sorted out the wedding cake, the welcome drinks and the all inclusive drinks for the reception.

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

Yes, I used the wedding planner and address book for guests.

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

Yes I ordered our invitation stationary online and purchased cake boxes and bags from in store.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it

My wedding gown and crown was designed by Eleni Bridal in London. It was exclusively hand made in Thai white silk and lined in organza to help me cope with the hot temperatures in Cyprus. The bodice was encrusted with symmetrical lines of Swarovski and pearls and a fabulous bustle was addded to the design of the skirt and made up of Thai white silk roses, larger Swarovski crystals and pearls. My shoes wee Benjamin Adams and hand made Swarovski choker, earings and bracelet made in Swarovski AB crystals to match the wedding gown. My complete outfit cost £4,000.

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

Yes, my two closet friends Leanne from back home who I have known since nursery days and Donna who I met whilst we studied the MBA at Uni and who has been one of my closet friends whilst living in Birmingham.

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

Barry Connelly was our best man who Gerry has known for many years. Matt Blackburn a close friend who has worked with Gerry for many years was usher. The Groom wore a charcoal neru suit and the bestman and usher wore charcoal edward style jackets ‐ well the Groom had to be different!

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

Religious ceremony

Where did you hold your ceremony?

Chapel of Saint Constantine and Saint Helena at The Palm Beach Hotel in Larnaca, Cyprus.

Where did you hold your reception?

The Palm Beach Hotel in Larnaca, Cyprus.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

The Chapel was within the grounds of the hotel so there was no requirement for transport. We did however have the Cyprus Piper to escort us the the Chapel, down the aisle, whilst we had out photographs taken, to the cutting of the cake ceremony and then to our seats which was absolutely fabulous!

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

There were 22 of us in total for the wedding including the evening.

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

We wanted plain, simple with no fuss. We opted for silver as a colour theme for the suits and dresses.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

The table and chair coverings where all white and we added a simple table flower decoration made up of green leaves with white roses which were simply laid across the top of each table.

Did you give your guests favours?

The wedding favours were hand made by a small wedding shop in Larnaka. These included organza sachet bags filled with sugared almonds with a hand made religious pearlised cross keyring for the ladies and football shaped minature bottles filled with traditional Cypriot Zavenir, wrapped in silver organza for the gents.

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

The florist we used was in Larnaca town (can’t remember the name) but it was in a side street near the Hobo Cafe. She made the bouquets and table decoration from shoots of large green leaves and white roses.

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

Our menu was planned by the Groom, Best man (as they are professional chefs) and the Executive Head Chef of the Palm Beach Hotel. We chose traditional Cypriot brandy sour cocktails as our welcome drinks. We had a three course sit down menu with all inclusive drinks for everyone. The restaurant manager and his staff were superb and it went like a dream!

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

The Executive Head Chef at the Palm Beach also made our wedding cake. We opted for chocolate brownie filled with pistachios which is very traditional in Cyprus.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had the Cyprus Piper as the main entertainment and background music of our choice in the evening.

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

Yes, with John Lewis.

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

We combined our honeymoon and wedding as one at the Palm beach. We did however spend the day after our wedding at WaterWorld in Agia Napa with 17 of our closest friends which was an amazing day and where they serve the most delicious crepes!

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

The Chapel ceremony most definitely! It was beautiful and lasted about an hour. The reverend conducted a very personal and humourous ceremony and we wouldn’t have changed it for the world! The best man’s speech was the highlight of the evening. The speech was from the heart and unforgettable.

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

No, we booked everything online 9 months or so before hand. The Palm Beach Food and Beverage Team were amazing and know exactly what they are doing, so we left it in their hands. The Cyprus Piper, photographer and videographer turned up on the day and everything flowed quite nicely.

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

Yes, I wish I added in a traditional Cypriot Basooki for the evening (which was offered to us), but I didn’t really know what it was until at the end of the honeymoon. If you are planning your wedding in Cyprus get one for the evening!