Chantelle and Paul’s Destination Wedding

 

Chantelle and Paul

08/02/2007 – Cypress Grove Park, Orlando, Florida

How and when did you meet?

Randomly whilst I was working at Tesco’s.

How old are you both?

23 and 30.

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

In Orlando, Florida on the 16th May 2005.

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

Paul got extremely drunk on a pub crawl, I was up until 6am to make sure he was ok. Mine was slightly more tame – a meal at the Golden Palace, Cranleigh.

How did your groom help with the wedding planning?

He gave his opinions and support but most of the planning was done by me!

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

I bought so much stuff for decoration as we got married in Florida, I hadn’t seen the venue before hand. I also decorated the villa for afterwards. Metalic confetti and candles were some of the things I bought from Confetti.

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

I bought everything online.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.

I got my dress from a little shop in Worthing. It was the fourth dress I tried on and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I bought it in October 2005 and still love it now.

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

My sister-in-law, Sophie, and my friend, Katie, were my bridesmaids. They wore ballerina length D’Zage dresses in baby pink chiffon.

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

Paul’s best man was his best friend, Dan Tomlison – Dan and Katy’s son Jack was our ring bearer.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

Civil Ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

It was at Cypress Grove Park, Orlando, Florida. The ceremony took place at the gazebo by the lake. It is absolutely stunning there.

Where did you hold your reception?

We had a meal at Cypress Grove Cottage and then went back to the villa for drinks.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

The ladies had a limo, the men had a limo and my dad and I had our own limo.

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

We had 25 guests, mainly family with a few close friends.

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

I had a baby pink and white colour scheme.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

We had baby pink feathers in every wine glass, pink metalic heart confetti on the tables and pink balloon arrangments on the tables.

Did you give your guests favours?

Love Hearts in pink organza bags. I also gave out 11 bags to my family and wedding party consisting of a dedicated poem to each person, a thank you card and a small gift each.

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

We had princess pink roses, I had 37 roses, the bridesmaids had 24. I had 37 because Jack didn’t want to wear his button hole at the last minute and I added it to my bouquet. Our flowers were silk and came from www.thebridesbouquet.com in California.

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 our catering and they did a great job!

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

The venue supplied our wedding cake.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

No.

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

No gift list, we asked for money or gift vouchers.

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

Our wedding night was at the Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando and we spent our honeymoon in USVI – St Thomas for 11 nights.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Seeing Paul’s face for the first time.

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

A couple. BA threatened to strike and called it off at the last minute, half of our guests were due to fly BA.

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

Don’t worry about the little things and don’t get so involved in your wedding that you forget your marriage. Get a good photographer, videographer and make sure you love your wedding rings. These are the things that you keep with you all of the time.