Louise and Scott’s location Wedding Story
When was your wedding?
11th September 2007
How and when did you meet?
In a club, 2 days before Christmas 2001
How old are you both?
I’m 29 and 72 months, he’s 46
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
he didn’t! I came home from a hen weekend and he started telling me all about this wedding he’d planned for us! about 6 months before the big day I did tell him that he really should ask me at some point….
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
No stag (been there, done that, not interested!) so to compensate I had 2 hen parties! One in Milton Keynes with work friends and one in my home town with friends and family – including the boys!
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
after the initial ‘I’ve worked everything out’, he handed complete control over to me, confessing a total lack of interest in ‘the twiddly bits’, allowing me to run free!
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Yes – for research! lots of very useful information….
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
Yes, online… I did everything online!
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
It was made for me… I had an amazing corset with trailing ribbons made by Linda at Beretun Designs, Milton Keynes, and my aunt made me some wide legged, chiffon trousers and a shrug (just in case!)
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
Yes, I had 4 – one 13 year old and 3 little ones… as it was a small guest list we decided to involve all the children who were coming to the wedding, so none of them felt left out. They all wore their own clothes, although my chief bridesmaid was determined to fit in with the colour scheme for the wedding accessories and look beautiful in a strapless aqua number
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
His daughter was ‘best man’, and wore a lovely silk butterfly dress from lipsy. His step-daughter and nephew were ushers – she wore a silky-jersey mink-coloured dress and he changed into a stripey t-shirt and camoflage shorts as soon as we were out of the town hall!
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Civil
Where did you hold your ceremony?
Hanioti, Halkidiki, Greece
Where did you hold your reception?
The Greek reception was at our friend’s restaurant, Flegra, in Polichrono, Halkidiki. The reception back home was at a NUI campus near Bedford
Did you have any special wedding transport?
Very special!!! Extremely ‘rustic’ Greek taxis!
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
29 to the wedding, about 200 to the at-home reception
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
As the restaurant in Greece is on the beach, we went for seashells and aqua blue
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
Candles in sea-shells, fish in vases with blue water, aqua blue tissue paper in the favours, shell favour boxes, additional favours of bookmarks with the same tissue paper, shell card holders, place cards, menus with seashells on…..
Did you give your guests favours?
Yes – the women had bookmarks with a ‘thank you’ poem from me & Scott, plus capiz shell boxes containing home-made bath fizzes wrapped in tissue. Men had a silver bucket holding monkey puzzles wrapped in tissue paper and tied with ribbon and the kids had treasure chests with seashells, glue dots, paints and a necklace-making kit in to keep them amused!
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
I was my own florist! I had moth orchids tied to ribbons hanging from my wrist, the mums had double orchid corsages with silver chains and the two daughters had orchids in their hair.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
The restaurant did the catering, and we had a traditional greek menu; olives and feta (with seashell toothpicks!), followed by an Ouzo meze starter – giant beans, mushroom souvlaki, tzatziki and cheese pie, followed by a salad course – strawberry salad and Greek salad, then chicken and pork souvlaki and wedding cake for dessert!
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
Individual cakes make by the local cake master! different flavours; banana, black forest, strawberry, chocolate, but all mainly mousse, so nice and light at the end of such a huge meal!
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
Greek bazouki music through the meal, and a live band afterwards, playing rock’n’roll / blusey type of music – but pretty much anything you requested…
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
No – we asked for donations to our chosen charity. Although my work collegues insisted on a present and so instead made a contribution to a chicken run we wanted to buy!
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
The wedding was actually half-way through the honeymoon, so we continued our honeymoon in Greece.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Walking home at the end of the night – on our own, through the streets, after waving goodbye to our guests who continued the party…
Did you experience any "nightmare" moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
loads!!! mostly tiny things that in my stress-head state I blew completely out of proportion, but nothing major!
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
I wouldn’t change a thing – any girls, if you’re thinking about getting married abroad, look into whether you can do it without the help of a tour operator – they don’t do much for their money and your choice of destination will be so much wider!
