Alice and James Real Life Wedding

Alice and James

05/02/2005 – Roman Camp Country House, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland

 

How and when did you meet?

We met on 2 May 2001. Jim’s best friend’s wife was my manager at the time and they each invited us over for dinner to celebrate their anniversary. They still insist it wasn’t a set-up!

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

We just ‘decided to get married’. We knew we would eventually and decided that we might as well set a date. This was in June 2002. Jim asked my fathers permission that Christmas (2002) and we announced it to the rest of the family then.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

The hen night was three weeks before the wedding and was organised by my sister, Juliet. She arranged a sit down meal, then an hours salsa tuition and then dancing in a private bar with our own DJ.

The Stag night took place four weeks before the wedding when all the chaps went ten pin bowling and then toured the towns pubs until closing.

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

Jim offered his opinion and advice whenever it was called for.

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

We insured our wedding through Confetti.

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

I bought my dress from a French Boutique called Les Mariees d’Elodie in Bordeaux. It was a simple bodice and skirt design that was adjusted to accommodate some tartan ribbon running through the back of it (tartan from my father’s side of the family). They also made my necklace to match the dress. Accessories included a silk stole and half length silk gloves.

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

My sister Juliet was my only bridesmaid. She wore a simple, elegant navy sleeveless boned dress. She also had a bolero that we tied at the back with tartan ribbon. I made her crystal tiara myself and she wore a silver choker necklace with it.

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

The Best man was Steve. Without him we would have never met. He wore a navy suit with Veronica in the buttonhole. Two ushers Pete and Graham also wore blue with anemone buttonholes.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

It was a religious ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

In the library at Roman Camp Country House, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.

Where did you hold your reception?

Roman Camp Country House.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

No.

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

Around 70 people came to the wedding. There was no separate evening guest list.

Did you give your guests favours?

No.

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

I had a bouquet with iris, freesia, heather, thyme, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus and ivy. Juliet’s posy had white roses, freesias, heather, rosemary, thyme and ivy. Fragrant Lilies were placed in the tall vases on the tables. Lee, a friend of ours, was the florist.

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

We started with Chicken Liver Parfait with toasted Brioche, followed by Asparagus Soup with Truffle Chantilly. The main course was Gressingham marinated duck breast with Thai dressing and Risotto and for pudding we had Honey and Ginger Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis. To drink we had Red wine from my parents village in France, Sainte Terre – Organic Bordeaux Superior and some Parisian gold medal winning champagne from Chateaux Bonhoste.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

Jim’s mum made the wedding cakes. We had 84 fairy cakes in silver cases iced with fondant icing that had edible glitter over it. One sugar rose was placed on each and there were three flavours – white chocolate, milk chocolate and lemon. Jim made the cake stand, which we covered with satin, and my best friend Katie arranged the cakes.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had a pianist during the drinks reception and a DJ for the evening entertainment.

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

The list was kept and organised by Jim’s mum.

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

In the Victorian Coach theme room of the Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton Mall, Canada.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Toasting Jim’s Shepherds Pie in my fathers speech!

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

You can’t do everything even if you really want to, so make sure you have lots of people willing to lend a hand near by. Give yourself as much time as you can to plan, it is all worth it. We had a break in the afternoon for people to freshen up and relax (from 5pm to 7.30pm), this worked really well, especially for those with children, it also meant my husband and I spent a bit more time together on our big day. It happened to be a big rugby match too so some people retired to one of the bedrooms to watch the end of it!