Amanda and Nikos’ Real Life Wedding

 

Amanda and Nikos

06/11/2005 – Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire.

     
   

How and when did you meet?

Although Nikos is from Corfu, we met in a local night club in Nottingham in June 1997.  I was about to leave for University in Yorkshire and thought our relationship would only last the summer! 

How old are you both?

I am 27 and Nikos is 33.

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

Nikos proposed on a romantic night away in March 2003. He had already asked my dad’s permission and got down on one knee. When he asked me to marry him, I couldn’t stop laughing but eventually said Yes!

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

Nikos chose our cake and string quartet.

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

I used Confetti to plan table decorations, view dresses/venues and cakes.

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

My dress is from the Romantica of Devon collection. It is a pale pink dress with feathers around the top of the bodice. It was one of the first dresses that I saw and tried on and although I looked at loads more in hundreds of shops, no other dress had a look in.  The dress was bought from a great shop called Beau Brides in Derbyshire.

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

I had two bridesmaids: my best friend Laura and Nikos’ sister Katerina.
Laura wore a dress from Berketex brides which we both loved at first sight. Katerina wore a lovely dress from Debenhams.

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

Nikos asked my brother Adam to be his best man (who dropped the ring!) and they wore black suits and great pink ties.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

Civil ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire.

Where did you hold your reception?

Bestwood Lodge Hotel, Nottingham.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

We had two vintage cars.

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

We had 70 guests at the reception and another 30 guests joined us at the evening reception.

Did you give your guests favours?

My guests had chocolates in pink and white boxes with a feather on the top.

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

My flowers were cream roses with decorative green grass looping out of the bouquet and sprigs of crystals. The bridesmaids had cream and pink roses.My table flowers were made by a friend and were also pink and cream. They were placed on a mirror with candles.

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

As we married on a Sunday, we had a traditional roast beef dinner catered by the venue.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

Our wedding cake was a truffle tower. The truffles were dark chocolate covered in white chocolate and they looked like giant snowballs!  It was made by a company called Crumbs.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

At the ceremony we had a string quartet and in the evening a DJ.

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

We had John Lewis vouchers.

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

Our first night was spent at the reception venue (Bestwood Lodge Hotel) and for our honeymoon we travelled to Athens and Thessaloniki.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

The most memorable moment for me was my brother and best man dropping my ring. The whole room exploded with laughter and we both relaxed and enjoyed the ceremony.

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

 A few guests were unable to make the wedding and we only found out the night before.  Thankfully I have a big extended family and people were most happy to attend the ceremony at short notice.

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

Nothing at all.  Everything was great and all the planning was well worth it in the end.
My advice to other brides would be… enjoy and remember there is nothing better than marrying the man you love!