Christine and Dave’s Real Life Wedding

 

Christine and Dave

24/09/2005 – Parish church, St Chads

         

How and when did you meet?

We meet about 9 years ago through our local young farmers club. We got together about 4 years later at a Young Farmers Disco.

How old are you both?

I’m 29, Dave’s 32.

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

He proposed in January at Welcombe Beach in Devon; it was where I would go when I was growing up. It meant a great deal to me, even though I knew he was going to propose, it was a significant place to do it.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

Yes, I went to Newquay with 9 girlfriends and had a fab weekend catching up with old friends. We then stopped off for Sunday lunch at my mum and dad’s on the way home to Shropshire. Dave had two: 14 lads went to Cardiff; they spent a lot of time drinking and then went to a comedy club, that’s all I know. He had another one about a fortnight before the wedding where a few of them went to the footie and then out in Wolverhampton. They were very worse for wear!

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

He was fab, he put up with my mad ideas, we agreed things together and he was very supportive about everything.

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

Yes, I bought a ‘Just Married’ T-shirt online.

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

My dress was completely different to what I thought I’d have. It was a meringue! It was by Justin Alexander, a full champagne coloured satin skirt with a strapless bodice, covered in embroidered lace of rose and gold with a matching wrap.

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

I had two bridesmaids, old friends who had very different dresses. One lived in Bermuda so I bought material in the colour I wanted them to wear and they each made their own dresses to their own style. I didn’t know what they were going to look like until about a month beforehand; it was a lovely surprise.

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

He had an old friend, Andrew Craig, as his best man, and the ushers were my brother Pete, Andy, Dave’s brother and an old friend, Andrew Jebb. They all wore tails with cream waistcoats and orange ties.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

Religious Ceremony. Our vicar was fab, he was so laid back and made us feel at ease. His main bit of advice was to choose hymns people can sing!

Where did you hold your ceremony?

The ceremony was held at our local parish church, St Chads; it was harvest festival so the church was all decorated for the Sunday. It looked great and, considering our farming backgrounds, was perfect.

Where did you hold your reception?

We had a marquee at Dave’s parent’s house, in one of their fields.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

We came back to the farm on a tractor and trailer with bridesmaids, best man & mums and dads. It was one of the highlights of the day.

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

We invited 150 to the day, though only 137 came and we had a further 100 guests at night.

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

Harvest was a main theme. The bridesmaids were in burnt orange and we followed this though to the table centres and buttonholes. We had sheaves of corn around a pole in the marquee. Dave’s dad had built a replica bride and groom out of straw bales to greet guests!

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

Each table had a table centre with a hurricane lamp surround by flowers in the colour scheme and we also had table confetti. Each table was named after a place that meant something to Dave and me and then had a picture of the place and why we had chosen it.

Did you give your guests favours?

The ladies had mini packets of Love Hearts sweets and the men had mini packets of Rolos.

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

I had a shower bouquet of cream and leonardo roses with freesias and wheat. Mel had a hand-tied bouquet and Jess had a wrist corsage matching my flowers. Our florist was our local village and she was fab. I gave her pretty much free rein as to what to do. She also put flowers on the lych gate. The table centres, mentioned above, we did ourselves. We also had a pedestal in the marquee which matched the table centres.

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

We had an outside caterer, who was fab. We had Pimms on the lawn with canapés. Then went and sat down to roast beef and all the trimmings. Each joint was carved at the table by a designated carver who donned chef’s hat and apron. We then had a choice of 3 desserts: lemon cheesecake, chocolate roulade or apricot and almond meringue, all accompanied by clotted cream! We had an evening buffet with Cornish pasties and a huge cheese table.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

My mum made a traditional fruit cake; it was 3 round stacked tiers. The cake was then decorated by a family friend with sunflowers and ivy flowing down. We had 2 fantastic cake toppers of a Friesian heifer and a limousin bull, representing me as a dairy farmer’s daughter and Dave as a beef farmer!

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had a disco and band at night. They were fab and had everyone dancing.

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

We had a gift list with John Lewis, we also received other presents from Springfield and Welcombe pottery in Devon.

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

We spent our first night a Patshull park. We had a couple of nights away in Broadway in the Cotswolds which Dave booked on his own. We stayed at the Broadway hotel and they were fabulous. We are going away in January on our proper honeymoon on a 6-night tour of Sri Lanka and then 6 nights in the Maldives. We’ve booked it through Kuoni and are really looking forward to it.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

There were so many: signing the register, our trip on the tractor and trailer, running around the marquee handing out thank you presents. Everyone’s reactions to the little special touches; it was fantastic.

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

We’d booked two bands! We managed to cancel one of them. And worrying over numbers.

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

I wouldn’t do anything differently. People really notice special little touches. I’d put poems in the toilets, a Pam Ayres and a Henry Brewis one and people commented on them. Enjoy every minute, it really does fly. Dave and I tried to speak to everyone and then spent the last 3/4 of an hour dancing on the dance floor; it really meant we could spend some time together.