How and when did you meet?
We met at University 4 years ago through a volunteering society.
How old are you both?
I’m 24 and he is 25
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
He had been teasing me for ages, going down on one knee and saying “Ellie will you, uh, help me up please” so I knew something was up! Then one day we were just in our flat and I went to bed early, then he came to bed and just slipped a ring on my finger without saying anything!
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
Chris went quad biking and go-karting, then out in the evening to an 80s club with about 10 guys. I went to a spa hotel in the peak district with my bridesmaids – it was lush!
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
He chose his suits, and came along to the menu tasting! The rest was all me!
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Yes – I bought loads of bits and pieces for the reception from the shop and also spent my entire days on the forums, which were such a huge help!
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 table decorations, rose petal confetti, place cards and favours all online.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
It was a proper fairytale gown from Cardiff Bridal Centre. I bought it about a week after getting engaged! I had originally wanted something simple but after trying on dresses totally changed my mind! I also wore a veil, tiara, the whole shebang!
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had six adult bridesmaids which was a bit mental! one was Chris’s sister, and the rest were school friends. 4 of them wore dusty pink dresses with a white sash and two wore white dresses with a pink sash – the dresses were an absolute steal from next at £30 each! instead of carrying bouquets all the girls wore a wrist corsage and carried a single wooden rose, which was really effective. The also wore headbands with sparkly flowers which looked amazing in the sun!
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
His best man was a friend he shared a house with at Uni, who was also responsible for introducing us which is pretty cool! He had 2 other uni friends as ushers, and my brother was also an usher.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
A really nice church ceremony. We tried to really involve people in the ceremony – my mum did a reading, friends of ours played the piano and flute for the hymns and two of my bridesmaids sang Songbird by Eva Cassidy while we were signing the register which was lovely!
Where did you hold your ceremony?
At Trethomas Christian Fellowship in South Wales
Where did you hold your reception?
At St Davids Hotel and Spa, Cardiff.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
We hired a cream rolls royce silver cloud, which looks fab in the photos!
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
we had 80 day guests and about 20 further evening guests.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
the theme was pink and ivory and generally just romantic and fairytale-esque
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
We had small topiary trees bought from confetti with scattered rose petals and small tea lights. guests had butterfly shaped place cards which sat on their glasses. Our tables were named after fictional couples.
Did you give your guests favours?
yes – each guest received 2 heart shaped chocolates wrapped in tulle tied with a bow – inside each favour was a different romantic quote.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
I had a beautiful bouquet of ivory and all different shades of pink roses which was set with diamantes. The bridesmaids wore wrist corsages. Instead of traditional arrangements we had decorated bay trees at the reception and church.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
The hotel covered it. We went for salad starter, traditional chicken veg and mash for main, with pasta parcels for us veggies, and peaches melba for desert! In the evening we had bacon butties, veggie burgers and chips which went down really well!
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
The wedding cake was made by Anne’s Fantasy Cakes. We had a layer of fruit cake, a layer of lemon drizzle cake and a layer of carrot cake!
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We hired a DJ for the evening party. We asked our guests to name their favourite songs on the RSVP’s so we could include something for everyone!
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
Yes, with Debenhams.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
We had the bridal suite at the hotel which was amazing and absolutely huge! We then headed to Hawaii for honeymoon which was incredible!
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
It was all wonderful, but the best mans speech was particularly notable – he is a primary school teacher and did what he does best – he wrote a fairytale style story about Chris being a prince searching for his princess which he illustrated with photos in a slideshow – it went down incredibly well.
Did you experience any “nightmare” moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
No! Everything was perfect!
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
We spent a long time having photos taken of just the two of us – the photos are spectacular and I’m glad we had them done but I did feel as though I was missing out on my own wedding and couldn’t help worrying that the guests might not be having a good time on their own! But other than that just enjoy it, take loads of photos and make sure you have someone to film as you really wont be able to savour the day as much as you really want to whatever anyone says – it will go so fast!
