Real Weddings

Emma and Matthew Real Mere Hall in Bolton Wedding

When was your wedding?

5th September 2009

How and when did you meet?

We met 8 years ago on the 2nd day of university. He lived in the flat next to me and we met when he and his flat mates came to our flat for a party. He spilt a drink on my new CD and we ended up chatting!

 

How old are you both?

I am 26 and Matthew is 27

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

Matt proposed after only 3 months. He bought me a new jacket with the intention of putting the ring in the pocket, but when he got it home he realised the jacket didn’t have any pockets so he had to sellotape it to the inside! When I put the jacket on I found the ring and he got down on one knee.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?

We had our hen and stag parties on the same night in the same town but we went to different places. My hen party started at home with champagne and games like pass the parcel! We then got a mini bus into town and went to La Tasca and then a cheesy 80s club for a boogie. Matt went for a night out on the town followed by a Christmas party in a club (in August!!) and then went paint balling with about 15 mates the next day.

How did your groom help with the wedding planning?

Matt was great and very helpful. I did a lot of the initial planning but Matt got really involved in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

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

I was constantly on Confetti in the 6 months it took to plan our wedding! I initially joined to use the budget planner, which both Matt and I found really helpful. I then discovered the forums and couldn’t prise myself away!

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it

I wore a gorgeous ivory A-line dress with a chiffon overlay by Amanda Wyatt.

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

My sister was my only bridesmaid and she wore a floral print ivory and red knee length dress from Debenhams.

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

Matt had his best friend Anthony as his best man and my sisters boyfriend Dave as an Usher. They all hired suits, waistcoats and cravats from Aults menswear in Bolton.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

Civil

Where did you hold your ceremony?

Mere Hall in Bolton

Where did you hold your reception?

Deane Golf Club in Bolton

Did you have any special wedding transport?

My uncle drove us in my Dad’s Audi A8!

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

We had 65 daytime guests that attended the ceremony and wedding breakfast, then an additional 50 evening guests.

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

Our theme was red and ivory.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

My mum made us gorgeous centrepieces with mirrored vases, red roses and mini calla lilies. Attached to these were red heart balloons and the napkins, etc all matched. We also had an amazing candy buffet made for us by a lady I found on the confetti forums!

Did you give your guests favours?

We gave each guest a bride and groom chocolate.

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

My bouquet was a posy made up of red roses with the stems wrapped in ivory ribbon. My sister had a smaller posy of cream roses with glitter and also wrapped in ivory ribbon. Both bouquets had little diamantes dotted around in them. The boys all had red rose button holes, apart from my dad who had a yellow rose as it’s his favourite!

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

The golf club provided the amazing food. We had tomato soup to start, then chicken, roast and mashed potatoes and vegetables for main and blackcurrant cheesecake for dessert, followed by cheese, biscuits and coffee.

What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?

We had a delicious three tier fruit cake, covered in ivory icing and decorated with sugar roses and diamantes. It was made by a friend of my Dad’s and the same lady also decorated our venue.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

As the evening guests started to arrive a friend of ours did a short acoustic set before the DJ played for 4 hours .

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

We did have a gift list and it was with Argos.

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

We spent our first night at the Holiday Inn in Bolton as this is where our guests were staying. We then went to Majorca for 10 days in the sun!

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

The most memorable moment of the day for both of us was the first dance. I was actually dreading it as we’re not big dancers, but it was so special and I loved the fact that everyone joined in a couple of minutes in!

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

We had a few family problems in the run up to the wedding but we did not let them affect the day. We also found out two days before the wedding that the company we had booked our mini buses for the guests with had gone bust so we had to work quickly to find a replacement! All was fine in the end though.

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

I wouldn’t have changed a thing, it was perfect. The only advice I can give is to try and relax and take it all in as it goes so quickly!

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