Hayley and Jamie’s Real Life Wedding

Hayley and Jamie

30/07/2005 – St Luke’s Church, East Morton, West Yorkshire
Hoyle Court Hall at Baildon, West Yorkshire

How and when did you meet?

We lived next door but one to each other.

How old are you both?

23 & 29.

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

We just talked about it and set a date for our engagement party. It just seemed the next step to take.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

Yes, husband went to the races and then a night around Liverpool, while I went away to Tenerife for a girl’s week with my bridesmaids. Back home, for the mums and everyone else, 13 of us spent a day at a spa, then stayed in a 5-star hotel in Harrogate, where we enjoyed a lovely meal and a wild night on the town.

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

He had a say in everything and was quite upset if I didn’t consult or involve him. I soon learnt to ask his opinion about everything.

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

I was always on confetti, nearly every day for a year before that wedding. I became addicted to the cafe and found the other B2Bs so helpful. The To Do list was a God send too. I found that this site was the only place I could come to discuss my plans without boring people.

Do you have a confetti web page?

Yes.

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

All three!

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

It was an ivory A-line two-piece dress. The top half had pale pink flower details and had a sweetheart neckline with thin straps. The skirt had the same detail around the bottom of the train.

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

Yes, I had 4: my sister-in-law and 3 friends that I have known for 11 years. They wore strapless, slim-line pale pink dresses.

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

Jamie chose his cousin to be his best man, as he is his longest friend. He then had 6 ushers, including 3 of his friends whom he had known for years, my two brothers and a friend who we had met together.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

Religious.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

St Luke’s Church, East Morton, West Yorkshire.

Where did you hold your reception?

Hoyle Court Hall at Baildon, West Yorkshire.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

Beauford and Daimler.

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

84 guests were invited to the wedding plus a further 40 were invited to the evening reception.

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

Pink and ivory. Feathers were used in flowers, on the tables and on the cake.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

Feathers sprinkled on the table and amongst the flowers on the table decorations. There was also a feather on the corner of everyone’s place card.

Did you give your guests favours?

Yes, the ladies had an ivory cube with pink ribbon and 5 love heart chocolates, while the men had lottery tickets in a pink envelope.

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

My bouquet was a tear-drop shape with feathers sprinkled in and amongst the flowers. There were cream and candy bianca roses and Jamie wore a matching pink rose. The bridesmaids had ivory roses with pink feathers and the ushers and best man also had ivory roses. My mum had an ivory handbag spray and Jamie’s mum had a fancy ivory female button hole. The florist was Bouquets at Saltaire, West Yorkshire.

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

Starter: Fan of melon with seasonal fruits and kiwi coulis.Main: Lamb in red wine sauce, ratatouille, potatoes in herb sauce and beans wrapped in bacon.Pudding: Strawberry meringue with raspberry coulis.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

Three-tier plain white cake with icing bobbles, a pale pink ribbon around the bottom of every tier and a spray of feathers and crystals sprouting from the top tier.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had an Eva Cassidy CD playing through the meal, followed by a Beatles tribute band playing in the evening.

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

No.

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

At home, as we had to get up early to go to the airport next day. We went to Cabarete at the Dominican Republic with Thompson Holidays.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Everything.

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

No.

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

Enjoy every moment while you can as the day totally passes in a blur. Also take ten minutes out – just you and your husband and breath in the day, as you’ll never have that ever again!