Hayley and Mark’s Real Life Wedding

Hayley and Mark

07/08/2005 – Civil Ceremony, Staffordshire
The Moat House, Acton Trussell, Staffordshire

How and when did you meet?

We actually went to primary school together. Mark was in the year above me and doesn’t remember me but I remember him. We properly met through a mutual friend in February 2001, and became a couple 2 weeks later.

How old are you both?

I am 22 and Mark is 23.

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

He didn’t actually propose it was just a decision we came to. My mum kept saying we would be engaged by Christmas and I asked Mark what he thought and he said he would like to get engaged as soon as possible. We laughed and then there was a long pause and Mark said he wasn’t really joking, so we kept it a secret until we had been shopping for the ring a week later.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

Mark went to Canterbury for a medieval activities day and then clubbing in the evening with his friends, dad and brother. I had a meal with my work colleagues and then a party at our flat whilst he was away for my friends and Mum.

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

He made a lot of the phone calls and helped with most of the decisions.

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

I regularly read the forums which was invaluable!

Do you have a confetti web page?

No.

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

I bought a few bits and pieces online.

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

I had an ivory Benjamin Roberts dress. It looked like a two piece but wasn’t. It had a boned bodice with a beaded neckline and a full skirt and train.

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

I had 2 bridesmaids – my sister Stacey and cousin Laura. They wore lilac halter neck dresses. They looked lovely.

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

He chose his closest friend Darren to be his best man and his brother Alex to be an usher. They wore black Prince Edward style suits, silver waistcoats and lilac cravats. They all looked very dashing!

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a civil ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

We held the whole day at The Moat House, Acton Trussell in Staffordshire.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

I travelled to the venue with my parents and the bridesmaids. My Dad and I are very alike and would have got so nervous we would have had breakdowns if it had been just the two of us!

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

We had 38 guests to the day and just over 80 in the evening.

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

The colours we chose were ivory, silver and lilac.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

We had lilac napkins, and for our favours we had lilac tophats for the men, and silver handbags with a lilac flower for the ladies. The children had jellybean cones with lilac ribbon.

Did you give your guests favours?

We had lilac tophats for the men, and silver handbags with a lilac flower for the ladies. The children had jellybean cones with lilac ribbon.

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

I had a shower bouquet made with calla lillies, white roses and purple fresias. The bridesmaids had posies made with the same flowers, and on the tables we had tall vases with white roses. Pat Cooper was our florist.

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

The venue handled the catering. For starter we had Melon, followed by iced pink champagne sorbet, for the main course we had turkey with all the trimmings and for dessert we had a trio of desserts – lemon tart, chocolate terrine and profiteroles, then finished with coffee and petit fours. In the evening we had a bbq.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

We had a fantastic cake which was two tears with a glass column in between filled with hearts in our colours – lilac, silver and ivory. The top tier was lemon drizzle cake and the bottom tier was chocolate cake. It was made by Sugar Surgeons.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had a DJ in the evening.

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

No, we just said if people would like to give us anything money and DIY gift vouchers would be gratefully received.

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

We spent the night of the wedding at the hotel and the honeymoon at a luxury apartment in Woolacombe, Devon (booked through Marsden’s).

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Lots – seeing Mark as I walked down the aisle, my Mum setting her hat on fire(!), my friends little girl butting in on our first dance (she could tell we were dying of embarrassment!). It is just so hard to take everything in.

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

Two days before the wedding I had a panic about all the attention (I am VERY shy and self conscious) but I coped fine with it on the day.

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

Like everybody advises, just try and take in as much as you can because the day goes so very fast!