Heidi and Chris’ Real Life Wedding

Heidi and Chris

27/05/2005 – Longhirst Hall, Northumberland

How and when did you meet?

We have known of each other for years but met while working together at a bakery. I had a huge crush on him and he used to come in the office to get plasters when he cut himself. Nothing happened until a week after I left the company when we finally got it together.

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

It was such a romantic proposal. There were only the two of us on Christmas morning and after opening all of our presents we had a glass of champagne and I picked a cracker off the Christmas tree. We pulled the cracker and there was a note and a ring box. I was totally gobsmacked, more so that he’d managed to keep it from me!

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

Yes, I went to the Adonis Cabaret in Newcastle with my girlfriends followed by a boogie at the pubs and clubs. The cabaret was fantastic, such an experience! Chris went to Blackpool for the weekend, and that’s as much as I know other than that lap dancers were involved along the way!

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

Chris was wicked and let me organise the most part. But he took the responsibility of organising a screen for the evening reception to show photos from the day time. He even came to tasting sessions at the venue without being dragged, He was fab and totally into it all.

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

Yes, I was in the cafe every day. The girls are ace. I also ordered loads of goodies, rose petals, top hat favours etc.

Do you have a confetti web page?

No, I started one but the Cafe became my addiction!

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

I ordered loads of goodies, rose petals, top hat favours etc.

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

We had a budget wedding but it was still beautiful. My dress was actually from Bhs. It was the first one I tried on and I loved the fit. It didn’t need adjusting at all and didn’t hurt the old wallet!

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

I had one adult bridesmaid, my best friend. She wore a beautiful champagne coloured evening dress. Her flowers were amazing, ivory roses with pearls.

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

My groom chose his uncle as the most responsible person he knows able to carry out the duty of best man. He wore an ivory waistcoat and champagne cravat to complement the bridesmaid, and my gorgeous groom wore an ivory waistcoat and ivory cravat – very handsome!

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a civil ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

It was held at Longhirst Hall in Northumberland and the ceremony room was breathtaking. The service was incredibly moving.

Where did you hold your reception?

The reception was held at Longhirst Hall too. True to form, we were the last to leave!

Did you have any special wedding transport?

Yes, after my Father in law setting my blood pressure sky high by dropping hints that a MINI BUS would be collecting me, my bridesmaid and my pa. A fantastic stretch limo actually arrived on the day!

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

We had an intimate ceremony with only 30 close family and friends. We then had proper knees up in the evening with everyone we knew, had known and now know!

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

The theme was pretty understated, I wanted a totally elegant wedding. The colours were ivory and champagne and I had a pink bouquet to incorporate a splash of colour.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

We had pink rose petals scattered on the tables along with favours, place cards, tea lights and centrepieces.

Did you give your guests favours?

The ladies favours were small round boxes with sparkly textured lids with a small pink rose with gold wire. The little girls ones were the same as the ladies although they had small rabbits with pink tutus on. I had them specially made and I could hardly bear to part with them.

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

I literally cried when my bouquet had to be thrown. My florist is actually next door to me and I had total faith in her. She created the most beautiful bouquet of various pink roses with sweet peas.

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 and they did a top job. We had wine and canapés before the meal then we had smoked salmon roulade with peppercorn mayonnaise on a cherry tomato salad, followed by pan fried pork wrapped in bacon served with vegetable ratatouille and cider sauce followed by chocolate tart and coffee. Delicious. The evening buffet was just as good and we were overwhelmed by just how much food there was. Every guest was catered for and had something to eat and when we left it still looked like the buffet hadn’t been touched.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

We chose the cake to look the same as the ladies favours and Chris’s very, very talented Grandma made this for us as a wedding present.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We chose all the music to be played through the ceremony and the reception and had a disco for the evening reception. He was very good and incredibly patient with the constant demands from the little ones to play the crazy frog – he didn’t I hasten to add!

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

We had gift lists with Argos and Next.

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

We had an amazing three nights at a themed lodge in the Lake District where if I wasn’t already head over heels with my man then I would have fallen in love with him then, for sure. Then we took our one year old son to Spain for a week.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Shaking like a leaf throughout the whole entire ceremony! I will never forget seeing my man standing at the registrars table. He is the most gorgeous man I have ever met, ever, ever! The limo was a fabulous suprise too.

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

Not quite, the mini bus con was a bit of a panic for me but it all worked out!

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

There is not one tiny little aspect of my wedding day that I would do differently, nothing at all. The only advice I can give is just enjoy it, it is over so quickly and the little things don’t matter, they really don’t. Who actually cares if your rose petals aren’t sprinkled to the exact milimetre you requested?