Helen and David’s Real Life Wedding

 

Helen and David

27/10/2006 – Clandeboye Lodge, Bangor

How and when did you meet?

We met in a club – Helen was being set up with David’s best friend, but chose the right friend!

How old are you both?

Helen 25, David 27.

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

Christmas Eve 2004, just over a year after we met, while cooking the turkey for Christmas dinner.

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

We had a joint Hag in our favourite club in Belfast.

How did your groom help with the wedding planning?

David chose the main flower – gloriosa lily. He helped with making the checklists for everything, helped with the Table plan, rang the photographer etc to check things were going to plan. We had equal say on all arrangements.

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

Looked for dress ideas.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it

I wore Fable by Rembo Styling, and bought it in Biento Madame in Belfast. Was not at all what I had thought I’d wear, but put it on and knew it was my dress.

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

I had one bridesmaid, who wore a dress and shoes from Karen Millen. My baby cousin was my flowergirl.

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

David chose not to have a best man, but had my uncle and brother as ushers. Everyone wore whatever they were comfortable in. David wore a striped Paul Smith shirt, bright red tie and dark navy velvet jacket. My uncle kept the blue theme with his outfit, and my brother wore a striped shirt. They co-ordinated rather than matched!

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

Religious.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

My family’s church.

Where did you hold your reception?

Clandeboye Lodge, Bangor

Did you have any special wedding transport?

We travelled in a Silver & Blue and white Daimlers.

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

40 people at wedding and reception, and then 20 more at evening do.

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

We had a relaxed reception, naming our tables after Egyptian pharaohs, as were honeymooning in Egypt.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

No top table, just 4 round tables.

Did you give your guests favours?

We gave our guests lottery scratchcards.

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

Bouquets – gloriosa lilies, red tea roses and autumn berries. Table centres – gloriosa lilies in tall glass vases.

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

The Clandeboye Lodge did the catering, and we had vegetable soup, melon, roast turkey and ham with all the trimmings, crème brulee (chosen by David).

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

We had a one tier cake from Marks and Spencer.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had a soloist while we were signing the register in the church. We had a DJ at our evening reception.

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

We decided not to have a gift list, and asked for vouchers for our favourite house shops instead.

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

First night was in our reception hotel. We then had 3 days off work to spend with family who had come across from England and then spent our honeymoon in London for 3 days to start, and then went to Egypt for a week.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

When my one year old cousin screamed at the part where the minister asked if anyone had any reason why we shouldn’t be married. It made us both laugh and made us slightly less nervous than we had been saying our vows!

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

We kept our wedding small, which meant we were able to talk to and thank everyone who had been invited and they really shared in our day. We also had very little alcohol – two glasses of champagne each – this meant we were able to keep our dignity and stayed up dancing at the evening do until after midnight!