Real Weddings

Helen and Paul’s Real Life Wedding

 

Helen and Paul

26/05/2005 – The Bluebell Steam Railway, Uckfield, East Sussex

Helen and Paul's wedding photos

 

How and when did you meet?

We met in a chat room on the internet in 2001

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

Paul took me to a lovely old cottage in Northumberland. One rainy afternoon we lit a fire and opened a bottle of wine and next thing he was down on one knee. He set up the tripod for the camera and told me he was taking pictures of the cottage, but he actually captured the complete proposal on film!

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

Paul went out for a curry with some friends and I took the girls out for a chinese meal locally.

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

He said ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ in the right places and didn’t get cross too much when I talked endlessly about plans!

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

Yes I did. I read the wedding stories featured for ideas.

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 boxes, personalised ribbon, confetti and confetti holders, red foiled chocolate hearts. I ordered online and over the phone and the staff were always very helpful if I phoned.

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

Being a larger lady, I was very worried that I wouldn’t get a flattering dress to fit me, but in the end the lovely ladies in a bridal shop in Woking helped me. We ordered a lovely gown by Alfred Angelo which they spent ages altering to fit.

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

My cousins daughter Brinyan came along and gave out the confetti from a basket to our guests.

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

The best men were Paul’s son and a close friend. They wore ivory coloured plain shirts with red ties.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a civil ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

We held the ceremony in a room at The Bluebell Steam Railway in Uckfield.

Where did you hold your reception?

On board one of the Pullman carriages which took us all for a little trip through the countryside whilst we were served a lovely meal.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

I arrived by train from the station up the line. I was the only one in the carriage and my husband to be was on the footplate!

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

There were 22 of us in total. We got married on a Thursday and had a party for all our friends on the Saturday which was great because I got to were my dress again.

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

The colours I chose were ivory, deep red and gold.

Did you give your guests favours?

Yes everybody got a little ivory box with five red foiled chocolate hearts tied with personalised ribbon.

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

I had ‘Grand Prix’ red roses hand tied with lily of the valley. They were beautiful.

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

We had melon and strawberry cocktail with a hot honey and mint dressing followed by roast sirloin of beef and a charlotte russe dessert… followed by the wedding cake.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

We had a wonderful dark truffle cake with white chocolate curls around the edge, decorated with fresh red roses.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

On the evening of our party we had a live singer and he managed to get us all up and dancing.

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

No, we decided that if anyone really wanted to part with money then they could give us vouchers, but we have everything we need, so we said that we didn’t want any gifts. We still received a lot of money, gifts and vouchers.

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

We spent our first night at the seven hills Hilton Hotel in Cobham, then we left for a short break in the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

My son walking me into the room to give me away and saying our vows to each other.

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

I found out afterwards that the rings had been left in the glovebox of the car right up until the ceremony and my friend had to hot foot it back to the car parked in the car park a distance away to get them in time.

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

No, it was a wonderful day, and I will always remember it. I wish I could do it all again…to the same man! My advice would be, just smile and laugh and don’t worry about things going wrong!

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