Janine and Matt’s Real Life Wedding

Janine and Matt
17/09/2005
St. Andrew’s, Sonning
Henley-on-Thames  

How and when did you meet?
Nearly 4 years ago, at The Highgate, a bar. I was at my office Christmas party; he came in with a group of mates.

How old are you both?
I am 33 he is 29.

Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
In New York, on one knee, in Central Park, in January this year. We then went to Tiffany’s to get my ring.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?
I went to Bournemouth with 15 girls. It was a very sophisticated hen weekend ie. no Veils/L-Plates etc. Matt went to Vilnius in Lithuania. He got very pissed!

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?
As he works for a design agency he organised all the invitations, order of service, menu cards, name cards etc. Other than that, not much!

Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Yes, invaluable advice on the message boards, and perfect for buying table decorations etc. plus useful suppliers information in the Supplier Directory.

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?
Yes, loads (candle holders, tea lights, confetti, umbrella etc.) I visited the store and the online shop.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.
Ian Stuart, Florence. Bought it from London Bride & Groom, a funny shop in a bit of a dodgy area but with great staff! I had the dress made up in a different colour and material, ivory silk dupion. I also had a Swarowski crystal tiara from Blossom, shoes from Vera Wang, a cathedral-length veil with crystals from Richards Design and earrings from Bazia Zyrscyka.

Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
Three adults: my best friend, my cousin and Matt’s cousin. They all wore full-length aubergine silk dresses made by a dress maker; they looked stunning (though unfortunately they fell apart a bit on the day!)

Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Best mate Rob, 3 other mates and my 3 brothers. All wore morning suits, gold waist coasts and cravats to match the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Religious.

Where did you hold your ceremony?
St. Andrew’s Sonning.

Where did you hold your reception?
In a marquee at Matt’s Parents in Henley-on-Thames.

Did you have any special wedding transport?
A Rolls-Royce Phantom – the brand new version. It was AWESOME! Sadly we couldn’t drink Champagne in it, in case it spilt! It was also half an hour late – turning up 5 minutes before I had to be at the church!

How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
150 guests were invited to the whole day.

Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
Subtle theme of New York – on invitations and with personalised M&Ms for favours. We had an ivory, purple and gold colour theme.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
A cluster of ivory roses in tall vases with purple coloured water; purple silk orchids; purple or gold ribbon around napkins; purple confetti; purple and gold name cards.

Did you give your guests favours?
Yes, purple and cream personalised M&M’s for the ladies.

Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
My bouquet had vendela, avante garde and pacific blue roses with crystals. Our table decorations were a mixture of tall and short vases with cream roses and purple coloured water.

What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
Outside caterer – canapés for afternoon. Then mozarella, prosciutto and rocket salad, lamb in a rosemary crust, choice of chocolate amaretto cheesecake, summer pudding and maple bread and butter pudding, then a cheeseboard a bit later. Didn’t get a chance to eat much!

What did you choose for your wedding cake?
Made by Dawn’s wedding cake. Own design – 7 tiers of individual cakes baked in rice paper, wrapped in purple ribbon, with butter cream and white chocolate drop covered in glitter. Banana & Butterscotch, chocolate and Apple and Cinnammon flavours. Bottom cake was large, used for cutting. It looked SO amazing.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
Jazz trio at the afternoon reception, then a 7-piece Jazz band called Funky People after dinner who were amazing. Then 2 fire performers who did a 20 minute show outside. Then one of our mates DJ’d until 2.

Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
Yes – Wrapit.

Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
First night spent at Hotel du Vin in Henley, then a night at Tilney Hall in Hampshire. Will be honeymooning in Tanzania then Zanzibar (booked through Tanzania Odyssey.)

What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Walking into the marquee after the receiving line and seeing everyone was standing clapping. I cried! Also the first dance with my new husband.

Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
Not really, although the overall planning was a bit stressful, as there was so much to do. The night before, I was sorting out things until 10pm as opposed to relaxing. Thankfully I had a wonderful wedding planner, without her I would have been there until 4am!

Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Eight months is not much time to plan a marquee wedding. I didn’t realise the organisation would take up so much time. I also did it almost single-handedly as my mother was in Australia and I am a bit of a control freak. Top tips – Be creative, be different – people will remember your wedding! See a mock-up of table centre pieces if possible. A Wedding co-ordinator on the day – if you can afford an extra £500 is money well spent to help set up the marquee/ensure the day runs smoothly. We did not have to worry about a thing at the reception.

Hair and makeup trials – don’t be afraid to keep trying!

Bridesmaids – make sure they are aware what you expect from them.