Joanne and Scott’s Real Life Wedding

Joanne and Scott

04/09/2004 – Redwood Grove, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh Caledonian Hall,
Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh

How and when did you meet?

cott and I met on holiday in Cyprus in September 2001. We were both in the same nightclub and our eyes met across a crowded room so to speak!

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

Scott proposed shortly after I moved in with him. He didn’t go down on one knee but it was a complete shock to me, albeit a lovely one, and of course I said yes straight away!

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

I didn’t want a big hen ‘night’ and just wanted to celebrate with just a few friends. Myself and five others hired a log cabin on the banks of Loch Lomond for three nights of chilling out!

Scott, on the other hand, went away with around 15 of his mates to Amsterdam.

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

Yes, he was very much involved, especially in the early stages of planning. Scott was very keen to book the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. He also came with me to the florists, helped choose the cake and generally showed a real interest in just about everything!

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

Yes it was very helpful – especially the cafe page. I never actually chatted to other brides but loved reading about their ideas, and their big days!

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?

Yes, I bought cream table cards as I didn’t want a formal seating plan. They were great, just what I was looking for at the time.

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

I bought my dress was by Rena Koh and I bought it from a shop in Edinburgh. I didn’t want a strapless dress so my gown had a boned bodice with fairly wide straps, a sweetheart neckline, and had intricate embroidery studded with pearls and diamante, which was also mirrored on a pleat at the front of the dress. I had a huge train and a custom made tiara to match the swirls on the embroidery, but didn’t opt for a veil, which I am still glad about. It would have been too much for the dress. I carried a bouquet of orange ‘Milva’ roses, white roses, orange gemini’s and berries.

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

Yes I had three – my sister Annette, Scott’s sister Lesley, and my best friend Alison. They all wore chocolate brown silk evening dresses and carried a compact bouquet of orange gemini’s. The chocolate and orange theme looked fantastic, and I’m glad I went for something a bit different.

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

Scott choose his friend Neil. They both wore their clan’s tartan.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

A civil cermony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

Outside in Redwood Grove in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Redwood Grove is just like a little ‘dell’. We were shaded by beautiful trees, and when the sun broke through it was just lovely.

Where did you hold your reception?

Inside the Caledonian Hall at the Botanic Gardens, but we also hired a marquee which had a separate seating area and the bar…which was packed all night!

Did you have any special wedding transport?

No, I was very firm on this one. Our hotel was literally five minutes away from the venue and the cars were not going to be seen by any of our guests as they were already waiting up in the trees so myself and my dad and my bridesmaids arrived in two white taxi’s, which only cost around £20! The taxi driver was brilliant, he put a bow in the front for me, and there was loads of room in the back for my dress!

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

We had 60 for the day and 40 further guests joined us for the evening.

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

The chocolate and orange theme was very evident on the day.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

We had tall vases filled with orange lilies, palm leaves and orange gemini’s. I also wanted something to remind me of my home town, Sheffield, so my table’s were named after the various rivers that flow through the city – River Don, River Loxley etc.

Did you give your guests favours?

Yes, chocolate of course! Each guest had four chocolates in ivory and gold boxes.

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

As above.

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

We had haggis, neeps and tatties to start with, followed by guinea fowl and sticky toffee pudding for desert. It was a really hearty meal and totally delicious.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

Pat, who works with my mum, made the cake. It was three-tiered, wrapped with the Mackenzie tartan, dotted with orange gemini’s and had a little box on top with exploding stars coming out of it. It was fantastic, really original.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had a brilliant piper, and a band and a disco for the evening.

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

We had our gift list at John Lewis. All friends and family were extremely generous.

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

We spent our first night in the Royal Terrace Hotel in Edinburgh. This was followed by 15 glorious nights in Sri Lanka.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

The cermony definitely. You can spend so much time planning other aspects of the day, making sure that there is enough wine for everyone, that the menu is right, that you can forget about the most important part – acutally getting married!

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

I whipped myself up into a complete frenzy about the weather at one point as our wedding was for the most part, held outside. The strange thing was, on the morning of the wedding I didn’t even think about checking to see if it was raining or not, I was too excited! So my only advice would be not to worry about this, your day will be special no matter what.