Jules and Mark’s Real Life Wedding

Jules and Mark

12/06/2004 – St Michael and All Angels church, Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire
Headlam Hall, nr Gainford, County Durham

How and when did you meet?

We met on 21st August 1998 through a friend of mine – Mark is her brother. We met at their mum and dad’s house for the second time. The first time we met we were both seeing other people.

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

We were staying at my dad’s in Whitby the night before New Years Eve. We went out for a meal and then got back and went straight to bed feeling a bit drunk and full from the meal! Mark then said to me ‘hurry up and get into bed, I have something to ask you!’. It was a freezing night so I remember snuggling in and I said to him ‘what do you want to ask me?’ (not even thinking what it could be).. and he said ‘I want to ask you if you will be my wife!’ – I cried and couldn’t believe it!! That was 2001.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

Mark went to Nottingham for a typical lads weekend. My chief bridesmaid organised a weekend away with the girls in Chester which was fantastic!

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

He didn’t do a lot really – came to a few wedding fairs to start with then let me get on with it. He tried his suit on and got his hair cut and that was about it!

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

I used the guest list and table planner to help but used the cafe more than anything else. The hints and tips I picked up from the messages were unreal and helped me a lot.

Do you have a confetti web page?

Not yet…

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

I bought a speeches book for my dad.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it

I wore Maggie Sottero ‘Celeste’ in soft blush – satin and organza covered with austrian crystals. It was fabulous and came with a matching bag and stole.

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

I had one chief bridesmaid, Clare, who wore an ivory dress. My flowergirl, Lucy, was 17 months old and also wore ivory, as did my other bridesmaid, my half sister Louise.

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

Mark’s best man was Adam, his best mate in the world. Ushers were Rory who Mark has known for a long time, and my big brother Steve.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a church ceremony in the village church where Mark grew up.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

St Michael and All Angels church in Middleton Tyas, near Scotch Corner.

Where did you hold your reception?

Headlam Hall, near Gainford.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

We had an ivory Beauford Tourer for our car and a Mercedes for the bridesmaids.

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

80 guests during the day with another 40 joining us in the evening.

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

Pink (mostly!!), silver and ivory.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

I had pink and cream flowers as table decorations, ivory cameras, pink table name cards, pink and silver table confetti and on the top table I had pink candles burning.

Did you give your guests favours?

Yes – two tubes of the ‘Just Married’ lovehearts in a little box just for the ladies.

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

My florist was a friend of my mum’s and she did an excellent job. My bouquet was round with pink and cream roses and tied at the bottom. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were similar to mine but smaller. My mum in law made the table decorations and the pedestals for the church.

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 menu. We had soup to start, followed by champagne chicken with vegetables and meringue swan or cheescake for dessert – lovely!!

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

A friend of my mum’s made the cake and it was unreal! It was a three tier stacked cake in pink covered in Love Heart sweets. I finished it off with the Tatty Teddie ‘Together’ ornament on the top – it was fabulous!

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

In the evening only. A friend sings for a living and is fantastic so he played for an hour. This was followed by a disco for the rest of the evening.

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

We asked for vouchers from B&Q, Argos and Curry’s.

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

We spent our first night was at Headlam Hall (the venue) and we flew out to Alicante on the Monday to stay in a villa belonging to a guy at work for three weeks.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Saying our vows – I expected to cry but didn’t expect Mark to!

Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Take everything in as it goes so fast. I wish I could do it all again tomorrow!