Juliana and Richard
03/09/2004 – The Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh
How and when did you meet?
We met in an online chat room (the most modern way to meet someone nowadays!) and chatted for a few weeks. I waited for him to ask me out but he took ages so asked him out instead. We went for coffee at Starbucks in Princes Street in Edinburgh. We’ve been together ever since!
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
We were in the house at the time, just talking in bed about things in general and then Richard went all quiet and serious. I asked him if he was all right and he said he was. Suddenly he got up, went to the side of the bed and down on one knees and proposed. I thought at first he was joking but he was obviously wasn’t. After the initial shock, I of course said yes! He didn’t proposed with a ring because he wanted me to choose it myself so the next day, we went out to the jewellers and we bought engagement rings for each other. I got him a diamond, two toned ring and he got me a solitare, princess cut diamond platinum ring. Beautiful!
Did you have hen and stag celebrations?
My hen night wasn’t wild at all… just me and some close girl friends going out for dinner and a comedy show during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was a good night.
Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?
He kept me sane!
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Yeah I used the confetti website… got all my to-do list from it, found some lovely ideas and inspirations from the articles and wonderful support as well as advise from other bride-to-be. Everyone was helpful and friendly.
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?
We bought some stuff from the website. We got lovely confetti made from real flowers, inspirational books and a CD (Wedding Songs for Civil Ceremony).
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.
My dress has to be the most expensive and extravagant purchase I have ever made in my entire lifetime! But it’s worth it though because it’s classic and timeless and 20 years down the line, it’ll still look beautiful. I didn’t stress at all when I went dress shopping. The ladies at Caroline Castigliano in Edinburgh were friendly and helpful. I’m not very good at describing things in general but the dress was breathtaking – simple yet elegant and it took my breath away. The corset kept it structured and graceful. It had a sweetheart neckline and was made from ivory chiffon and Thai silk.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Richard chose his close friend Eric Walker whom he’s known since they were very little to be his best man. They have been friends for years and years. They all wore the Prince Charlie kilt outfits with the Spirit of Bannockburn Tartan. They looked very smart… Richard even wore a plaid and brooch with a matching tartan to distinguish himself as the Groom. We hired the kilts from the Edinburgh Woolen Mill on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a civil ceremony.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
The ceremony itself was in the George Suite at the Roxburghe Hotel in Edinburgh. It’s a classic and very lovely hotel.
Where did you hold your reception?
The Roxburghe Hotel in Edinburgh.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
No, I stayed at the hotel the night before. The staff there were so attentive and friendly. Every time they saw me, asked if I was all right and whether I needed anything. It was lovely.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 80 guests for the ceremony and reception and most of them are Richard’s family and friends as my family couldn’t fly over to celebrate the Edinburgh wedding with us. It’s very expensive for them to come over. So, those who couldn’t come for the day, came for the evening celebrations instead. In the end, we had around 120 guests altogether.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
We went along the theme of red and gold – very cosy and very romantic, suitable for our early autumn wedding.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
We had gold candle pillars wrapped with real ivy and red ‘Grand Prix’ roses. We also had the confetti that we made ourselves as well as the confetti we bought from Confetti scattered all over the tables. I made wedding trivia cards to help break the ice for the guests.
Did you give your guests favours?
We made favours for all the ladies. We bought little silver picture frames and wrapped them individually in ivory netting and ribbons that had our initials on it.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
My florist made a lovely hand-tied bouquet for me. I had ‘Grand Prix’ roses, hypericum berries, arum lilies, gold beads, fatsia leaves and gold ribbons threaded in and out of the bouquet. All the tables had tall gold candle pillars with ivy wrapped around them and luxurious ‘Grand Prix’ roses, nestled in a bed of ivy at the base.
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 our catering. Our main course was lamb and it was gorgeous! Everyone loved it!
What did you choose for your wedding cake?
For our wedding cake, we decided to keep it simple and elegant, just like everything else we planned. It was a two-tiered fruit cake covered in ivory icing with a light dusting of shimmery pearls. It also had a tartan cloth effect – all made from edible icing. The tartan was based on the same tartan that Richard and the rest of the wedding party wore. The special tartan icing is prepared and decorated to drape like a piece of cloth down the length of our cake. The effect was so authentic that all our guests had to take a second glance!
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We had a DJ for the evening celebrations. We had talked about having a band but decided a DJ would be better because he would have a wide choice of records to keep everyone happy and dancing all night long. Our DJ was fantastic – the dance floor was never empty!
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had a guest list with Debenhams.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
Our first night was at the hotel in the bridal suite, courtesy of the hotel. We then had a second wedding in Malaysia with my family (where I’m originally from) and then went for our honeymoon at the beautiful and heavenly Langkawi Island in Malaysia. We stayed there at the Sheraton Beach Resort in Langkawi for five magical nights and it was wonderful. We booked and arranged our honeymoon ourselves.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
The most memorable moment of the day was when my in laws hugged me and said ‘welcome to the family’. They’re so lovely and caring. I love them very much.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Just stay calm whatever happens and remember that at the end of the day, all that matters is that you love each other very much and you’ll be together forever. The wedding is the first day to your happily ever after…
