Katie and Neil’s Real Life Wedding
Katie and Neil
13/05/2006 – St Peter’s Church, Hednesford
How and when did you meet?
I used to work part time in the pub that he ran. We were friends for four years and then I began to like him more. I wasn’t sure if he felt the same so I went back to Crete to work as a holiday rep, but came back after 6 weeks as I was missing him. We got together 2 weeks later!
How old are you both?
I am 27, he is 29.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
We were travelling for a year in Australia and he proposed on Christmas Eve 2003 on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with a gorgeous ring he had chosen.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations?
I had 2, one in Birmingham with all my friends from home in Hednesford. We went to the Glee Club and for an Indian meal. The second was in Liverpool where we live, we went to a Mexican restaurant on Penny Lane. Neil had a night in the Albert Dock and went to the comedy club there.
Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?
He was very hands-on. We made all the decisions together and he also booked the entire honeymoon. .
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
No.
Do you have a confetti web page?
I ordered the Order of Service tabs and some quiz chocolates to go in the wine glasses.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
I originally found my outfit in Cannock and fell in love with it immediately. It was a Margaret Lee dress, style number 9415. It was out of my price range so I carried on looking. Then I found it in Vogue Bridal in Widnes for £150 less so I got it! It was ivory, quite detailed on the bodice and the skirt was satin covered in organza.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.
I had two older bridesmaids, my sister and Neil’s cousin.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
They wore ice blue dresses from Forever Yours. We also had 3 little bridesmaids who wore ivory dresses from Debenhams.
Neil chose his younger brother Phil as best man and his brother and some cousins as ushers. They all wore navy blue tails with ivory and blue waistcoats.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a church ceremony.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
At St Peter’s Church in Hednesford, which is the church where I grew up. It was very emotional and also very personal. My step mom did a reading and Neil’s auntie also did one.
Where did you hold your reception?
At the Quality Hotel in Penkridge; the staff were amazing. Neil is in the industry and even he couldn’t pick fault with anything!
Did you have any special wedding transport?
We hired a 1949 Daimler from Adam and Eve Cars in Bloxwich. It was a lovely car and they did extra trips for no extra charge because my mom lives so close to the church.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 100 for the day and an extra 70 for the evening.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
The main theme was pale blue and ivory but the flowers were pink because I wasn’t keen on any blue flowers. The colours worked amazingly well together on the day.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
The tables had pink gerberas in vases and then pink rose petals too. The favours had blue in them, and the table plan was blue and ivory. We hired ivory chair covers with blue sash bows.
Did you give your guests favours?
The favours were little galvanised steel buckets filled with bonbons and the name tags were attached to them.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
The main theme was pink gerbaras. My bouquet was gerberas and roses, filled with small blue and pink flowers. The older bridesmaids had pink gerbera posies and the little girls had gerbera wrist corsages. The table decorations were square glass vases with pink gerberas and bear grass filled with glass stones. There were also pedestals. The flowers were done by Rosie Knight in Stafford, a friend of the family
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
We had vegetable soup, followed by Roast Lamb, followed by Strawberry Shortcake – it was done by the hotel and was gorgeous!
What did you choose for your wedding cake?
Neil made our wedding cake and it looked and tasted amazing! It was 3-tiered, covered in blue crystals with a personalised topper of me and Neil.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We had a band called The Touch who played 60s music and also a DJ and a chocolate fountain.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had 2: one with John Lewis and one with Argos. Lots of people gave us dollars for our honeymoon.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
We spent our first night in the hotel, our second night in the Copthorne Hotel in Gatwick and honeymooned on the Gulf Coast, Miami and Key West in Florida.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Standing in church and saying our vows; it was the most important moment of the day and the most emotional.
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
The only nightmare was the flowers were running late. It wasn’t really a problem though, it just meant the men had to get their buttonholes as they were going into church!
Is there anything you would dodifferently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Nothing at all whatsoever! It was the most perfect day of my life! My advice would be to relax and enjoy every single second!
