Kerrie and Jeff’s Real Life Wedding
Kerrie and Jeff
23/07/2006
Turkey Mill, Maidstone
How and when did you meet?
We met 5 1/2 years ago up the pub.
How old are you both?
I’m 27 and Jeff’s 45.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
He took me out for dinner and proposed after about two months! We had a very long engagement!
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
I went to Sound Leicester Square with friends and family which was very tacky but turned out to be quite funny. Jeff went to Lingfield Park night racing with his friends. They had a great time!
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
His only input or request was an ice sculpture!
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Yes, a few times to buy bits and pieces.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
I wore a beautiful gown by Cymbeline. It was a lacy bodice with a lovely lightweight tulle skirt with lace trim on it. I also had a gorgeous sparkly tulle tutu made for the evening for dancing.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
My best friend and Jeff’s daughter were bridesmaids. They wore calf length taupe dresses with black ribbon and under skirt. My nieces were flower girls and wore beautiful tulle fairy outfits that I had made for them. My son, Max, was page boy and he wore a lovely ivory linen suit.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Jeff’s best man was his brother and he had his two sons as ushers.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Civil.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
At Turkey Mill under the pergola.
Where did you hold your reception?
At Turkey Mill in the orangery and grounds.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
I had a old taupe and black Roll Royce silver cloud take me to the venue.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
Around 100 for the daytime and an extra 50 for the evening.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
I kept everything fairly simple and had a taupe, black and ivory colour scheme.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
I had taupe table runners made and my stationery incorporated the colours (menus, favour boxes, etc.)
Did you give your guests favours?
Yes, four Thornton’s truffles in a customised box made to match our stationery.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
I had potted orchids in black pots on my tables (great to take home and keep!) my bouquets was hand tied with bear grass, roses and Singapore orchids. My maids had small bouquets of ivory roses tied in black ribbon.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
We chose a company called Soufflé to do our catering and as the wedding was on a Sunday we had a traditional beef roast with salmon starter and chocolate dessert.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
I chose a simple tiered white cake with what was supposed to be black and taupe ribbon and bows on however there was a mix up and it came in pink and brown! It still looked good just clashed with the scheme!
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We used an ipod for our music during the drinks and reception and then had a DJ during the evening.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had a gift list with John Lewis.
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
The guest list and table planning was the most stressful as we only had a certain limit for the day time and my mum just wouldn’t or couldn’t understand that!
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
Yes I would have had my videographer there all evening as I have nothing to remember it by. There are also no pictures of my tutu!
