Kimberly and Marc’s Real Life Wedding

Kimberly and Marc

02/09/2004 – Comlongon Castle, Dumfries
Scotland

How and when did you meet?

I’ve known Marc for about 10 years. I first met him in his garage – I was introduced to him by my brother and didn’t particularly fancy him. He was a skinny greasy mechanic and I was only 19 and seeing someone at the time and so was he! I kept taking my car to Marc to be fixed and serviced and we became good friends, it wasn’t until a good five years later when I was single and so was he that we got together.

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

Not long after we had been seeing each other, Marc asked me what ring I would choose if I was ever to get engaged. I told him, single solitaire in white gold. I never really thought much of it, until it got close to my birthday and he told me that I was getting a present from Sri Lanka, and it was a fruit bat! I didn’t believe him and he kept on winding me up all the time, saying he had ordered its cage and I hoped I was going to like this fruit bat. It was getting to the stage that I was slightly worried that he might be serious! My birthday came and went and I got the usual perfume, chocs etc. A few days later he came in saying that the present had arrived and it wasn’t a fruit bat, but a choice of diamonds for my engagement ring. The next night he really did have diamonds in his pocket and I had to choose one of them to go in my engagement ring that he was getting specially made for me. Not your normal engagement story, but a funny one all the same.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

I love York, so myself, two bridesmaids and my best friend all went to York for the weekend, it was a relaxing weekend, not your usual getting drunk escapades. I had my 14-year old God-daughter with me so that ruled out night clubs, but I was really happy about that, not my scene really. We had a nice relaxing weekend with a few bottles of champers. Marc, on the other hand had a lads night out in Glasgow with about 12 of his friends. He got home about 4am and slept most of the day!

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

He helped pay for it! Other than that, he wasn’t much help. We discussed the big things together and then it was all down to me.

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

It was a great ‘to do list’ for me – helped me remember what happened and when. Also a good area for all my guests to come and see the progress of the wedding plans.

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?

I didn’t buy anything.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it

My dress was a champagne colour and was a bodice and skirt. The bodice had a great deal of detail with crystals sewn into the design. It also had a detachable train (which I loved). My veil was also decorated with crystals and was the same length as the train of my dress. My shoes were mules with a diamante buckle.

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

The two bridesmaids wore bodices and skirts in deep wine, with a pashmina over their shoulders. They had tiaras with red berries and matching jewellery and shoes.

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

Marc had his best friend Jon as his best man, and my brother and one of my girl friends as ushers. They all wore frock coats. Marc wore a gold-coloured jacket and a pinstripe waistcoat. The ushers wore the same style of jacket but in black.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a civil ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

Our whole wedding was held at Comlongon Castle in Dumfries – from 12.30 lunchtime on the day of the wedding until 10.30 the next morning! It was a perfect day. The staff were so efficient and seemed to blend in with the surroundings, but were never far away if you needed something. I felt like a princess, and we were all made to feel so special. The food was amazing and the breakfast was also very good, all in the breathtaking banqueting hall. The band was excellent and even seemed to get the most reluctant of dancers on the dance floor.

I hope we can return there for our anniversary!

Where did you hold your reception?

See above.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

No.

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

We had 40 guests for the entire day.

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

Our colours were gold and wine.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

I had gold favour boxes tied with a deep wine-coloured ribbon.

Did you give your guests favours?

We gave candles in gold boxes to the ladies, and gold top hats filled with sweets to the men.

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

I had ‘Black Baccara’ roses with ivy, and the two bridesmaids had ‘Black Eyed Beauty’ calla lilies, a few ‘Black Baccara’ roses and hypericum.

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

Comlongon provided a fantastic menu. Everyone had a choice of five starters, main courses and deserts.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

We are really into the car scene and drag racing so we had a cake specially made to fit in with that.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had fireworks and a ceilidh.

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

We had a list with a travel agent to pay for our honeymoon.

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

We went to a lovely hotel in Dumfries.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Releasing two white doves for love and peace. I just loved every minute of the day – I’d do it again in a second and not change a thing.

Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or onthe day?
Make a list of who you want your photos taken with on the day so that you get the album of your dreams. That’s one mistake I made along the way.