Louise and Richard
How did you meet?
At college, in 1989. We were best friends for a while, as Richard already had a girlfriend!
Describe the marriage proposal.
He proposed on my 21st birthday in an Indian restaurant in Bearwood. He chose it as they had booths there so he wouldn’t have to get down on bended knee!
How long did you spend preparing for the day and how was it?
We decided to get married at the end of 2000. I was getting over a serious illness and we both realised that maybe we should get married at last. We had by this time been together nearly 10 years and living together nearly four. We booked the wedding in February this year, so we had in all about seven months to prepare everything. The only hassle we had was getting all the documents translated and legalised, in all it took three separate trips to London. The day went very well with no hitches (except for hair, see below).
What type of wedding ceremony did you have and where?
We got married on October 1st 2001, at St Paul’s Bay in Lindos. The ceremony was conducted by the registrar and lasted only four to five minutes, just ‘I do’ and a little said by the registrar in Greek and basically we were married.
Where did you hold your reception and what was it like?
Our reception was at a taverna in Lindos. There were only six of us in all, just my parents and Richard’s and us of course. We had the whole of a roof top terrace to ourselves and the waiters couldn’t have been more attentive, they made us all feel really special.
Is there anything you’d change, with hindsight?
The only thing I would like to have changed was the fact that there wasn’t a few more of the family there. With one thing or another, they couldn’t make it.
What advice would you give to couples currently planning their wedding?
Getting married abroad wasn’t that difficult to arrange. We used JMC Weddings Service so their representative in the resort did all the aranging over there. We were just left with getting things such as the ‘Certificate of No Impediment’ and birth certificates translated into Greek, and then of course, just the usual things such as getting wedding attire. JMC allowed us extra baggage allowance for the wedding things, and even put fragile stickers on the case containing my tiara and dress.
Is there any other detail/ advice/ help that you would like to share?
The only small hitch I had was on the day of the wedding. The only hairdresser in Lindos decided to take the day off! Fortunately, the rep found another for me in Archagelos, which is about 10-15 kms away from Lindos. After a rather mad dash over there, (the taxi drivers in Lindos are absolute madmen!) we found that we couldn’t get back to Lindos as all the taxis were being used! The hairdresser, who did an absolutely fab job on my hair, rang her friend and arranged for us to share a taxi with another couple. Once back in Lindos, I had to walk from the taxi rank in the main square all the way across to the other side of the village where my parents were staying, with my hair all done up and tiara in place. I certainly got some strange looks. Luckily, we were then only another 10 minute walk from the chapel of St Paul. I walked there in my trainers and dress as the path is rather treacherous and steep. All this in 30+ heat!