Lucy and Matt’s Real Life Wedding
Lucy and Matt
09/10/2004 – Littleover Methodist Church, Derby
Tutbury Castle Derbyshire
How and when did you meet?
It’s not very romantic I’m afraid! We met in a nightclub in Derby…you could say our eyes met across a crowded room!
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
We were getting ready to go out with some friends. Matt got down on one knee while I was sitting on the bed getting ready.
Did you have hen and stag celebrations?
I went with 10 girls to a little village in Spain for a weekend. We hired a fantastic villa and just chilled which is just what I needed. A week before the wedding a load of us went out in Derby dresses up as bunnies!
Matt went on a long weekend to Dublin with about 20 guys. They played golf, gambled and did what guys do!
Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?
He didn’t really get involved much. I did moan but deep down I knew exactly what I wanted so it was just a case of organising it. In the last month leading up to the wedding Matt did start to get involved and helped me a great deal.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
Don’t know what I’d have done without it! When we first got engaged I looked up all the to do’s and not to do’s and got ideas on colour schemes. About six months before the wedding I stumbled across the cafe and was hooked!
Do you have a confetti web page?
Yes but I’m afraid we didn’t use it to its potential.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
I visited the store in London about a year before the wedding. I decided to buy all of my hundreds of bits from the website as it was so simple and I knew that I’d forget something if I was let loose inside the store!
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.
My dress was by Alan Hannah and called Alexandra. I really wasn’t keen on it on the hanger and had tried about 20 sparkly dresses on before that. When I put it on and my mum got emotional I knew that it was the one! I think the metal leaves and roses on the top of the dress are very simple but elegant and my tiara matched my dress.
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had four bridesmaids – my two sisters, cousin and best friend. I was very conscious about them liking what they wore so made sure they were involved along the way. I knew I wanted light gold and found the perfect dresses in Debenhams. The shoes were gorgeous too as they were decorated with gold diamonte.
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
As the colour theme was light gold and ivory, the groom, best man and ushers wore black suits, ivory waistcoats and light gold ruffled ties.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
We had a religious ceremony at a Methodist church but I chose all the music. The bridesmaids walked down before me to Canon in d major by Pachelbel. I walked down to the traditional bridal march and we had Kenny G ‘the wedding song’ for signing of the Registrar. We ran out of the church and guests blew bubbles to Elton John’s ‘Chapel of Love’ – that was good fun and was the perfect way to get everyone in the mood for a party!
Where did you hold your ceremony?
Littleover Methodist Church in Derby.
Where did you hold your reception?
We had our reception at Tutbury Castle in Derbyshire. The castle is a ruin but there is a marquee in the middle where we held the reception.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
The transport was the only thing I couldn’t justify paying £500+ for.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 70 guests to the day and and extra 70 to the evening.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
We had a colour scheme of gold & ivory and the theme of the day was 50’s Swing Bands! Our tables were called Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong and the top table was The Rat Pack! We had a swing CD playing in the day and we had a swing band at night.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
Yes, as above.
Did you give your guests favours?
Yes I did little gold boxes with four red chocolate hearts inside tied with ivory ribbon.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
My bouquet was made with ivory ‘Bianca’ roses surrounded by a collar of bay leaves. I love the contrast of the ivory and deep green. The stems were tied with ivory ribbon and heart crystals. My table flowers were the same roses as my bouquet with lots of trailing ivy. My mum’s best friend works at a local florist. I asked her to do everything and I felt I could totally put my trust in her!
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
The marquee has resident caterers from a restaurant in Litchfield – we went for our trial meal and it was wonderful! We choose salmon for a starter, Tornado of Beef for the main course and a chocolate orange tulip for desert.
What did you choose for your wedding cake?
I decided to take someone’s advice about the Marks and Spencer special occasion cakes. All the family sampled one and we loved it so I ordered three tiers and filled the space in between the tiers with the same flowers as my bridesmaids.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
In the evening we had a great swing band. I choose them because I love all the Frank Sinatra music and it also appeals to all age groups. We had a disco later on in the night.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
Yes, we asked for vouchers from John Lewis.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
As a couple – walking back down the aisle as a married couple to Elton John’s ‘Chapel of Love’ with our guests blowing bubbles at us. We were advised to leave our reception on a high so all our guests made an human archway for us to run through as we left…it was also a great way for them to say goodbye to us instead of it taking hours to say goodbye to everyone individually.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
Walking up the aisle was the most emotional thing I have ever done so probably that, but giving a speech and doing the dance were probably the most nerve racking!
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
There’s nothing I’d really do differently. Enjoy your day! You’ll find it really hard to get around everyone to say a proper hello, see your new hubby and party all at the same time so just relax and remember… it’s your day!