Trudi and Andy’s Real Life Wedding

Trudi and Andy

18/09/2004 – Holy Trinity Church, Bracknell, Berkshire
Coppid Beech Hotel, Bracknell, Berkshire

How and when did you meet?

We met on a drunken Christmas Eve in 1999. It took Andy two months to ask me out on an official first date, which happened to be on 29th February.

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

We had a couple of days off last year in August and spent the day down the coast at West Witterings. We then came home and went to the restaurant where we had been for a first date and go every year around that date. Andy started to tell me that we could not go on the way we were anymore. He was leading me to believe that he was going to finish the relationship and then explained that what he was trying to say was that he didn’t want to be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore and thought we should be fiancee & fiance. He got on one knee and gave me the ring.

Did you have hen and stag celebrations?

I spent a drunken weekend in Bournemouth doing the traditional hen party night with a caberet, a pamper session and a party restaraunt. With 13 girls together it was a very memorable and funny weekend. Andy went to Newcastle for his stag weekend with 15 other guys and appararently had fun, with lots of beer!

Did your groom help you with the wedding planning?

We discussed everything together, but a majority of it as done by me.

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

I did, and there was some good advise and tools on there.

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?

No.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it.

It was a one piece that looked like a two piece. It had beige and gold embroidery and diamante around the neckline, waistline and train. I had a gold and burgundy tiara.

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

I had two adult bridesmaids -my sister and a friend. My five-year-old neice was a flowergirl and my seven and four-year-old nephews were ushers. My 18-month-old neice and Andy’s 20-month-old nephew were dressed in matching outfits.

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

Andy’s twin brother was his best man, and his older brother and a close friend were ushers. They wore gold waistcoats and cravats with grey pinstripe trousers and a black tails. Andy had the same suit, but a burgundy and gold waistcoat and burgundy cravat.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a religious ceremony.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

Holy Trinity Church in Bracknell.

Where did you hold your reception?

Coppid Beech Hotel in Bracknell.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

We had a Daimler Limosine, which was fantastic.

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

We had 78 to the day and then an additional 90 to the evening.

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

Gold and burgundy.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

Flowers.

Did you give your guests favours?

Yes, sweets in gold pouches for the ladies, alcohol miniatures for the men and goodie bags for the kids.

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

I had a teardrop bouquet with ivory ang burgindy roses with gold netting. The bridesmaids had fans with ivory roses, and my flowergirl had a basket of ivory roses.

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

The venue did the catering. We had melon to start, followed by chicken in a peppercorn sauce, and tiramisu for pudding.

What did you choose for your wedding cake?

We had a Marks and Spencers cake, with matching flowers and ribbon and an ornament on the top.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had a disco in the evening.

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

We spent our first night at the Coppid Beech Hotel and then flew off on the Sunday to Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Walking down the aisle and seeing Andy all dressed up and looking extremly handsome.

Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?

I wouldn’t have rushed to get everything done the minute we got engaged, and would have saved some things to organise closer to the time. In the last three months, I didn’t have a great deal to do and time seemed to drag. Choose bridemaids and their outfits as late as possible, unless you’re having just family. Do what you want to do and don’t worry about what other people will think – it’s your special day and if they care about you, they will go with what you want. When choosing the supplier, choose carefully and go on recommendations.