Wendy and Simon
26/05/2006 – The London Eye
Marriott Hotel County Hall, London
How and when did you meet?
We met at work but didn’t get together as a couple until a few years later. Simon was seconded to our Cairo office for six months in 2004 and I was also sent out there for a little while. Simon asked me out after we got home.
How old are you both?
I’m 28 and Simon is 38.
Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?
He proposed February 2005 in a restaurant in Brussels airport (we were on our way to stay with friends for the weekend).
Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?
Simon didn’t want to do anything, but I had a hen night. It was the night of Eurovision so we took over my mum’s house and had a big Eurovision-themed party.
How did your groom help with the wedding planning?
It wasn’t a case of him helping – we planned and arranged everything together. He took most of the responsibility for the reception, he decided on his outfit and also helped me choose mine, he helped decide on the invitations and the idea for the cake design was his. It was important that our wedding reflected both our personalities and that we both had an equal say in everything.
Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?
I used the forum a lot to get hints and tips from other brides and newlyweds – it was really useful to have the benefit of their experiences.
Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?
Visiting a store wasn’t really an option as we were living abroad until a month and a half before the wedding.
Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it
My dress was called Capri Marie and it’s by Maggie Sottero. It’s very different to a lot of dress designs and it’s totally not what I thought I wanted – I usually go for simple designs but my dress was very OTT! I bought it on a business trip to the USA and took hubby with me when I went shopping!
Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?
I had one bridesmaid – my younger sister. She wore a lovely pink two piece outfit that she bought from a concession in John Lewis (not sure who the designer is). I wasn’t able to go shopping with her because we lived abroad so I asked her to get something in pink but told her she could choose the style – she looked gorgeous!
Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?
Simon chose his best friend to be best man and he wore his own kilt. Simon chose a dark purple silk suit with a long jacket and a pink cravat.
Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?
Civil.
Where did you hold your ceremony?
The London Eye. We had two pods – one for the ceremony and a second one for extra guests.
Where did you hold your reception?
The Marriott hotel in County Hall (next door to the Eye). We used the Library Lounge – it used to be the Members Library when County Hall was the home of the GLC. It’s such an unusual room and it has fantastic views out over the river towards Big Ben.
Did you have any special wedding transport?
We walked along the river front with our guests from the hotel to the Eye so we didn’t need any transport.
How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?
We had 38 guests during the day and an extra 10 or so for the evening. We wanted something small and intimate and it was lovely because we were able to talk to everyone.
Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?
We didn’t go for a theme as such, but we coordinated the flowers to the bridesmaid’s dress and Simon’s suit. We also brought in little Egyptian touches because Egypt has played such a large part in our lives.
How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?
Our table settings were very simple – we didn’t try to incorporate a theme into them. We just had silver candlesticks and the favours.
Did you give your guests favours?
We gave each of our guests Egyptian papyrus pictures that we brought back with us from Egypt.
Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?
The only flowers we had were buttonholes and corsages for close family and our witnesses and bouquets for my bridesmaid and me. They were made of roses in cream and shades of pink with some foliage and sparkly bits.
What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?
Our venue handled the catering and they were fantastic. We gave our guests two choices for each course – everyone commented on how nice the food was.
What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?
Our cake had three tiers and was in the shape of a pyramid (again, the Egypt theme). It was made by Kevin of Designer Cakes in Nottingham and we told him what we had in mind and then let him put his creative talents to use. We weren’t disappointed! It was fantastic.
Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?
We had a disco in the evening. The dance floor was full all night.
Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?
We had a small gift list with John Lewis but mainly asked for contributions towards our honeymoon.
Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?
We spent the night in the honeymoon suite at the Marriott hotel and then left the next day on a cruise around the Baltic.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
What I remember most is as we walked to and from the London Eye all the tourists who called out “Congratulations” to us as we went by – it was so lovely!
Did you experience any ‘nightmare’ moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?
No, none at all! To say we planned the whole thing from over a thousand miles away, mostly by email and telephone, everything went so smoothly I could hardly believe it.
Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?
I wouldn’t change a thing – the day was perfect. The only advice I have to give to other brides is not to stress about the little things, just sit back and enjoy it.
