REAL WEDDING Touch of Blue

Amanda Hinton - Tue 30 Jun 2009

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Kate & William
6 September 2008

They Met Kate and William first met through her ex boyfriend at a gun club way back in 1996. After not seeing each other again for eight years, they met up once more through mutual friends and immediately hit it off! William proposed on his birthday (Boxing Day) whilst they were on holiday in Brazil. Kate had handily arranged a candlelit beach dinner, providing the perfect romantic location!

Wedding Venue After looking at a few venues, the couple decided that William’s family and childhood home was the place for them. The Elms is not only stunning but has beautiful gardens and woodland and was also personal for them both!

The Theme The wedding theme revolved around the bold blue flowers that they chose, with a colour scheme of vibrant blue and white. They kept the affair traditional and classic with a sparkle lit ceiling in the marquee for added wow-factor and lots of candles creating a romantic glow, as well as a huge dance floor with a disco ball. The tables were decorated with blue glasses and plates, keeping to the theme, as well as the napkins decorated with rosemary for men and lavender for ladies. The tables were appropriately named after herbs with the top table of ‘Lovage’, after Kate’s love of herbs.

What They Wore The bride wore a strapless, A-line Ian Stuart dress with a beaded bodice leading into an asymmetrical and tiered skirt, with French lace detailing and a hand-made flower corsage on the hip. She also wore a full length veil, dotted with beads and sparkles, as well as simple pearl jewellery and white roses in her hair, along with some gold shoes.

The groom wore a grey morning suit with a white shirt and patterned ivory waistcoat, coupled with a blue floral tie by Kenzo and a silk blue handkerchief, finished with black patent shoes. He hired his suit from John Fields Formal Wedding Hire and wore a buttonhole of a white Avalanche rose with some sprigs.

Kate had her sister as her only bridesmaid, who wore a blue, brushed silk dress with a long slitted skirt and a corseted blue top with ties at the back, bought from Love.

The Cake The couple chose a three-tiered traditional fruitcake with dotted lace-effect icing, finished with fresh blue hydrangeas and a matching solid silver cake stand.

The Flowers Kate carried a round bouquet of white roses with a ring of blue hydrangeas, tied with the French lace from her dress. Her bridesmaid carried a similar version with sprigs of rosemary added too. The top table was decorated with a large candelabra, decorated with the bold blue hydrangeas and white Avalanche roses and white lilies, tying in with the theme.

First Dance The happy couple danced to ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams, which was played by their band Belissima, who provided the music for the rest of the evening.

A Moment To Remember Kate loved arriving at the church and seeing William as well as making the all-important vows. They also really enjoyed seeing all their guests so happy and their journey in the Morris Oxford from the church to the reception - it was very special and memorable!

Honeymoon The newlyweds headed over to Thailand for their romantic honeymoon with two weeks at the Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui, followed by four nights at the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok, overlooking the river. They spent the time with relaxing spa treatments and lots of Thai food and sightseeing!

Any Advice? Kate advises: ‘Go with your gut feeling with your wedding dress and don’t try on too many! Take someone honest with you so you don’t end up looking like a fairy.’ Whilst William recommends to ‘Have a good lunch as you may not be hungry when it comes to making the speech!’

Kate & William’s Contact Book:
Venue: The Elms
Caterer: Chimneys, Long Melford
Wedding Planner: Invisage
Dress: La Crème, Norwich
Groomswear: John Field Formal Wedding Hire 01603 766 300
Cake: Eventiss
Flowers: Oops! a Daisy
Photographer: Keiron Tovell Photography

Posted in category: Real Weddings

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REAL WEDDING Something Blue

Amanda Hinton - Tue 16 Jun 2009

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Katieanne & David
May, 2009
They Met in a night club where Katie gave David her phone number. She didn't expect to hear from him, but the very next day David called her. From that moment on, love blossomed. Seven years later, they decided that it was time to tie the knot. On Katie's birthday, in October, 2007, David asked for her hand in marriage.

Wedding Venue Katie and David knew exactly where they wanted to get married! West Bromwich Registry Office was everything they needed. Not only was it a fabulous, historic building, but it was near where the couple had first met and was easy for all their friends and family to get to.

The Theme Katie spent many hours working on a pretty blue and butterfly theme for the big day, making many of the details herself. Butterflies adorned the candle holders and table cloths as well as on the top of the little blue favour boxes and the cake. The blue theme worked really well with blue and ivory table cloths and blue flowers as well as lots of blue accents in the big day outfits. Katie had even arranged for a friend's blue people carrier to take her to the church. However, she had a fantastic surprise on the day - her parents had booked a stretch limo!

What They Wore Katie designed her own dress, taking inspiration from three different styles that she had spotted. The strapless ivory gown had pretty blue beading on the bodice and blue detailing on the puddle train at the back. She finished the outfit with matching blue shoes, a blue and green butterfly necklace made by a friend and sparkly tiara that she'd found on eBay. David's niece made the perfect bridesmaid in a strapless blue Alfred Angelo gown while their daughter was the cutest little flower girl in an ivory dress with a blue sash and blue rose embellishments. The page boy cut a dash in a navy suit with a pale blue tie. David wore his uniform and beret, set off with a blue decorated buttonhole made by Katie.

The Cake Katie chose a two tier cake, with one layer of traditional fruit and the other sponge. It was decorated with the theme ivory and blue roses, butterflies and glitter.

The Flowers Katie made all the flowers for the wedding including blue rose posies for the bridesmaids and her own tear drop bouquet finished with ribbon printed with their names and date of the wedding.

First Dance The happy couple danced to ‘Fix You' by Coldplay, after which the partying went on until 2am when the newlyweds retired to the Great Barr Hotel - a gift from the Army.

A Moment To Remember Exchanging vows was one of the most special moments of the day as they looked into each other's eyes and really meant every word that they said. David was also completely bowled over when he saw Katie walk up the aisle.

Honeymoon The newlyweds have a weekend away planned in Yarmouth with friends but hope to escape for sunny Spain in October.

Any Advice? As advice to others, Katie says, "plan ahead and buy things bit by bit so it's not so expensive and have non-wedding days - as it can take over your life!" Katie also adds that she could not have survived without WeddingPath and eBay and all the support of their friends and family.

Victoria & Ian’s Contact Book:
Venue: West Bromwich Registry Office
Photographer: family friend
Dress: Simones Bridal
Groomswear: Army uniform
Flowers: made by the bride
Cake:Sweet Success 01902 650782

Posted in category: Real Weddings

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REAL WEDDING Twinkling Day

Amanda Hinton - Tue 02 Jun 2009

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Ian & Victoria
November, 2008
They Met Victoria and Ian first met through mutual friends, when they both went to a ball held for returning soldiers from Iraq. Victoria almost didn’t go and so nearly didn't meet her future husband! Ian romantically proposed in bed on Victoria’s birthday – it was early morning and Ian was insistent on her opening her cards! She eventually opened Ian’s where it said ‘To my fiancee’, after which he popped the question.

Wedding Venue After searching through military venues, they decided to get wed in Victoria’s parents’ local church, as it was the perfect size for an intimate wedding and it was very beautiful. With plans for a winter wedding, the couple opted for Stoke Park for their reception with its log fires, great food and plenty of indoor photo opportunities!

The Theme The couple didn’t have a specific theme but wanted a traditional winter wedding feel. This was created by lots of lamps, roaring log fires and the large, twinkling Christmas tree in Stoke Park. The tables were decorated with candelabras filled with red roses and foliage, set on mirrored trays. There were also scattered red rose petals, set against the white table linen, and tea lights in frosted glass holders.

What They Wore The bride wore a strapless, ivory dress with a fishtail train, which was simple yet elegant. She teamed it with an ivory fur shrug for outdoor photos and a chapel-length veil with satin trim. She wore pearl and diamond jewellery as well as a pearl hair comb in her up-do.

The groom wore a morning suit of grey striped trousers with a black jacket, accessorized with a waistcoat and silver and ivory striped tie. The groomsmen wore the same, with deep red ties to fit in with their colour scheme.

Victoria had two bridesmaids, with the maid of honour wearing a deep red floor-length gown with a matching pashmina and simple Swarovski crystal jewellery. The younger bridesmaid wore an ivory princess dress from Debenhams, with a deep red sash to match the maid of honour’s dress. The outfit was finished off with an ivory fur wrap.

The Cake The couple chose a four-tiered cake, with three tiers of rich chocolate sponge with cream and Belgian chocolate ganache and the top tier of lemon sponge with lemon curd, white chocolate and fresh cream ganache. It was decorated with white chocolate cigarillos and deep red roses in between each layer.

The Flowers The church was adorned with lots of white roses, ivy and candles, whilst Victoria carried a bouquet of a selection of deep red roses with berries and foliage. The bouquet was hand tied with a red ribbon and a touch of sparkle was added with a pearl in each rose. The maid of honour carried a similar, smaller bouquet whilst the younger bridesmaid carried a pomander of red sweetheart roses wrapped in gold wire.

First Dance The happy couple danced to ‘Chasing Cars’ by Snow Patrol, played by their band ‘The Bright Sparks’ who provided the music for the rest of the evening. The guests loved the music as well as the couple having a special rendition of ‘Our Song’ by Elton John, sung by one of their close friends.

A Moment To Remember Victoria’s favourite part was being pronounced man and wife at the ceremony, but also loved the receiving line and speaking to all their guests. Another special moment was on the way to the reception with her new husband for some time alone!

Honeymoon The newlyweds spent their first night at Stoke Park, staying in the room where the scenes for the mini-break in Bridget Jones’ Diary were filmed. They later jetted off to Le Touesserok in Mauritius for eleven days, followed by four days in The One and Only Royal Mirage in Dubai. They had a truly incredible honeymoon - even having a helicopter transfer from the airport to the hotel!

Any Advice? Victoria advises, ‘Get the venue right. It’s the one thing that makes an enormous difference. It sets the tone for the wedding and you'll be able to enjoy the day without having to think about a thing knowing that you have professionals in charge.’

Victoria & Ian’s Contact Book:
Venue: Stoke Park
Photographer: James Davidson
Dress: Ellie Sanderson Bridal Boutique
Groomswear: Dapper, Esher
Flowers: The Rose Boutique, Cookham 01628 533 314
Cake: Catherine Scott

Posted in category: Real Weddings

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