REAL WEDDING English Garden 13357 views

Stacey & Christopher
9 June 2007

They Met Christopher and Stacey met through work when Christopher showed Stacey around her new workplace. He also set up a joint account as a joke, to hold savings for a wedding! Two years later it came true, and they really did use the account for their wedding savings! Christopher pulled out all the stops, hiring Lincoln Castle as a private venue, arranging a string quartet to play and a local photographer to capture the moment when he proposed!

Wedding Venue The couple had always wanted to marry at the historic Doddington Hall with its beautiful gardens and atmospheric setting. Their dream came true when they booked it for their wedding venue immediately after their engagement!

The Theme The couple kept with the theme of the venue and decided to have an ‘English country garden’ theme with a marquee in the grounds, decorated with home-made floral bunting, heart-shaped wreaths, lanterns hanging in the trees outside and scented candles on the tables. They also had small terracotta pots with lavender on outside tables and Christopher’s father made them three large easels with photos of the couple together and of their childhoods. They named their tables after English herbs and had herbal favours in baskets on the tables.

What They Wore The bride wore an ivory gown by Ian Stuart with a cathedral length ivory veil, ivory satin ballet shoes and a flower hair corsage matching her dress.

The groom looked dashing in black tails with a cream shirt and mocha-coloured rouche, hired from Debenhams, complimented by a few sprigs of lavender and rosemary in his buttonhole.

Stacey’s maid of honour wore a floor length silk gown from Coast in chocolate brown with a smaller version of Stacey’s corsage in her hair and pinned onto her sash.

The Cake Stacey and Christopher chose a three-tiered cake covered in cream icing with lavender wrapped around each tier. The bottom layer was chocolate, the middle was carrot cake and the top was traditional fruitcake.

The Flowers Stacey carried a small posy of fresh rosemary and lavender tired with raffia whilst the maid of honour carried a smaller version. They had a mixture of cottage and country flowers in pastel shades for their reception, with large centre pieces. It was in the style of a wild country garden with ivy running down the tables! The flowers were mainly made of roses, peonies, hydrangeas, lupins and other flowers, some hanging in moss covered baskets from the top of the marquee.

First Dance Stacey and Christopher danced to their ten-piece band with one of their own, unique songs, When you Wish Upon a Star.

A Moment to Remember Stacey and Christopher’s best moments were when they were saying their vows and being pronounced man and wife! They also loved the speeches and when everybody danced in lines to New York, New York by the big band!

Honeymoon The newlyweds spent their honeymoon in Bruges in Belgium where they stayed in a fantastic boutique hotel right on the canal!

Any Advice When it comes to choosing the photographer, Stacey says, ‘looking through the photos of real life weddings gave us loads of ideas and do’s and dont’s for the day.’ While Christopher advises: ‘get the balance right between being a newly married couple on the day, talking to people as a couple and separately, making sure everyone is interacting with each other!’

Stacey & Christopher’s Contact Book
Venue: Doddington Hall
Caterer: Whites Fine Food
Photographer: Purvis-Gisborne Photography
Dress: Proposals
Groomswear: Debenhams
Cake: Cakes by Design
Flowers: Bunches & Stems

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