Who proposed to who and how?
Ben popped the question on our first holiday in Fuerteventura. We were on the beach and he got down on one knee and was very nervous! It was a complete surprise!
What attracted you to Manor By The Lake?
It just seemed perfect for us, it was all we had talked about wanting and when we had looked around it we just knew that it was the venue for us. We could already begin to imagine our big day here.
What decorative touches did you include in the day?
Our favours were simple, they were personalised love hearts with our names and wedding date on them, we placed them in ivory bags to tie them in with our colour scheme.
Our table plan matched not only our colour scheme but also our invitations. We had such great feedback on our invitations that we wanted them on show so our table plan was made to mirror the front of our invites with ivory card, mint green backing and peach ribbon.
For our table centerpieces, we had three glass vases with a floating orchid and candle in each. They were on silver mirrored plates with scatter crystals.
What other venue decor did you have?
We had mint green table runners to tie each table in with our colour scheme as well as a mint green top table swag along with a floral centrepiece. We used the fireplace behind our top table to hang wooden bunting from and had a free-standing, silver Mr and Mrs Kelly sign. We also had a candle and a heaven sign for the loved ones that were no longer here to share our special day. My dad had a flag made with our family coat of arms and our wedding date on it, it was a lovely touch and looked good hoisted above the manor!
What dress did you wear?
I wore a Maggie Sottero fishtail style dress with Swarovski crystal details. I chose a fishtail style as that was what I always had in mind, I tried other styles but fishtail was the one that suited me the most and I just felt comfortable in it. I chose a full-length veil which was scattered with Swarovski crystals and I wore personalised wedding converse with my name, wedding date and satin ribbon for laces and the toes were decorated with crystals.
What did the Groom wear?
Ben wore a Jeff Banks morning suit in grey. He wanted the best man to wear mint green cravats and then the rest of the groomsmen wore ivory cravats. Ben chose the suit himself although he did consult with me to see if I approved!
How did you entertain your guests?
We had a live band, Tommy and The Fuse who are also one of Manor By The Lake’s recommended suppliers. They were amazing! They had everybody up dancing and were a huge hit. Everyone loved them and they still comment on them now. The photobooth was also a huge hit, there was a queue for it all night!
We also had quite a few children at our wedding so decided to have a kids table. We made activity packs for them, including colouring and sticker books as well as disposable cameras. We included a list of photos to take so they felt part of the day and were entertained throughout the wedding breakfast.
We had garden games as well, and with our wedding being so close to Easter, Ben’s mum did an Easter Egg Hunt for the children around the manor grounds. They had masks, instructions and designed bags to put their eggs into. This kept them busy and made sure they had fun whilst we had photos taken during the reception.
How did you both feel on the day?
There was a huge range of emotions, Ben was stressed the morning of the wedding ensuring everything was where we wanted it although we needn’t have worried, the staff at the manor were amazing! We were also emotional, especially as I walked down the aisle, it was such a rush of happy emotion it came out in tears. Ben’s speech also made me cry, as did my dad’s.
What parts of the day stood out most?
I think the part that stands out most for the both of us is probably when we saw each other for the first time. I walked into the ceremony room and all eyes were on me but I just looked at Ben and we were both really emotional and just so, so happy! We had planned the day for so long and at times it was stressful but seeing him at the end of the aisle made it all worth it. I can’t express in words how I felt but it was an amazing feeling. Ben said when he saw me all the nerves and the stress just disappeared and he just felt overwhelmed with emotion.
Any funny stories or unusual anecdotes from the day?
We had an ongoing joke before the wedding about setting up the maid of honour and best man, we even got Tommy into it and got him to dedicate a song to them! They both acted embarrassed when Tommy announced it, despite them being joined at the hip for the past few hours. Either way, our joke backfired and they did end up together!
Was there anything or anyone that made your day extra special?
There are so many people that helped make our day that extra bit special. Our photographers were amazing and I was also lucky enough that one of my bridesmaids does hair and makeup, she did an amazing job and we have been friends for so long it was a lovely experience for the both of us.
The staff at the manor were amazing, they made sure everything ran smoothly and they got everything right, they decorated the venue even more perfectly than I could have imagined, they took a huge amount of stress off our shoulders and we trusted them 100%.
Where did you go for your honeymoon?
We went to Riveria Maya in Mexico for 10 days and we chose the destination together.
We flew 4 days after the wedding and it was amazing. We had the honeymoon suite for the duration of our honeymoon and our hotel was amazing, we went on some great trips including swimming with dolphins!
Suppliers
Photography: Novel Focus Photography – www.novelfocusphotography.co.uk
Dress: Poulton Bridal Lounge – www.poultonbridallounge.com
Accessories: Poulton Bridal Lounge – www.poultonbridallounge.com
Bridesmaids Dresses: Little Mistress – www.little-mistress.com
Grooms & Groomsmen Outfits: Debenhams – www.debenhams.com
Flowers: Eden of Cleeve – www.edenofcleeve.co.uk
Entertainment: Tommy and The Fuse – www.tommyandthefuse.com
