DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

DANCE THEnight awayLisa and Nick tied the knot at Woldingham Golf Club Images courtesy of irockvisuals

Lisa and Nick met online. “After talking via messenger for a few weeks, we decided to meet in person and hit it off right away,” says Lisa. “We discovered that we have a mutual love for music and similar interests. Our first date was in Wimbledon, and it went so well that we arranged to meet again that evening.”

Nick proposed on Christmas morning. “He called me into the living room and got down on one knee in front of the Christmas tree,” shares the bride. “It was totally unexpected, and I was so surprised that it took me a while to register what was happening and answer him. I later found out that he had spoken to my mum and let our daughters in on, and they were there on Christmas morning to witness it.”

Here the bride shares some of her favourite moments from their big day...

When we drove up to Woldingham Golf Club, we were impressed by the views and open space. It was very picturesque. We loved that it had a country house feel, and the staircase which led up to the ceremony room was stunning. The wedding spaces were bright and spacious, with doors that led out to a large balcony overlooking the golf course and surrounding hills.

Our favours were heart-shaped chocolates in white boxes. We gave the children personalised boxes with sweets, a colouring book and a game inside. I wanted the flowers to have a textured look, especially the bouquets. My florist, who was a friend, used memory lane roses, purple lisianthus and lilac freesias. For the flowergirls, I chose a gypsophila head garland and wicker hearts decorated with flowers for them to hold.

We both love music and going to live gigs, so we decided to use our favourite bands as table names.

We wanted to keep the decorations quite simple, so we opted for a garland on the staircase, organza bows on the Chivari chairs and topiary trees at the top table, along with a beautiful top table display. We also honoured my dad, who had sadly passed, with a memory sign on the chair he would have sat on along with a candle burning for other family members who are no longer with us.

The dress I wore was from my friend Sara’s bridal boutique, Together Forever Brides. It was a soft fit-and-flare silhouette with delicate lace over a subtle layer of sequins. The colour of the dress was nude with an ivory lace overlay and delicate beading. The back was finished with satin buttons and a medium-length train. This was the last dress I tried on and as soon as I put it on Sara said my face lit up, and I knew it was the one. Along with the expected nerves and excitement, I knew it was going to be an emotional day as my dad would not be there to give me away. I had decided to ask my mum, but in the week running up to the wedding, she was admitted to hospital and was unable to attend. This was heartbreaking for us both and made the day even harder, but I had great support from my aunt Debbie who was my maid-of-honour and my daughters Beth and Briony, who helped me get through it.

We hired a Regent Landaulette from Premier Carriage Wedding Cars.

Nick looked very dapper in a navy three-piece suit from Hugo Boss. He chose a pink tie, matching pocket square and an engraved silver pocket watch that I had given him as a wedding gift. The groomsmen wore three-piece suits by Ted Baker, which were a different shade of navy. We had five bridesmaids, two flowergirls and one bridesman. The bridesmaids were of different ages, so I said that they could all choose what style they preferred and felt comfortable in but asked for it to be a mauve colour. The bridesman opted for a mink-coloured suit with a waistcoat and bow tie, which went well with the dresses.

For our evening entertainment, we chose to book Mark Jordan from London and Surrey DJ. He was absolutely fantastic! The dancefloor was never empty, and we danced the night away, with many of our guests telling us how much they enjoyed it and how good they thought the DJ was. We discussed what we would like and he even did a remix of Duran Duran songs especially for me, which was great.

Seeing how beautiful my bridal party looked, having my uncle step in and walk me down the aisle, Nick’s reaction when he saw me and most importantly, our first kiss as husband and wife were all wonderful moments. I was so nervous I made a mistake when repeating my vows, which made everyone giggle.

My brother gave the father-of-the-bride speech in place of my dad. He did a heartfelt and emotional speech that I was very proud of. Nick’s brother, who was the best man, had a mishap in the morning and lost his car keys. He had left his speech notes in the car, so he had to make it up, but he managed to still embarrass the groom. We also had an unexpected speech from my daughters that was funny and had everyone laughing. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, we decided to hold off on going abroad and booked a minimoon in the UK. We found a cosy little cottage in the Cotswolds and had a very enjoyable and relaxing five days. We have since booked a honeymoon in Zante.

LISA AND NICK’S CONTACTS

Venue and catering, Woldingham Golf Club, www.woldinghamgc.co.uk | Photographer, irockvisuals, www.irockvisuals.com | Bride’s dress and accessories, Together Forever Brides, www.togetherforeverbrides.co.uk | Groom’s suit, Hugo Boss | Groomsmen’s suits, Ted Baker | Hair and make-up artist, Emily Joanna Hair & Makeup, www.emilyjeventshairandmakeup.com | Cake, Cakes by Bells, www.cakesbybells.com | Flowers, Tara Buckley | Transport, Premier Carriage Wedding Cars, www.premiercarriage.co.uk | Entertainment, London and Surrey DJ, www.londonandsurreydj.com

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Irock v v i s u a l s

Photography business based in Surrey, I love to capture that natural moment - part of which makes a photo so special. I am flexible to my customers ’ needs and will discuss any project with you to make sure I achieve your desired specification. I really enjoy being able to record that ‘ unique ’ shot and turning your moments into cherished memories.

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07876 253 562 eray@irockvisuals.com