Something Borrowed Spring 2014

Borrowed

planning fashion advice ideas competitions

something

The wedding magazine for Dorset couples

Spring 2014

A chance for you to experience beautiful views and outstanding service The Riviera Hotel Wedding Fayre

Complimentary entry

Sunday 9th February 2014 12noon - 4pm

Bubbly and canapĂŠs on arrival

Here at the Riviera Hotel we are pleased to confirm we will be holding our first Autumn Wedding Fayre on Sunday 9th February 2013.

A chance for you to experience beautiful views and outstanding services. The Riviera will be showcasing some of the best local suppliers including photographers and florists.

For more information about The Riviera Hotel Wedding fayre or to register your interest, please email: silva@rivierabournemouth.co.uk or steph@rivierabournemouth.co.uk Join us on Sunday 9th February for a glimpse at how perfect your wedding day can be !

Alum Chine, Bournemouth BH4 8JF info@rivierabournemouth.co.uk 01202 763 653 www.rivierabournemouth.co.uk

View our beautiful function suites Meet our experienced wedding co-ordinators View the bridal suite Win a Weekend break for 2 Local exhibitors

Tanita Cox

Tanita has recently graduated from Winchester University and now helps us out.

Karen Strong

Karen is working with the Something Borrowed team during her third year at University.

Jody Connolly

Jody (with the help of 3 month old George) proof reads the magazine.

What’s inside

Happy New Year!

2014 collection

We’ve researched wedding venue packages, met two

wedding dress experts, heard three wedding stories, made a wedding postbox, seen

some first dance photos and

enjoyed stories of 90s and 00s weddings!

Ten.Six.Eight Photography tensixeight.com

www.somethingborrowedmagazine.co.uk

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www.dorsetdubhire.com

01202 848857

At Dorset Dubhire we offer beautiful, chauffeur driven classic VW wedding transport in our two vintage campers, Lulu and Lottie and 1965 Beetle Lilah.

We will help your day to run smoothly and provide a relaxed, enjoyable journey for you and your bridal party, along with plenty of photo opportunities.

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Our campers can seat up to 6 passengers, so are perfect for the groom’s party too!

UCINGetle INTROuD e r 1965 B

LILAH,

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IN G BRIDAL SALON

The

Awards

Established 1983 01305 269555 mail@wedding-time.com 15 High East Street, Dorchester, DT1 1HH

F I 2013 T NA L I S

WWW.WEDDING-TIME.COM

Dorset

Wedding Supplier

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@WeddingTimeUK

01202 849990

www.miasolano.co.uk

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BLISS BRIDAL BOUTIQUE Stunning bridalwear and bridesmaids Curvier brides collection • Mother of the bride Friendly advice and experienced fitting 14-16 Castle Street | Christchurch | Dorset | BH23 1DT 01202 980951 blissbridalwear.co.uk

Annabel

Tobago

Chambery

Bailey

The Courtyard Craft Centre, Lytchett Minster, BH16 6BA

Tel: 01202 625494

www.courtyardbridal.co.uk

A fairytale setting…

Wedding Open Days in 2014 Tel: 01202 816074 www.the-italian-villa.co.uk Compton Acres, 164 Canford Cliffs Road, Poole BH13 7ES

Sunday 19th January Sunday 18th May Sunday 12th October 11am – 4pm

®

Where did your passion for the wedding industry start?

I have always worked in the wedding industry from an early age as my mum and grandfather were head chefs! When I left school, I went to work for the De Vere Grand Harbour and the rest is history!

What is, in your opinion, the most important aspect of what you do?

We are all about our customers – we laugh with them, we smile and we are honest. Yes, it is nice to sell a wedding dress but it is more important to have a happy and relaxed bride so we are just us... and we normally misbehave!!!

What do you love about brides?

The diversity...we have met brides from all over the world, all with different ideas, perceptions and budgets. No two brides are the same which makes our job even more special and sometimes they surprise us..... the girl who wants a slim plain dress because she is shy and gentle will sometimes walk out of the shop with the biggest fairytale gown covered in bling! We just love meeting new girls and helping them achieve their dream day.

Is there any advice you would want to give to a bride trying to find the perfect dress?

We would suggest trying on as many different styles as possible so that the bride can rule out designs too. We have heard lots of brides say... if only I had tried that on...or I wonder what that would have looked like .... before you make the all important purchase, make sure you have ruled out every other dress. This is your day and is all about YOU. The only other thing is to just bring someone with you who will give you a true answer when you ask them if they like a gown. Some brides bring lots of friends, which is not always helpful as everyone has an opinion and the bride gets confused.

Choosing your dress should be a happy and relaxed experience and not stressful and a chore.

Sam and Mark Everard, Mia Solano UK distribution.

What items should every bride have on their wedding day?

A partner and a venue! Nothing else matters!!

Brides get too worried about remembering every little detail and trying to impress their family and friends. The wedding day is about the two people making their vows and that is all that is important.

Can you describe your collection in five words?

Amazing!! Five words...that’s hard!

Diverse – we have every shape, strap option, you name it, we can do it – even down to changing lace to zips or the other way Affordable – all of our dresses are under £1200, with most under £1000 Designer – Mia Solano is a leading name in the bridal industry Quality – the Mia Solano gowns are all created in luxurious fabrics with attention to detail and proper structuring Popular – most brides that come through the door try on our dresses as they are very special and “Mia Solano” means “my one and only”

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Sam and Mark on their wedding day in 1999.

M1450Z ALLYSON

What is the best way to look after your dress after the big day?

Have the dress cleaned and then boxed in an acidfree box. The storage boxes come in different sizes to fit every dress style.

What dress would you choose to get married in yourself?

My dress was beautiful...and handmade by a very special lady! I had a fitted dress in silk with a lace bodice and a train that was held on with roses and separate to the dress...it was fairly plain as I am not a fussy girl and extremely covered at the top (because I am sweet and innocent)!!!

What’s been the biggest highlight of your career to date?

There have been two...the Prince’s Trust actually believing in me and helping me to set up the company, which has led me on to the business I have now and Mia Solano offering us the distribution rights for Europe. Now we can proudly say that all the dresses in our store and in our catwalks are ours.

36

Nicola takes five minutes with us to answer our questions about her job in the industry.

Who is Nicola Anne?

I’m Nicola Harvey–Rowley and I’ve been passionate about designing from an early age. My flair has developed from admiring period costume in TV dramas and the theatre.

During my apprenticeship at a children’s clothing company, I had the chance to establish my own business with support from the Prince’s Trust.

Just over two decades later, my company has grown considerably and I’m delighted to be supplying handmade couture gowns at selected stockists all over the UK and Europe.

Tell us about your design process Every gown is designed and handmade by a dedicated team of seamstresses in Hinckley, Leicestershire with an exceptional high standard to quality and detail.

How do you name your dresses?

For the last collection I used names that my 12 year old daughter had come up with. But usually I research girls names from around the world.

Occasionally we may name a new gown after children of friends and staff.

What gives you inspiration?

This comes from absolutely anywhere! Sometimes even men’s suits. The ideas usually come to me in the night and I have to sketch it quickly so that I can sleep again!!

Important thing for brides to remember?

Remember your future husband in all the planning. The wedding is something to treasure and recall happy memories as your life together starts.

What’s the best part of your job?

This would be the many Designer Days I have done with my stockists. I get to spend the day at the beautiful bridal shops that stock our collection and personally meet their brides to discuss choices of gowns from our collections. It is an absolute pleasure to be part of their important day.

Nicola Anne gowns are available from Courtyard Bridal in The Courtyard Craft Centre, Lytchett Minster, BH16 6BA

MORTONS HOUSE HOTEL

Stunning Setting, Award Winning Food & Attentive Service This stunning 16th century Elizabethan Manor House Hotel in pretty Corfe Castle offers an intimate, romantic venue for your special day.

Contact Beverly Clayton bev@mortonshouse.co.uk Tel: 01929 480988

WWW.MORTONSHOUSE.CO.UK

Licensed Professional and Catered To You 07711 019119 07969 052649 hardy690@msn.com A & D Mobile Bars

17 Seamoor Road Westbourne Bournemouth BH4 9AA 01202 765352 www.fabfrocks.co.uk

UP TO ÂŁ1400 OF PRIZES TO BE WON www.fabfrocks.co.uk/moda

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I’d always dreamed of having a wedding in May or September and we both liked the idea of having bluebells as our flowers. This idea was ditched later on but meant that we settled on May. Then came the decision of which year?! Had it not been for the generosity of our parents we’d have had to wait a bit but lucky for us we were given exactly what we needed and the date was set for May 2013.

Planning was difficult to begin with as we both had so many different ideas, we even picked a venue and a date and then changed our minds!

However, by the tail end of 2012 we’d settled on having the ceremony at ‘The Willows’ in Bournemouth Town Hall followed by a reception at the Shell Bay Seafood Restaurant, Studland. The restaurant was a no-

Photos by Tim-Churchill.com

orin and I had been seriously talking about getting married for about 6 months by the time he finally popped the question.

We’d even picked out a ring that we both loved and I must admit I was getting pretty antsy (as friends can testify) waiting for it to happen!

Anyway, I’m glad I did wait because it was perfect. You see, Lorin knew exactly how he wanted to do it but needed good weather to make it happen. The weekend of the 19th August 2012 was perfect weather and we planned to head off for a bike ride on the sunny Sunday morning. We were up early and packed a flask of coffee and croissants for breakfast and headed off along Bournemouth sea front. Stopping off in Sandbanks for breakfast we then caught the chain ferry over to Studland and cycled off-road across the heath to where a large rock sits on a hill overlooking Brownsea Island. This is where Lorin asked me to be his wife and it was so romantic....

brainer really as the area was already very special to us and the view from the huge windows was the same as from where Lorin had proposed. It also has a good reputation for food, which was a big deal to us.

I already had my photographer. I’d known for ages from seeing other people’s photos that I wanted Tim Churchill Photography. So, as soon as I had a date I was onto him.

With the venue and the photographer booked, we started on the rest. We wanted a laid back day without a formal wedding breakfast (or a table plan!) so opted for a BBQ. Lorin had firm ideas about what he wanted from the food so we wrote our own menu, which included; steak, prawn skewers, sea bass and plenty more, finishing with chocolate and raspberry tort and Eton Mess. We also had Pimms and canapés on arrival and plenty of wine. Cass, the wedding planner at the restaurant, was fab. They priced up what we’d chosen and had us over for a tasting session to confirm the details.

Rather than choose a colour scheme we decided to use the natural setting as our theme and based most things around the beach and the sea. We found some beautiful drift wood tea-light candle holders in The Range that had a hole in the middle that perfectly fitted one of the water glasses out of our kitchen cupboard filled with sand and shells. These made gorgeous centre pieces and the tables were finished off with a number of smaller glass tea-light holders and scattered shells. Rather than using traditional chair sashes we brought a roll of builders hessian and spent hours cutting it into the right length strips. It was laborious but worth it! I created my own tuck shop with sweets from the wholesalers, which were all sea themed and baskets from the floristry wholesalers. One of my favourite purchases was a hand crafted apple crate with ‘Mr & Mrs Taranis, EST 10 May 2013’ stencilled on the side. We used this as our post box for gifts and cards but plan to reuse it as a log basket when we get a wood burner fitted in our new home.

We were determined to have a good party atmosphere in the evening and spent ages looking for a band. We were recommended a band, which a friend had seen at a wedding she’d been to. Unfortunately, when

we contacted the agency we were told they had split up. They sent us web links for some other bands on their books that they said were similar and with some trepidation we settled on ‘The Hoops’. We need not have worried, they were fantastic and the dance floor was packed all night. We’d recommend them to anyone.

What about THE DRESS I hear you say... Well, this was something I was really proud of. I’d seen how expensive they could be and our budget just didn’t stretch to that so I knew I’d have to be creative. I searched and searched and was starting to worry I wouldn’t find the one.

Luckily, totally by chance, I stumbled on Destiny Brides round the corner from my sister’s house.

They had a number of second hand dresses at reasonable prices and were really helpful. I tried on a few of the dresses but ended up with a beautiful floor length bridesmaid dress in ivory. There were a few things I didn’t like but the fit/style was lovely and I felt great. With a few alterations I knew it would be perfect. The whole thing including alterations cost me £214 and I was so pleased with the result. My hair and makeup was done by a friend as was the bridesmaids and my shoes were £20 from

Enjoy the wedding you want We don’t just put a roof over your head - we can also supply furniture, lighting, licensed bars and even a location to put it all in!

Wilkswood Relaxed wedding venue with glamping capabilities

07872 824669 01929 439177

01202 533014

camelotmarquees.com

wilkswood.co.uk

Photo by Becky Wellford Photography

www.camelotmarquees.com

New Look. My jewellery was a gift from my mum, which we chose together from Ernest Jones.

My best piece of advice to anyone getting married is pick the things that are most important to YOU to spend your budget on, whether that’s the dress, the venue, the flowers or whatever. For us it was the band, the food and for me particularly the photographer. Everything else just slots into place around it. We saved money by my Dad and the Best Man wearing their own suits and

“ “ Lorin wore a gorgeous suit he already had with a new shirt and cufflinks. Our cake, which was chocolate sponge covered in raspberries and cream and tasted yummy was made by Lorin’s Mum. The bridesmaid dresses came from very.com and were just £108 each but looked gorgeous and I saved up my Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for my wedding ring from Goldsmiths.

All in all it genuinely was the best day of my life and I’d love to do it all again.

CEREMONY VENUE: The Willows, bournemouth.gov.uk RECEPTION VENUE: Shellbay Seafood Restaurant, shellbay.net DRESS: Destiny Brides, destinybrides.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Churchill, tim-churchill.com

This year saw the first annual Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards where local wedding businesses gathered together to celebrate the industry and all of the people who work hard to make getting married in Dorset a pleasure!

If you are looking for local suppliers that have a proven level of quality and reliability, then you should consider the winners of the awards- these businesses underwent a challenging and detailed analysis to determine their winning place!

The

Dor

Wedding

Awa

Photos from the Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards 2013. Thanks to Aliette photography & Ten.Six.Eight photography

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Fab Frocks - fabfrocks.co.uk Sweet Serenity - sweetserenity.co.uk Concept Flowers - conceptflowers.co.uk Smiley Booth - smileybooth.co.uk Beales Gourmet - bealesgourmet.com Bellissimo - bellissimo-weddings.co.uk Sian Stone - sianstone.co.uk Tara Sanger - makeupbytara.co.uk Nick Rutter Photography - nickrutterphotography.co.uk Dorset Mobile Bar - dorsetmobilebar.co.uk Luxury Little Rooms - luxurylittlerooms.co.uk Dorset Dub Hire - dorsetdubhire.com Transport: The Italian Villa - the-italian-villa.co.uk Venue: Harbour Bay - harbourbay.co.uk Videographer: Lovely Jubbly Designs - lovelyjubblydesigns.com Stationery: Party Dexx - partydexx.co.uk Entertainment (musical): Tiaras by Becky - tiarasbybecky.co.uk Wedding Accessory: FJB Hotels - fjbcollection.co.uk People’s Choice: The Italian Villa - the-italian-villa.co.uk Best Wedding Business Contribution to the Wedding Industry Melanie Kiani - bellissimo-weddings.co.uk Attire: Cake: Florist: Entertainment (non-musical): Caterer: Wedding Planner: Wedding Hair: Wedding Make-up: Photographer: Wedding Extra:

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13 Sponsored by

Find your perfect

If you’re starting your wedding planning, then a venue is pretty much step one. From there you can set the date, book your suppliers and send your invites, so to help you see what’s available in Dorset, we’ve rounded up some of the county’s finest wedding venues.

Whether it’s a beach view or countryside location that you’re after, Dorset has something to suit everyone.

Take a look below and see for yourself.

The Italian Villa

www.the-italian-villa.co.uk

Anyone who has visited The Italian Villa will know that a wedding here is elegant, sophisticated and beautiful. The villa itself has plenty of room for larger weddings, but also perfectly suits smaller celebrations.

All inclusive wedding package for 60 guests from just £3,950 (extra guests from £55 per person) includes; • • •

• •

Exclusive hire of all 3 floors of the Italian Villa and designated area of the Italian Garden.

Use of Compton Acres Grade II listed gardens for photos and for your guests to enjoy.

Villa Drinks Package: 1 glass of Bucks Fizz per guest for the welcome drink 2 glasses of house wine per guest with the meal 1 glass of sparkling wine for the toasts Jugs of iced water 3 course Wedding Breakfast menu with coffee and chocolates Evening buffet

Mortons House Hotel

www.mortonshouse.co.uk Mortons House Hotel is a family run, privately owned hotel and has a dedicated Wedding Co-ordinator on hand, to guide you through your wedding plans and help make your day special. Mortons House has all the ingredients for your perfect, romantic wedding.

Packages are bespoke at Mortons House, and each couple is given a price that reflects their needs and dreams.

However, to give an idea of costs a inclusive price for 60 guests is £4,200 and this includes; • • • • • •

Wedding ceremony room hire Wedding reception room hire 3 course wedding banquet 1/2 a bottle of wine per person Champagne for a toast Wedding Co-ordinator to organise your event

Riviera Hotel

rivierabournemouth.co.uk

Renowned for its friendly, happy atmosphere, you will feel welcome at the Riviera from the moment you arrive. They are licensed for Civil Ceremonies and have three private rooms available for your wedding reception which can accommodate 20-140 guests.

Packages start from £999 for up to 50 guests: • • • • • • • • •

Free ceremony room hire Arrival drink of Bucks Fizz or alcoholic fruit punch 2 course meal (From menu choice A) 1 glass of wine with your meal and a glass of bubbly with the toast Free evening room hire Free cake stand and knife Wedding Co-ordinator to organise your event Master of Ceremonies to ensure smooth running of your day Complimentary superior room with breakfast

The Silent Woman Inn

www.thesilentwoman.co.uk This traditional Dorset Inn is located in the heart of Wareham Forest, surrounded by its own beautiful gardens. Your wedding ceremony can take place in one of the Inn’s rooms or within the Garden Gazebo.

The Oak Room and Garden Gazebo can hold up to 60 guests, and if the Garden Gazebo is booked the cost of hiring the Oak Room is waived. All menus can be altered to suit your tastes and budget. The ethos is it is your day so the Inn builds their part around your desires.

Venue hire prices for the Garden Gazebo package start from £650.

• • • • • •

Exclusive hire of the Inn Wedding planner on hand throughout your planning 3 course Wedding Breakfast from £20.50 per head Evening buffet from £8 per head Drinks packages from £12 per head Hog roasts and BBQ options also available

Smedmore

www.bluebayevents.co.uk

©One Thousand Words

With its Georgian façade, walled gardens and breathtaking sea views, Smedmore House is a truly unique venue in Kimmeridge, Dorset, for beautiful wedding ceremonies and receptions. Your ceremony can take place in a choice of three spaces, including a space in our stunning walled garden.

Our packages start at £2,400. We have no restrictions on catering providers and our wedding planner can help you find all the suppliers you need to create your big day. Hire includes; • • • • •

Exclusive hire of the whole house and grounds for your wedding weekend to accommodate up to 14 guests Hire of our spacious front lawn with sea views for a wedding marquee Full wedding planner service Use of walled gardens for photographs and drinks reception Hire of ceremony spaces

Farmer Palmer’s

Wedding Venues

www.somethingborrowedmagazine.co.uk Set back from the main park, your wedding will be held in a clearspan marquee, overlooking the serene Dorset countryside. Your wedding will have private use of the field, as well as parking and overnight camping (additional costs apply) and access to the park for children. You can bring in your own caterers, alcohol and entertainment DIY wedding packages are £5,450 and include; • Exclusive hire of marquee and field • Clearspan marquee for up to 100 seated guests (300 standing) • All furniture, marquee fittings, power and toilets • Entry to the farm park for younger guests

Beach Weddings Bournemouth

www.beachweddingsbournemouth.co.uk

©Emma Lucy Photography

At Beach Weddings Bournemouth we don’t do stuffy and formal weddings - we are different! We offer our couples the opportunity to marry right on the sand - we don’t “overlook” the beach - we are actually on it! Our award winning venue and team will look after you throughout and you will have the most chilled out and fun wedding day you could have imagined - and you don’t need to go abroad to do it.

Ceremonies start from as little as £1,350. A ceremony and wedding breakfast starts from £4,125 for 50 guests.

• • • •

Full day hire of the wedding hut and marquee Includes catering tent and entrance porch All furniture and internal fittings for the marquee Catering for 50 guests from the BBQ menu

Sadie & Kevin Smith

How long was your engagement?

We got engaged April 1991. Our engagement was 1 year 4 months.

What was the date of your wedding?

8 August 1992.

What was the approximate cost of your wedding?

In the region of £5000.

Did you have any assistance with paying for the wedding?

We were lucky enough that both sets of parents contributed to our wedding financially & on a more practical level me and my mum did all the church and reception flowers.

Where was the wedding held?

We got married at St. Hubert’s church in Corfe Mullen, followed by a reception at Corfe Mullen Village Hall.

How many guests did you have?

We had around 100 guests in the day and another 50 or so joined us in the evening.

Tell us about your wedding day.

We got married quite young compared to these days. We were friends for a while and it just naturally progressed into a relationship.

We bought our first home the year we were getting married, so the wedding budget was very tight as all our money was being used for renovations, but I still very much wanted the big white wedding so the compromise for me was to do as much of it ourselves to cut costs. We had a traditional church wedding for 100 people as we have quite a big family. We decided that by having our reception in the local village hall, we could spend money on other things like photography, cars and the all-important dress.

I was lucky enough to be working at Barclays at the time, and they had lots of staff discounts agreed with local businesses and this included the bridal shop where I’d seen the dress of my dreams. My dress is the one item which we didn’t skimp on. I had the exact dress I wanted, which was a designer gown, very big with a long train and full veil - very 90’s!

A local lady made the bridesmaids dresses, so these were bespoke to us. I knew in my head what I wanted them to wear but just couldn’t find it, so this was the perfect solution and so much more personal.

One of our biggest expenses was the photography, we chose a photographer by reputation rather than cost, it was worth every penny, our photos were stunning.

We hired caterers for the wedding, and had a sit down meal. As it was the height of summer, we chose a summer menu of cold meats and salads followed by summer puddings.

The evening reception was your typical wedding disco, with a party food buffet. lots of our work colleagues joined us in the evening and we had a wonderful party.

Our wedding was a very emotional day. I had planned it with precision and being such a close family everyone was involved. Tragically, a couple of months before our wedding my sister passed away. She was really excited about our forth coming wedding and not to have her there was extremely difficult for everyone. After much discussion we decided to go ahead with our wedding as she would of wanted us to.

Where did you go on Honeymoon?

The honeymoon was our biggest difference of opinion. Kev loves mountains and the great outdoors and I wanted to go to the Seychelles.

I did back down on this one as I had my way with every aspect of the wedding so I thought the least I could do was let Kev choose the honeymoon, so mountains in Austria it was!

Weddings at Farmer Palmer’s

Relaxed and fun weddings with country style!

01202 657441 weddings@somethingborrowedmagazine.co.uk

ates 2014 d ble a avail

East Holton, Poole, Dorset BH16 6JN 07842 900069 weddings@holtonlee.co.uk www.holtonlee.co.uk The blank canvas for your day

Exclusive Wedding & Events Caterers

Photo by samfrostweddings.com

t. 01202 700 992 e. info@bealesgourmet.com

www.bealesgourmet.com

Beales Gourmet Ltd, Compton Acres, 164 Canford Cliffs Road, Poole BH13 7ES

www.holtonlee.co.uk

tel: 07970 541285 EMAIL: stuart@tensixeight.com www.tensixeight.com BUMP TO BABY // Location // Commercial // Events // Portrait // WeddingS

Rachel & Jack Constantine

Rachel and Jack met through an after-school drama club and Rachel knew from the moment she saw him that she’d marry him one day.

Did you have any assistance with paying for the wedding?

Both sets of parents helped us, and we saved hard!

Where was your wedding venue?

We were married at Canford School - as soon as I saw it I knew it was perfect for us. It looked like a set from Harry Potter!

How many guests did you have?

We invited 100 guests to the ceremony and wedding breakfast and a further 50 people to the evening celebration.

What was the date of your wedding?

15th August 2009

Tell us about your wedding day.

My wedding day was good fun, it was based solely around our friends and family - we wanted them to laugh and enjoy themselves; we had a free bar, a singer during the wedding breakfast, a quiz, a dance off and a band and DJ session. I remember people laughing and smiling all day- it wasn’t just a smile on mine and Jack’s faces, I don’t think anyone looked sad that day!

What was the approximate cost of your wedding?

It came to about £10,000.

Where did you go on Honeymoon?

We honeymooned in Paris and Marrakesh 2 days in Paris and 5 days in Morocco.

How long was your engagement?

We got engaged on my 21st birthday - got married when I was 25 ( we had to postpone when I found out I was pregnant!)

John Paine Photography

M

ark and I met on a night out in Bournemouth when we were 18. I was home from Uni at the time but we swapped numbers and Mark came up to visit me in Nottingham a few weeks later and the rest, as they say, is history!

I think Mark had started feeling the pressure from family and friends as gradually one by one our friends were getting married. Mark’s favourite saying was ‘only fools rush in’. We later realised this was a lyric from the Elvis Presley song ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ and I ended up walking down the aisle to an instrumental version of the song.

Mark had been acting very secretively so I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but he took me completely by surprise when I came home after being out all day, about a week before Christmas, and he told me our cats had found a gift under the tree. When I opened it up it was a gorgeous ring and he got down on one knee in front out our Christmas tree and asked me to marry him. It was perfect!

We set the date quite quickly as I wanted to get started as soon as possible. We gave ourselves just under 18 months to plan. We chose the 25th May as firstly it was my late grandfather’s birthday, and also both our

real life birthdays fall on the 25th of the month so we thought it would tie in nicely. I did get a bit of stick for how early I got things booked and ticked off my never ending spreadsheets but we knew it would be expensive and wanted to spread the cost as much as possible.

We wanted to do as much as we could ourselves to keep costs down but one thing we didn’t want to scrimp on was the venue. We saw 14 potential venues but ended up choosing the Green House Hotel in Bournemouth, which was the first one we saw. It worked well for us as the vast majority of our guests had to travel and we could book exclusive use which included their 32 bedrooms, so we didn’t have to worry about any other guests staying in the hotel.

good few weeks to believe it was actually all over. I felt like I was in a dream all day and I was going to wake up and get to do it all again. I think because we had spent so long planning every detail we just wanted it to be perfect, which it was. My mum had a BBQ at her house the day after which was lovely as we could speak to everyone properly and it meant the celebrations carried on a bit longer.

We went on a cruise to the Canary Islands a week after our wedding. I don’t like flying so it seemed like a good option to have a sun holiday. It was really great as the holiday started as soon as we were on board without the hassle of busy airports and a long tiring flight. I don’t think I would have fitted in my dress when I got back though!

My dress was from Viva Bridal in West Byfleet, Surrey. It was a long way to go

John Paine Photography

Having been to six other weddings the year before ours, it was difficult to come up with our own style and originality but I think we ended up having a nice mix of vintage with modern and traditional. We did a lot ourselves, at one point I seemed to live in craft shops but it was lovely when people commented on all the small details we included.

Our wedding day was absolutely amazing, the weather was perfect; sunny but not too hot and it was lovely to see all of our friends and family in one place, which really doesn’t happen very often. It took me a

John Paine Photography

for a dress but I found the designer Allure online and fell in love with their dresses and unfortunately no local store stock them and I knew when I saw mine I had to try it!

Our suits were hired from Posh Togs in Moordown. They were really great in there, so helpful and very reasonably priced. As a surprise (only Mark and I knew) Mark hired a kilt to change into for the evening reception (as a lot of my family are Scottish). We hired this from Gibb Menswear. They were great, especially considering we only decided to do it the week before the wedding!

My gran made our cake. She lives near Inverness in Scotland so the logistics of her getting the cake to the wedding were difficult. My dad ending up driving there especially to pick up the cake and my gran!

We used John Paine as our photographer.

He was recommended by someone I work with and we are so glad we chose him. John and his wife Lesley both photographed us on the day. We loved their style. It was very natural but they also gave us direction when needed and we were thrilled when we saw the photos.

My uncle drove us from the church to the reception in his Bentley convertible. We were worried I wouldn’t fit with my dress but it was ok! Mark drove to the church with his best man in his dad’s beach buggy.

The Little White Heart Company, which is a wedding hire company set up by Mark’s sister and her husband, did our invitations and stationery and also provided our table centrepieces, guest book, favours, table plan, personalised signs and vintage suitcases.

They were really fab, it helped that we were family so we got the VIP treatment, they are only just starting up but we would definitely recommend them.

Our venue was the Green House Hotel in Bournemouth. It’s a gorgeous eco friendly boutique hotel. We had too many guests to have our wedding breakfast in the main dining room so we hired a marquee for the

All photography: John Paine Photography

garden. This actually worked out well as we could have a vintage, country wedding style in the marquee but the modern touches in the hotel. We used All Seasons Marquees who were brilliant. The hotel were amazing nothing ever seemed too much trouble and were even happy to go along with some of my crazier ideas. All our guests commented on the food & service.

We hired local band, The Elastic Party Band, to kick off our evening reception. They completely blew us away. They learnt our first dance song; Collide by Howie Day, which meant the world to us. Their version was actually better than the original! They then carried on with a mix of old classics to get everyone up on the floor with some new songs thrown in. The resident DJ then took over until the early hours!

We used local florist, Flaura Boutique in Southbourne. Laura was great, she knew exactly what I wanted even though I didn’t know myself and the flowers were absolutely stunning.

The Silent Woman Inn

Coldharbour, Wareham

01929 552909

Our traditional Dorset Inn, nestled in its own beautiful gardens, provides the perfect venue for your whole day.

Whether you require an intimate setting for only a few guests or have higher numbers in mind, we will provide you with your own unique wedding plan.

With a choice of venues, an award winning team and our total dedication to your day...

“...let us build the memories to last you a lifetime.”

The Silent Woman Inn Coldharbour Wareham Dorset BH20 7PA www.thesilentwoman.co.uk

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bookings@jackson3.co.uk 07789 934 698

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An ice sculpture is a truly captivating centrepiece for your wedding.

A unique touch that will leave your guests in awe! We can create anything to suit your wedding from small table centres, themed ice bars to large fountains made completely out of ice!

www.tiarasbybecky.co.uk www.facebook.com/tiarasbybecky

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From our readers... the First Dance

Your phot os

Jody & Kieran Lighthouse Family - High

Melanie & Sean Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl

Caroline & Leon The Lumineers - Hey Ho

Jen & Lee James Vincent McMorrow - Higher Love

You’re all dolled up in your finery and gliding down the aisle. The big moment has finally arrived and there he is, taking in your beauty with a teary eye. But would this be the case if he’d seen you 20 minutes ago?

Where the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other prior to the wedding originated is somewhat unclear. The Rema (Rabbi Moses Isserles) writes in the 16th century that bride and groom should only see each other in the company of chaperones in the run-up to their wedding. It is also said to be dated back to arranged marriages, when people believed that if the couple saw each other before the ceremony, it would give them a chance to change their minds about the wedding. The reasons couples do it now however are a bit more cheerful.

Giving each other that bit of space before the excitement of the ceremony minimises those pre wedding niggling issues that make it a stressful and perhaps unromantic time. But most importantly, absence makes the heart grow fonder and a little time apart makes that first glance up the aisle that bit more special.

The phrase ‘tying the knot’ is actually a literal translation. In many cultures such as Celtic, Hindu and Egyptian twine is used to bind the hands of the bride and groom. This symbolises the unity of the couple.

All over the world there are many meanings, but essentially the knot represents friendship, love, loyalty and togetherness.

Make it yourself

How to make your own...

An ornate post box at your wedding reception could be a unique, fun and interesting way of receiving cards, notes or wishes from your guests. Afterwards, use it as a keepsake or memory box from the big day. Here’s how we made ours‌

You will need: 2 or 3 boxes of varied sizes Fabric scraps (we got ours from a local charity shop!)

Scissors (or even better, a craft knife) Glue Stapler Ruler Pen Step 1 Mark and cut out the base of the smaller box / boxes and the lid of the larger ones.

Make sure to leave a rim of 2cms so there’s enough space for sticking them together.

Cut a slit of approx 1 cm into the lid of the smallest box for the notes.

Step 2 Wrap each box and lid in fabric or paper. We used a

thick white fabric to hide the print on the boxes.

Step 3 Wrap a second layer of finer fabric around the boxes loosely creating a ruched effect. We used a sheer white to add a bit of shimmer.

Secure the fabric with some glue and a staple or two.

Step 4 Cut a few strips of different fabric pieces and overlap to create an ornate ribbon like strip to decorate the post box.

Step 5 Use any spare strips to tie a loose bow and attach to the front of the post box for decoration.

S

o, you’ve just got engaged. You’ve called your family, screamed down the phone with your friends and done the all-important Facebook status announcing it to the world. Now what?

Firstly, try not to get overwhelmed. Your wedding planning only has to be as stressful as you let it. Keep telling yourself this as an hourly mantra if needs be and remember the reason you’re getting married. It’s not to impress your family and friends, it’s not to spend the most amount of money possible and it’s not to fall out with your bridesmaids over their dresses.

From here on in you have two choices. 1) plan your own wedding or 2) enlist the help of a professional wedding planner, such as Bellissimo Wedding Planners or Blue Bay Events. If you go with option 1, read on!

The initial stages of planning your wedding

may make you feel like a dog chasing your tail.

You’ve chosen your ideal date but the venue you’d like isn’t available or you’ve found the perfect venue but not for the date you’d like. It’s okay to stamp your feet and pout at this point. Let’s face it, it’s the one and only time you’re going to get away with it. Or at least when no one will say anything when you do it. Try getting a few dates from your ideal venue, that way, when you speak to the church or registrars, you can see what options best suit you.

If you want a specific time of day for your ceremony, it’s worth bearing in mind that some times are more popular than others - 11 am and 12 pm slots tend to get booked up quicker, so make sure you call as soon as you can!

Whether you’re having a two year or two month engagement, the process will be pretty much the same. Budget, plan, shop, re-budget, plan, shop with one or two bridezilla

moments thrown in. It is going to be more helpful if you and your fiance are working towards the same goal. Have a clear plan to start with to avoid arguments. If you’re not sure how you want your wedding day to be, use magazines, Pinterest and Google to narrow down a colour theme and ideas for the day.

It’s also best to get a timeline in place so you know when money needs to be paid, when suppliers need to be booked. The last thing you want it to end up with a £10,000 bill all in one month! Either buy a wedding planning book, dedicate a notebook to the wedding or create a spreadsheet (or five!) You and your partner could sit down and make a list of priorities that you agree on. This way you’ll know that you can’t compromise on those purchases but may have to elsewhere.

Now, stop staring at that rock on your hand and do something productive!

Replete Catering are a team of two - Guy, who manages front of house and Ben the chef.

Ben has been fortunate to travel to many countries around the world where he created a high level of inspirational cuisine.

Replete provide fresh, inspired and masterful food. repletecatering.com

The Silent Woman Inn has an open evening to showcase the wedding venue on Tuesday, 4th March from 6pm - 8.30pm.

Venue dressed Menu & wine tasting Dedicated planners Meet suppliers

Weddings have arrived at Farmer Palmer’s! Couples looking for a county-chic venue with plenty of entertainment for younger guests must take a look. Receptions take place in a clearspan marquee in a field set back from the farm park.

Farmer Palmer himself will provide tractor rides down to the farm for the kids!

thesilentwoman.co.uk

somethingborrowedmagazine.co.uk

A UNIQUE VENUE

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Event Manager at Beales Gourmet, Ebony Butler, has won the national Venus Award for Employee of the Year, following her regional victory in Dorset, meanwhile, Tony Beales, Managing Director of Beales Gourmet at The Italian Villa, was awarded Runner up at the 2013 Dorset Business Awards in the Entrepreneur of the Year category. Beales Gourmet Catering and The Italian Villa were both category winners in The Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards. the-italian-villa.co.uk & bealesgourmet.com

Bellissimo Weddings Planners are bringing another high-profile wedding fair to the RNLI this January.

Join some of the wedding elite at this helpful and bustling wedding fair.

January 19th 2014 10 am - 3 pm FREE entry RNLI.org/weddings

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Dorset

Awards 2013

WINNER

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Wedding Supplier

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Dorset Mobile Bar

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Replete Catering is a new and unique catering company offering high quality catering services for weddings and events all over Dorset.

Dorset’s friendliest mobile bar is ready to serve you and your guests.

From cocktails to Champagne, we’re fully equipped to make sure your big day is enjoyed by all.

You can also order through our wholesale company, southwestdrinks.co.uk.

sales@dorsetmobilebar.co.uk

01929 471455

www.dorsetmobilebar.co.uk

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create your dream day with the least amount of stress

• • • • •

Local knowledge, local people and local products The best venues and suppliers in the area Full event management Free consultation Venue finding

01929 509900 07590 596916

“Polly was fantastic from start to finish! I felt totally confident knowing that Polly was so on the ball. We had a fab day - thank you for all your help!”

Hollie

www.bluebayevents.co.uk

THE PRINT ROOM

for a wedding reception like no other

Situated in the cosmopolitan district of Bournemouth’s town centre, The Print Room is an elegant, award-winning and iconic wedding venue.

Set in the 1930s printing room, it offers a decadent and grand space for the most unique and glamorous of weddings.

Contact our wedding planner today for a no obligation consultation on

01202 789669 wwww.theprintroom-bournemouth.co.uk

Images courtesy of www.christianlawson.co.uk & www.carriebuggphotography.co.uk

The Print Room • Albert Road • Bournemouth • BH2 6HH

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a unique venue by the water’s edge

Located just a pebble’s throw away from the golden sandy beaches of Bournemouth, WestBeach fuses award-winning dining, an unparalleled location and breathtaking panoramic sea views. Recently recommended in the Good Food Guide 2014, WestBeach is the perfect place for beach lovers and foodies alike.

Contact our wedding planner today for a no obligation consultation on

01202 587785 www.west-beach.co.uk Images courtesy of www.carriebuggphotography.co.uk

WestBeach • Pier Approach • Bournemouth • BH2 5AA

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