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Early days…
Katy and Matthew met through mutual friends and had been together for 13 years when they got married.
The proposal…
While on holiday in Ibiza, Matthew proposed to Katy as the sun was setting. Her engagement ring is a vintage-inspired diamond set in platinum.
Hen and stag parties…
Katy's sister organised a surprise hen party to include seven of her closest friends. The bride-to-be didn't have a clue that they were going to Disneyland in Paris until she got on the plane. "We had lots of Champagne and laughs. I was dressed up as either Mini Mouse or Tinkerbell and had a good flirt with Mickey and Pluto!"
Dan, the best man, organised a skiing weekend in Laax, Switzerland for seven lads. "We stayed at a really cool hotel-cum-hostel called Riders Palace where there was a DJ or band each night. Suffice it to say, each night was a late one but luckily, the next day's skiing and mountain air cleared the head," says Matt.
On the first day's skiing, they were stranded on the mountain. "We took a wrong turn on the last run of the day and ended up having to walk at least a mile back up the run in our ski boots with all our equipment. I thought it was a joke and that something had been arranged for us to camp out on the mountain. It wasn't, and over an hour later we found the run again and made our way back to the village, skiing in the dark. Not funny at the time but we all look back on it and laugh now."
The venues…
Katy attended regular services at St Mary and All Saints Church as a child with her sister and grandmother, and having lost her grandmother the previous year, it was very important to have that connection. In addition, the church holds many happy family memories, including her own parents' marriage. They booked the church six months in advance.
"Having been searching for some time for the perfect reception venue, our fantastic photographers, Lord & Leverett, recommended Highclere Castle. From the moment that we visited the website we were hooked, and it fitted perfectly with our vintage, traditional theme. It was some drive from our church but we felt it was well worth the journey for us and all our guests," says Katy.
The attendants…
Katy's bridesmaids were Catherine Johnson, the groom's sister, and her best friends Serena O'Hara and Sara Broom. The maid of honour was her sister Lucy Heskins. The bridesmaids wore charcoal strapless dresses from Monsoon, accented with simple pearl necklaces, each in a different style, and vintage-style clutch bags from Accessorize. The flower girl was Ellie Gabb and she also wore a dress from Monsoon. The ushers were Darren Thomas, Charles Joliffe, Ian Holt, Miles Anderson, Paul Childs and Steve Gabb, and the best man was Daniel Broom.
The dress…
Katy's vintage/boho-style dress by Jenny Packham was inspired by a butterfly theme. "I borrowed my grandmother's engagement ring from my mum which had a blue stone in it and that was sewn into my dress. My dress was the 'new' and I carried an old lace handkerchief which belonged to my grandmother." Her wedding ring was her grandmother's eternity ring.
The transport…
Katy and Matthew were transported in a vintage Rolls Royce.
The decorative touches…
The theme of the day was vintage. The table centrepieces were glass candelabas with flowers at the base - sweet avalanche roses, peonies, sweet peas, freesias and lily of the valley. The favours were hand-made by Katy and her mum. They were lavender fabric hearts with 'thank you' messages on the front. The children were given heart-shaped goodie baskets filled with items "to keep the children amused throughout the reception".
The best bits…
For Katy and Matthew, the service was the most amazing part of their day, followed by the wonderful speeches given by Matt, Katy's Dad, Katy's sister and best man, Dan. "Not one thing went wrong on the day, although Michelle at Highclere would have dealt with anything too efficiently before we would ever have noticed. I was 30 minutes late for our service, which was bit naughty and not planned," Katy admits.
The honeymoon…
Matt booked the honeymoon five days before the wedding day. They headed for Soneva Fushi by Six Senses in the Maldives. "You don't realise how tired you will be after the wedding, so it was the perfect way to relax and take in the whole experience. Soneva Fushi was amazing and we definitely recommend it for a top class experience," Katy says.
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