Your Real Wedding
Alexis and Gary first met four and a half years ago at a friend’s party, but it wasn’t until they met again a year later that they went on a date. Alexis had “a great instinct” about Gary and knew there was something special about him.
The Proposal
Alexis and Gary got engaged whilst on an island in New Zealand. They were about an hour into a five hour walk when Gary popped the question overlooking the most amazing scenery. After 100 yesses Alexis spent the rest of the walk looking at her engagement ring whilst they talked about their wedding plans. The day ended with a beautiful sunset dinner overlooking the sea.
Wedding Theme
The wedding theme was black and white, and Alexis and Gary asked their guests to provide the colour with their outfits.
The Bride and Groom’s Outfits
Alexis wore a vintage style lace and tulle wedding dress, which was based on her dream dress she had seen in a magazine. Alexis bought her wedding dress in Edinburgh in a shop called Pan Pan, where she was very well looked after and made to feel very special.
Gary wore a black evening suit and black silk tie. He wore a thistle and some heather as his buttonhole for a bit of Scottish colour.
The Bridal Party
Alexis and Gary had a large bridal party, with three best men and four bridesmaids. The girls all wore jewel colours, an idea Alexis got from a make-up shoot she had done. The men all wore black suits with white ties.
Transport
As everyone was staying in lodges overlooking the loch they all just walked down a very muddy and wet track to the shore where the gazebo was. The bridesmaids did a great job of holding Alexis’s wedding dress up and out of the way of the mud. This was a very funny moment and the shrieks of laughter almost drowned out the piper who was in front of them!
Flowers
The wedding flowers were nice bright colours; hot pinks, lime greens, violets and blues. They used freesias, hydrangeas, berries and thistles, and the table centrepieces were black storm candles with black and white gerberas around them.
The Ceremony and Reception
The wedding ceremony and reception both took place at Loch Lomond Waterfront. The ceremony was in a gazebo on the shore line, with the front opened up so everybody could see and hear the water.
Seventy guests attended the reception, with the wedding breakfast taking place in the restaurant overlooking Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is a place that is very special to Alexis and Gary, so it seemed natural for them to get married there.
The Cake
Alexis and Gary had a cake from Marks and Spencer. Alexis tied black lace around the centre and placed a mini bouquet on the top. Alexis and Gary decided to break with tradition and not cut the cake, and instead took the top tier with them on their honeymoon and ate a piece every day.
The Photographer
The wedding photographer was Amy Murrell of Especially Amy, who Alexis met through the wedding industry and became friends with. One of Alexis’s favourite pictures from the day is one that shows the mountains behind them as they walked down to the venue with the piper in front of them.
Wedding Details
The wedding venue was decorated with little jam jars with tea lights inside and ribbons tied around them. There were black storm lanterns all the way down the aisle which were then placed on the table centres. The top table had cake stands with black and white tea lights and little pearl bracelets on the stems.
The Honeymoon
Alexis and Gary’s honeymoon started off on the Isle of Skye, where they rented a cosy cottage. They walked, drank wine, ate the most amazing seafood and took in the beautiful scenery. They then went to Zanzibar for some sun-soaked luxury.
Memories
“The best memories were things like the hilarious journey getting to the gazebo, the organ not working and instead all of our guests singing really loudly and out of tune to compensate, being able to hear the water during the ceremony, and the sun coming out on the water as we signed the register.”
The Wedding Community
“We personally loved the countdown on our profile pages. It gave us a real buzz when we could see it go down to only days left! The expert articles were really useful for ideas. We used one of the table plan ideas and it was so much fun.”
Tips and Ideas
“Book all the important things first like your wedding venue, minister or registrar, wedding photographer and of course your hair and make-up artist, the good ones always get booked up fast. Also make sure you stay focused on your budget.”
Bride’s Top Tips
“Don't try and take on too many tasks yourself and try and let the things you can't control go, weather, guests requests and any other little bug bears.”
“Take a moment to see all those smiling faces looking back.”
“Have five minutes with your new husband to take in the love of the day!”
Groom's Top Tips
“Pick yourself a great looking wife, who will age like a fine wine.”
“Send your wife an emotional gift the morning of the wedding so she cries those tears out and can enjoy the ceremony tear free.”
“Enjoy a wee dram with the boys before going down the aisle.”
Best Buy
“The best buy was hiring a magician, as he kept everyone entertained for hours and the boys expecially liked trying to catch him out!”
Money Saving Ideas
“We saved jam jars up for nearly the whole year we were engaged which we used to decorate the wedding venue.”
Bride’s Beauty Tips
“Try and drink lots of water and keep a bar of chocolate in your bag at all times. This may be the only thing you can grab to eat when you are too busy or nervous to eat properly!”
To view more fabulous pictures from this real wedding take a look at The Real Wedding of Alexis and Gary 02/10/2010 post on The Wedding Community Blog.
Photography: Especially Amy
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