Anna and Charles first met in South Wales when they were both 17. They were on a Biology Field trip with different schools and Anna told someone that she liked Charles. The message was duly passed on and Charles eventually plucked up the courage to speak to Anna. They kept in touch and met up for dates, alternating between London where Charles lived and Essex where Anna lived. They have been together ever since.

The Proposal

Charles proposed to Anna on New Year’s Day 2011; he had a bad cold and had insisted that they stay in and have a cosy New Year’s Eve together. At midnight he asked Anna if there was anything that she hoped would happen in the coming year, to which she replied “Nothing you don’t know about already!” Charles then said “I’m only asking because...”, reached behind a cushion, produced a ring and got down on one knee.

Hen and Stag Parties

Anna’s hen party started in Clapham at The Papered Parlour, a lovely craft studio where Anna and her hens had a go at screen printing on canvas bags,  followed by ‘Cockteas’, cocktails served in teacups with delicious cakes. They then went for dinner and ended the night at The Renaissance Roller Disco in Vauxhall.

Charles and his stags went Clay Pigeon Shooting followed by a night out and a curry in Manchester.

Wedding Theme

As Anna and Charles met at school they went for a school themed wedding. Anna designed the wedding invitations to look and feel like exercise books, and the menu had an ‘Exam’ inside covering different school subjects, where the winner on each table received a ‘Head Boy’ or ‘Head Girl’ badge.

The Bride and Groom’s Outfits

Anna tried on a few wedding dresses in London before going to Essex with her mum and sister to continue her search. After visiting about half a dozen bridal shops she narrowed her search down to two dresses, and eventually chose a Blue by Enzoani dress from the first shop she had visited, Bellissima Weddings in South Woodham. She completed her outfit by wearing a Gardenia in her hair and vintage jewellery.

Charles wore a light navy 3-piece suit tailored in Yorkshire by J. W Ellison & Co, an old school father and son establishment who only use locally produced cloth, combined with decades of experience in making great suits. Charles paired his suit with a sliver/grey tie.

In the evening Anna and Charles both changed into traditional Nigerian clothes, complete with beaded necklaces and head-tie.

The Flowers

Anna wanted the wedding flowers to look quite natural. Her bouquet was made up of mainly Dahlias with some green foliage, and the buttonholes were burgundy, with the exception of Charles’s which was white. They sourced some conical flasks to use as vases for the table centrepieces, which were in keeping with the school theme. The flowers were supplied by Green Workshop in Brixton.

The Transport

Charles arrived at the ceremony in an S-class Mercedes, and Anna arrived in a vintage black Fairway Taxi, which the couple then travelled to the reception venue in.

The Ceremony and Reception

Anna and Charles had a Catholic ceremony in a small church in Streatham Hill, attended by 150 guests.

“We had about 150 guests, which is considered fairly small for a Nigerian wedding!”

The reception was held at Dulwich College. Anna and Charles had always thought it was a beautiful building whenever they had driven past it, and as it was a school it was also very relevant to the wedding theme.

The Cake

Anna and Charles had two traditional fruit cakes, which Anna’s mum made for them. They were both beautifully iced, and they had cake toppers of two wooden birds which they found on a trip to Berlin.

The Photographer

The wedding photographer was Tom from We Not Me, who is a friend and old work colleague of Charles. Anna and Charles are thrilled with their photos, with their favourites being the pictures of the dancing and the ‘Dollar Shower’.

The Honeymoon

Anna and Charles went to Bali for two weeks for their honeymoon, travelling from south to north. They also went to Singapore for a couple of days before heading home.

Memories

“Dancing with my Nan and Grandad, the amazing African dancers who performed on the stage after the meal, and my Dad and friends being dragged up to dance.”

Bride’s Top Tip

“Make sure you find the time, and stomach to have a proper breakfast – you'll be grateful for it later.”

Groom’s Top Tip

“Have rough ideas of topics for the speech, but don't have a set written speech – you'll feel more relaxed and the guests will enjoy it more.”

Best Buy

“The Fairway Taxi – we debated long and hard over it, but loved it on the day.”

Money Saving Ideas

“Sundays after September give you negotiating power.”

Bride’s Beauty Tips

Try and get to bed at a reasonable time the night before (especially if you've got a photographer with you the next morning!).

To view more fabulous pictures from this real wedding take a look at The Real Wedding of Anna and Charles 02/10/2011 post on The Wedding Community Blog.

Photography: We Not Me

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