Real Wedding | Phee & Mark | 21 May 2016

Photographer: Andy Bennett Photography Florist: Lili Floral Art Cake: The Red Cake Company Band/DJ: DJT4bles

First things first, can you tell us about the proposal?

Mark proposed at Charnwood Water in Leicestershire on our 7 year anniversary, which was the place where we went on our first date.

What made you choose Redhouse Barn for your wedding day?

We looked at 7 different venues around the country from Yorkshire to Sussex, and fell in love with Redhouse Barn.  We were looking for a barn venue that we could really use to create our own unique wedding; and knew that this was the venue, but possibly more importantly, that Jane and Jeremy were the people who were going to help us make the magic happen!

Was it love at first sight when dress shopping or did you have try a few on before finding the perfect one? And not forgetting the suits for the boys, how did they get on?

I tried on dresses in London, Barcelona and New York and whilst they were all beautiful, I had a vision, and knew that I wasn't going to find my dress in a shop.  I contacted The Couture Company in Birmingham, and Jo and her amazing team gave me my wonderful dress with the big pink heart.  For the boys, when we first got together, Burton Menswear was the label of choice for Mark back in 2004, so it made perfect sense that we would get our boys suits from there.

So, Venue booked, how was the rest of the planning process?

Wedding planning was the most fun I have ever had, if you're not having fun, you're doing in wrong!  We spent months making pom poms, felt hearts, tassels, balloons, glitter jars and everything else!  It was a real gathering of friends making and decorating all the little bits that we knew would come together to make something really awesome.

Fast forwarding through all the planning to the actual ceremony, how were the emotions for both of you during the ceremony?

The ceremony itself was possibly the most magical moment of our lives - and we've done Disney!  Being able to express your love, commitment, hopes and dreams to one person in front of all the people you care about most, is true perfection.

Did you have a theme or colour scheme running through the day? Tell us a little bit about your flowers and any other personal touches.

A theme or colour... yes, all the colours!!  We wanted a wedding which represented us as a couple, so we took all the things we loved and made it part of our wedding.  We love colour, fun, rainbows, silly, Christmas, balloons, sweets and each other, so that was our theme.

How would you describe the food and service throughout the day?

Everyone loved the food; but it is absolutely true, you don't eat at your own wedding, so many emotions, so do make sure you enjoy your tasting!  We had all of our favourite foods, and really wanted it to be fairly informal and fun, so had mini baked camemberts for starters, build your own burgers for the main course and 4 mini desserts, because why choose one?!  Anthony made sublime dishes for our guests, and Karen was a true hostess quietly but efficiently making sure all was grand.

What kind of cake did you go for? Was it traditional/ modern/ flavoured/ cupcakes/ naked?

Our cake was a 3 foot Cinderella's Castle with fireworks with 'When You Wish Upon A Star' playing while we cut it - it was utterly ridiculous and totally magical!

How did your first dance go?

Neither of us can dance, so we did no rehearsal and just went with the feeling at the time.  Creed - My Sacrifice, was the first song we listened to as a couple, so it was always our first dance.

What do your guests mention most about your wedding day?

Our guests all had their own favourite bits because there was something for everyone; the colours everywhere; the mince pies in the Christmas room; the washing line of love; the grey stuff (it was delicious); the mini golf... and that was exactly what we wanted, something different for everyone.

Is there anything you would change if you were to do it all again?

If I was to do it again, I'd have the ceremony earlier; you think that it might be a long day, but it's the quickest 24 hours you will ever know.  Ceremony at 12.00 is the way forwards!  Also, leave more than 2 days before going on your honeymoon, it was a bit of a rush to let everything sink in.  

Do you have any hints or tips for couples looking to get married?

Get Married!!  It's the most amazing, wonderful and magical feeling in the world, and those who say it's no different, well, they're doing it wrong!

Finally, where did you go on your honeymoon?

On our honeymoon we drove 2500 miles on Route 66 in America from Chicago to LA; renewed our vows in Las Vegas, went to Disney Land in La before relaxing on a beach in Disney Hawaii.... And we lived happily ever after.