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Early days…
Amy and Chris first met on a night out in Kingston. They only exchanged words for a few minutes at a bar but there was an instant connection and they exchanged numbers. Amy tells us: "By the end of the next day we had plans to meet the following weekend and have been inseparable since."
The couple have been together for four years and we hear when they knew they'd fallen in love. Amy says: "Chris and I fell in love laughing. Things just felt so easy so quickly. It was like we had known each other forever." Chris adds: "Amy was everything I ever dreamed of so it was very easy to fall in love with her."
The proposal…
The proposal was romantic and came as a big surprise, as Amy reveals: "He took me for a picnic to the National Trust gardens at Polesden Lacey, in Great Bookham near Dorking. He had sussed out the perfect spot for our picnic in the walled gardens which were stunning and very secluded. He had made all my favourite foods the night before. My favourite sweets are Haribo rings and he hid the wedding ring in the box of Haribo then produced a jelly ring which I thought he was teasing me with. When he presented me with the real ring from the box I couldn't stop crying. It felt like the perfect proposal."
Hen and stag parties…
The hen party ventured out in Wimbledon for an evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing. Amy tells us about the memorable night: "We went for drinks in my favourite cocktail bar Suburban where my bridesmaids presented me with a full length white 1980s wedding dress bought from eBay. They also made me wear a floor-length veil which was covered in heart shaped pictures of Chris. From the bar I was taken on a ride around Wimbledon past very bemused looking pedestrians. I was delivered safely to a restaurant called Tapanco where we all had dinner. A live band was playing so there was plenty of dancing. My only embarrassment was when I first saw my chauffeur; for the evening as he was dressed in leather gear and a motorcycle helmet so I just presumed he was a stripper!"
Unfortunately Chris did not make his stag weekend in Newquay because he was in hospital. The stags still went on the weekend and took a blow-up Chris with them instead. They dressed him up and paraded him around the clubs of Newquay so he was there in spirit. Amy tells us how he made up for lost time: "Then he had recovered and had been discharged from hospital, he had two mini stag dos. One in Cheam village where 20 stags including both his and Amy's fatherscand grandfather-of-the-bride went for a curry all wearing ginger wigs in honour of Chris. The second was a monopoly pub crawl around London where 30 stags had to undertake forfeits disguised as Monopoly community chest and chance cards and Chris was made to dress up as the Monopoly man."
The venues…
When discussing the perfect place for their wedding, Amy and Chris knew they wanted a traditional church ceremony. Amy tells us more about the venue: "St Katharine's church was perfect because it was halfway between where both of our families live. When we first visited the church, the small parish atmosphere instantly made us feel at home.
"We began regularly visiting the church 18 months before the wedding with the date pencilled in the Vicar's diary. We had to show our commitment to the parish and become registered on the electoral roll. We were given confirmation that we were able to marry there approximately eight months before the wedding."
The reception venue... The couple heard about Gatton Hall simply via word of mouth. Amy says: "We heard about it from Chris' sister who had been to a friend's wedding there. We chose it because it was very close to the church, the National Trust grounds were absolutely stunning (even on a cold winter day when we visited) and the staff could not have been more helpful and accommodating. They were open to planning the day exactly how we wanted and we didn't hear the word 'no' the whole way through the process.
"We booked 18 months in advance because Gatton Hall is in the grounds of The Royal Albert and Alexandra School, therefore they only conduct weddings in the school holidays. This means that they get booked up very quickly."
The attendants…
Amy's bridal party comprised seven bridesmaids and one flowergirl. Amy fills us in on the bridesmaids' attire and accessories: "They wore teal strapless prom dresses made from taffeta which I handmade with a lot of help from friends and family. The dresses were complemented with bright purple sling-back shoes which were dyed to my specified colour by Rainbow shoes.
"The flowergirl Hannah wore a full-length Ophelia ivory netted dress with delicate butterflies flying all over the skirt and an ivory sash which was tied as butterfly wings at the back. This dress was from the Bhs bridal collection."
The bestmen were Chris' friend Tom Brown and Chris' brother-in-law Rob Watts. The ushers were Chris' friend James Brown and Amy's brother Chris Lyddall, and finally, the page-boys were James Watts and Ryan Lyddall. The groomsmen wore black Edwardian-style morning suits, ivory and purple patterned waistcoats ivory cravats and handkerchiefs hired from Young's suit hire.
The dress…
The bride's dress was called Atlanta by Essence. It was made of crushed ivory taffeta and featured a sweetheart neckline and fitted bodice. The A-line gown was cinched at the waist then hugged the hips giving a streamlined figure. Amy adds: "It was buttoned down the back with a line of crystal buttons. It was rouched all over and had clusters of hand-stitched pearls, crystals and beads all over it following the line of the rouching. The train was full and long and in the evening it hooked underneath and virtually disappeared so I was able to dance the night away. Because it was taffeta it was so light I kept cool and felt really elegant all day."
Amy kept with tradition: 'something new' was her dress, 'something borrowed' was Amy's wedding handbag which was her mum's, 'something blue' was the perfume - D&G Light Blue - and 'something old' was Amy's grandma's engagement ring which her dad sentimentally gave to her in the wedding car on the way to the ceremony. Amy recalls: "It was very special as I felt that a part of her was there with me during the ceremony."
The decorative touches…
Flowers and butterflies were an on going theme: the couple chose white chair covers with purple sashes (some sashes had butterflies clipped to them), and white floral decorations adorned the fireplaces. The tables were named after Amy's favourite artists.
For their favours Chris and Amy wanted something original with an added personal touch. Amy tell us more: "Chris and I spent weeks hand making the favours. We wanted something our guests could keep forever. We decided that we wanted to give people little pieces of art to hang up at home. So together in our garage we hand painted individual square box canvases using our colour scheme and the butterfly theme. Each one was individual. We wrapped them in teal organza with purple ribbon and butterfly tags with the guest's name on. The guests were really pleased with them and not one was left at the end of the night."
The best bits…
We ask the happy couple what they found most enjoyable about the day: "There were so many best parts! The marriage service itself was very special. The dancing at the end of the night was so much fun - the finale was Hey Jude by the Beatles and Chris and I were up with the band leading the singing and clapping, that was Chris' best bit!
"The only problem we encountered during the organising was Chris being ill. We lost a lot of time close to the wedding but when things go wrong everyone pulls together and makes it work and it was great to have support of our family and friends."
Top tips…
"On the day make sure you spend time together. This was the advice we were given and we made sure there were little pockets of the day were we could just stand back and be together and take everything in. It goes so fast and it is easy to forget about the two of you, it's not just about mingling with the guests. We talked during dinner, danced together lots, and in the evening sat and ate some wedding cake together - this made it really special."
And finally... Amy has some extra advice for brides and grooms-to-be: "The chocolate fountain was fantastic and went down incredibly well with the guests - all we keep hearing from people is how much they enjoyed it. The hire company is called Hot Chocolates."
"During the daytime meal and speeches we had the under sixes in a separate room with a qualified children's entertainer - they had a great time and had loads of fun activities to keep them occupied. Their parents got to have a break and enjoy the meal and speeches without worrying about the kids."
The honeymoon…
The happy couple jetted off to the sunny climes of Dubai, Sri Lanka and the Maldives for two weeks. They were thrilled with their honeymoon, Amy says: "I would definitely recommend the locations. The resorts were all superb and the service impeccable. The people were so friendly and welcoming everywhere we went. If you are ever in Dubai, dinner in the Burj al Arab, the world's only seven star hotel is a must.
"We travelled to Sri Lanka where we were pampered in the Kani Lanka spa resort two hours south of Columbo. We finished our honeymoon in our own little water bungalow on Chaaya Lagoon, Hakuraa Huraa, a tiny island in the Maldives.
"It was a lot to do in two weeks and we would recommend spreading a three resort honeymoon over three weeks as there was a lot of travelling, which could be frustrating, but we loved it. It felt like we were on an adventure together travelling to different places and ending up in our own little corner of paradise."
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