| Click on any of the images below to view a larger version |
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
| |
Early days…
Drew met Maria when she first moved to the south from Manchester in the winter of 2003, and the couple have been together for five years this year. Drew proposed marriage in December 2005, seven months after their son, William, was born.
The proposal…
"It was the morning of Drew's friend's wedding. Drew gave me a gift, saying it would look great with my outfit. When I opened it, it was an engagement ring - 18ct gold, 0.5ct single diamond in a coronet setting bought from a family friend who owns a jewellery shop in Windsor," says Maria.
Hen and stag parties…
Maria had what she calls a 'girly tea party' with Champagne at their house, since they had all the children to look after. Drew went skiing with his best man.
The venues…
With only three months to go, "we were struggling to find somewhere at the last minute that had availability. I found Cantley House Hotel in Wokingham on the internet, and we fell in love with it as soon as we went to visit."
The attendants…
Maria's two bridesmaids were her stepsister Ginette and her cousin Fiona. They both wore gold dresses and chocolate brown pashminas. The pageboy was the couple's son, William, and he wore a kilt, while their daughter Matilda, the flower girl, wore her silk baptismal gown with silk ivory shoes. Drew's ushers were Maria's brother Peter and Drew's friend Rob. His best man was Ben Nickell, an old friend from prep school.
The dress…
Maria's 'Siena' off-the-shoulder silk dress by Stephanie Allin had three bands of crystals and embroidery around the waist. Something new was her dress and veil; the tiara was borrowed; her pearl drop earrings were old, and something blue was the single thistle in the centre of her bouquet.
The transport…
A family friend of the couple organised a chauffeur to use his black Mercedes and take the bride and groom to church and the reception.
The decorative touches…
The day's theme revolved around English and Scottish traditions. Pairs of shot glasses containing a white rose and a thistle each adorned the top table, while each table name was based on the seven wonders of the ancient world. Maria also produced little books with information on wedding traditions.
The best bits…
The piper who was supposed to pipe the bride and groom out of the church was stuck in traffic. "We were about to get in the car to go to the reception when he arrived, so we got back in the church and did the whole thing all over again!" says Maria. "It was great to be piped out of the church and down into the town centre of Bracknell where the car was waiting and all the guests found it really funny that we had to do it twice! People in the town centre stopped to watch when the pipes started."
|
