When/how did you first meet?

Richard and I first met as students at Nottingham University in 2002, at one of the ‘fresher’ parties. Our friendship grew through mutual friends and strengthened quickly.

When in the relationship did he ‘pop the question?’ How did he propose?

We graduated from uni and bought our first house together in Stapleford in 2006, to be near our work; Richard as a software engineer and myself as a critical care staff nurse in Nottingham City Hospital.

One cold snowy winter day two years later, all muffled up in our skiing attire, we were walking through Bramcote Park close to our home and having just completed construction of a very large snowman, Richard suddenly got down on one knee, produced a beautiful diamond ring and asked me to marry him!

It was so romantic! I was completely taken aback but after careful consideration for at least a millisecond... I said ‘yes!’

We then made our way through the blizzard to the warmth of a local pub to thaw out and celebrate.

What were the first things that you decided on?

We immediately decided we wanted a small traditional affair with only close family and friends. Holdenby House, Northamptonshire was quickly realised as the ideal choice for our wedding venue for 21st May, being the date of my late Grandfather’s birthday. We fell in love with Holdenby at first sight with its exquisite setting and elegant rooms, yet with a charming homely feel.

Any differing ideas about how your big day should be or things you both wanted to do differently?

My father had specifically taken me to Gretna Green many years ago when I was 16 and explicitly said that when the time came this was the place to elope to and be wed - it would save him a lot of hassle and a bit of money!

However Richard and I had other ideas, although we both agreed we still wanted to retain the intimacy of a small wedding. I was keen for my two guinea pigs (Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley) to be part of the Jane Austen theme as ring bearers however this idea was quickly dismissed by Richard!

Was planning your big day fraught or enjoyable? Did you both contribute ideas with equal enthusiasm?

Richard was relaxed about leaving the finer details to my mother and I, although was fully in support of all our thoughts and ideas. Choosing the invitations was one of the most stressful and time-consuming tasks, however the overall wedding planning experience was enjoyable mainly due to the good planning and support we received.

Any pre-wedding nerves?

The build up to the wedding was so hectic; there was no time to be nervous until the night before the wedding. My main worry was whether everything would go as planned. The day was however perfect as was the weather.

How did it feel to walk down the aisle and take your vows?

By the time I was wearing my beautiful dress and veil I couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle and take my wedding vows with Richard.

Who did you choose for attendants and why?

The two bridesmaids were Anna & Katie, my close friends from ‘uni’ days and beyond. They were truly brilliant and amazingly supportive prior to and on the day itself, as was Daniel, Richard’s best man, a friend for many years. Our ushers were Ben — my brother — and Tim, Richard’s brother-in-law who were so calm and conscientious in delivering all their wedding tasks.

What made you choose your dress, and can you describe it?

I was looking for something simple yet elegant and the dress I chose was one of the first I tried on. Despite trying on many others I kept going back to a fitted off the shoulder dress in ivory dupion silk, with train and a cathedral length lace trimmed veil. It felt so perfect!

Where was your reception held?

The wedding ceremony and reception were both held at Holdenby House, with exclusive use for the day, enabling all to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

The string quartet played on the beautifully manicured lawns under warm sunny skies to ours guests as they sipped Kir Royals and nibbled on canapés. It was truly idyllic.

Did anything funny or particularly memorable happen, highlights of speeches, special things you said to each other etc?

All the speeches were brilliantly delivered, with both funny and emotional moments. The best man’s speech left Richard with his head buried in his hands on several occasions, particularly references to the paintballing stag weekend and Richard’s pink tutu which caused much amusement. The giant Jenga on the lawn also proved a huge success and created much fun with guests’ steady hands severely tested especially after many glasses of Kir Royal, wine and champagne!

Did you have a honeymoon? If so where, and most importantly, did you enjoy it?

Our honeymoon took us to San Francisco, Yosemite Park and Maui. The weather in itself was challenging; ranging from rain and wind in San Francisco, hail and snow in Yosemite to extreme tropical heat in Maui. All made for an enjoyable time and some truly spectacular memories, which will stay with us for many years to come.

Any friends or family you'd like to thank or recognise?

We would especially like to thank both sets of parents for their generosity and for all their valuable contributions to making our day so wonderful. Thanks also to Laura and Helen for their fantastic delivery of the readings during the ceremony. ‘At Last’ written by my mother about Richard and me was particularly emotional and needless to say a few tears were shed.

Anyone you particularly want to recommend?

We’d like to convey a huge ‘thank you’ to our all wedding suppliers who were extremely professional and diligent throughout and whom we would not hesitate to recommend; for instance, our photographer: Samantha Hook, of PureLight, based near Grantham, and our venue, Holdenby House. Our caterers, Portfolio Events, were also wonderful, as was Rosanne, our florist, based at Perkins and our cake artist, Hockleys of Brixworth. We’d also recommend Beautiful Brides of Radcliffe-on-Trent and The Nash String Quartet.

How are you finding married life?

We had such a brilliant wedding day and relaxing honeymoon – it’s been the perfect start to our married life together!