One bride and one groom bare all about their big day

Today, Little Miss Luxe talks to two newlyweds about their big day and asks 'was all the worrying worth it?'

You may remember that in my very first post I mentioned a fabulous fifties wedding I went to last month. It was held at the marvellous Athelhampton House in Dorset (www.athelhampton.co.uk) and despite a grey and stormy morning, the sun shone all afternoon for the lovely Valerie and Jamie. Many of the guests were inspired by the 1950s theme and included their own vintage touches which made the day that little bit extra special. This week, I grabbed the chance to sit down with them both, full of post-honeymoon glow to get some bride and groom perspectives on the big day.

Was there anything you were worried about before the wedding that looking back you didn't need to be concerned about at all?
Mr: The speech (of course), and the dancing! I didn't want to embarrass myself, or most importantly, my beautiful bride, and was a bit nervous about these bits. But I really got into the swing of both - it went really well, and I got laughs in all the right places (ie in the speech!) and didn't trip over the BIG dress!

Mrs: I was worried about my Mum being a little bit out of her comfort zone, given that she'd be a very very important lady on my wedding day, and is naturally a little quieter than me in these sort of social settings. But it all worked out fabulously: she had an outfit she adored (and looked spectacular in), I arranged for her hair and make-up to be done by the same lady that did mine (so there was one less thing for her to worry about, and she was treated like a Queen), and then Mum chose to arrive early at the venue with my brother, who was an usher. This worked out really well - by the time guests had arrived Mum had 30 minutes to scope the joint out, knew where she'd be sitting, and really got into the swing of things - in fact, she was smiling and greeting all my friends as well as family, and I think she's the only one who learned everyone's names!

Can you thing of any part of the day that cost nothing, but made your wedding extra special?
Mr: For me there were two things; 1) The venue staff were extra helpful and brought me some lockets (because I came down with man flu!) and 2) It was my birthday the day of our wedding, and between my bride, the bridesmaids, and our fabulous guests, it was sneakily arranged so that everyone would bring me a birthday card (as well as a wedding card!), and anyone who didn't have a chance wrote lovely messages on the back of their place-settings. On the morning after our amazing wedding, I woke up to a big birthday kiss from my new wife, who then gave me an armful of birthday messages!

Mrs: Having arranged for the hair and make-up lady to do me and my Mum, my Gran then arrived and we had a giggly girly morning! The lovely hair and make-up lady also had time to work her magic on Gran (who has no difficulties with being in the spotlight, and was loving it!), and we drank tea and laughed our way through to the arrival of the wedding car. It was fabulous having my three bridesmaids with me too - I helped curl their hair and apply lashings of mascara! It was the getting ready together that was extra special, and although the hair and make-up lady had a price attached, the enthusiasm, giggles, and love from my family and closest friends were 'free' and perfect.

What is your top tip for those about to get married?
Mr: Relax! The day was extra special - we enjoyed every moment, and us being calm helped our guests to relax. We didn't want to stand on ceremony during the meal - we wanted to get up and chat to our friends and family who had made such an effort to be with us! As a result everyone was relaxed and chatted to each other: it was a chatty and cheerful occasion, just as we hoped it would be.

Mrs: I would say, try to keep as calm as possible and remember 'they're only flowers', or 'it's only a cake' - don't get too caught up on the little details. Our wedding day was absolutely perfect for us - in part because we both remembered that most of the wedding details aren't really that important in the grand scheme of things, either to our life together or our guests' enjoyment of the day. If the flowers in the bouquet hadn't matched with those on the table, that wouldn't have been the end of the world! Heck, I told myself that even if the flowers didn't arrive (of course they did!) I'd just send my brother to Marks & Spencer to buy some cheerful and brightly coloured bouquets!

In the lead up to the wedding, what did you both learn along the way?
Mr & Mrs: We borrowed money in order to pay for the wedding ourselves, and we're so happy we did! Yes, we're re-paying it now, but we think it is just as good a reason to borrow money as, say, to buy a new car (we don't drive, so no need for one of those!). As a result, we had the wedding we wanted with minimal stress or pressure from anyone else - and our families respected that, and were (mostly!) really supportive that we wanted to do it 'our way'. So we invited the people closest to us, who we wanted to spend our day with (not Great Aunt Mabel's son, Geoff, who we haven't seen since 1989). We chose the venue, food, wedding outfits, cars, the whole lot in fact ,without feeling like we should be trying to please others. As a result, the day was a reflection of who we are - and we loved it, and we know that our guests did too.

Valerie and Jamie's top tips for a perfect wedding:

1. Stay calm and relax
2. Organise time on the morning of your wedding to spend with those who mean the most
3. Think about what matters to you, not your family or friends. By ensuring your day reflects your relationship those who love you will love your big day
4. Don't worry about the details. On the day nothing else matters apart from you and your intended being surrounded by friends and family
5. Find time to chat to your guests and most importantly, enjoy your day

Thanks Valerie and Jamie and once again congratulations on your wedding!

So, if you're in the midst of planning your big day, remember, we can all learn one golden piece of advice from our newlyweds - don't sweat the small stuff!

Have a wonderful week my lovelies, see you on Friday!

Little Miss Luxe x