Sammy and Colin got married in September this year after being together for 9 and half years. We sat down with Sammy for a cup of tea while she told us about the best day of her life...
When did you get engaged?
We got engaged on 28th October 2014, on a night out in Liverpool. We were having a meal and drinks before going to an Ed Sheeran Gig and he popped the question! I was so happy I could not stop smiling.
When did you get married?
We decided to get married on 9th September 2016. I have always thought September would be a good month to get married, we seem to have nice weather and it doesn't get dark too early. I think we had more than enough time from when we got engaged to plan the wedding.
Where was your ceremony?
We chose to have the ceremony at St Hildeburghs Church, Hoylake. My cousin got christened there so I knew how beautiful it was. It was quite important for me to get married in a church as my Nan was religious but unfortunately we couldn't get married in my Nan's church as it is now closed.
The party was at Marco's Restaurant Hoylake which was perfect as it was across the road from the church. Marco's is a really nice size as we wanted our wedding to be laid back and the room was perfect for a more intimate meal. I liked the fact that it was also a hotel so guests could stay over. We had eaten there a few times before and the food was always gorgeous.
Our family were really good and just let us decide on a venue, they came to see it with us a few times after booking. I think they were happy that it was local for us and the majority of guests.
Sammy walking down the aisle with her Dad
How big was the wedding party?
I had 4 bridesmaids and they were (from left to right below) my best friend Sarah, Colin's sister Nina, Colin's brothers wife Gill and my little sister Ruby.
Colin had two best men, his brother Mark and his cousin Craig. He wanted them both as they were all really close growing up.
My Dad hired a white Jaguar through his work and he took the bridesmaids first and then came back for me and my Mum. This was quite nice as we got half an hour together beforehand.
During the day we invited 76 adults and 11 children and then we had around 130 guests in the evening.
Colour Scheme?
I chose navy, blush pink and gold. I chose navy for the bridemaid's dresses as it is a classic colour that suits everyone. The blush pink and gold went really well and I saw a lot of great ideas on Pintrest for this theme.
We bought the Bridesmaid dresses from House of Fraser and the Bridesmaids loved them, I wouldn't have made them wear something that they weren't comfortable in.
How long did it take to plan your wedding?
18 months in total and I think that was more than enough time. You get the main things booked well in advance and then you have a good while before the last bits need sorting. I just spent a lot of time in-between reading wedding mags, getting ideas on the internet and going to Red Event Wedding Fayres.
What was your budget?
£11,000 and luckily we stayed within budget. I used many spreadsheets to organise payments and what we had left to pay etc.
Best part of planning the wedding?
Choosing the dress was exciting and you know when you have found the right one! My dress was by Mori Lee, purchased from Tina Louise in Heswell who I can highly recommend. I just felt amazing when I tried it on!
Hardest part of planning your wedding?
Guest list and table plan. I think it is difficult to seat your guests. You have a good idea who you want together but it is difficult when you are limited on table size. We found that we would have too many on one and not enough on the other. We are lucky to have so many wonderful friends and family but unfortunately we couldn't invite everybody.
Anything you would of done different?
Nothing I can think of at the moment, I loved every minute, I would love to do it all over again!
Any advice to brides planning their wedding?
Try not to stress about the little things as it will all work out on the day and get suppliers you want booked as soon as possible! Getting these things ticked off your list eases the pressure of planning everything, you start getting excited then when the planning is well underway and everything starts falling into place!
What entertainment did you book for the wedding?
We had a magician for the daytime who was great for entertaining our guests and making them feel at ease and he was also the DJ for the night! His name was Aaron Hayes and I would definitely recommend him, he had everyone up dancing and all the guests loved his music. We also got great feedback from his magic on the day too.
We also had a singer in the day time. He is one of Colin's friends Chris and we went to see him perform at the food festival at Claremount Farm last year.
We also did a quiz before the food was served which everyone really enjoyed.
What food was served on the day?
To decide we had a food tasting evening a few weeks before the wedding and luckily we both agreed on all the courses which made it a lot easier!
We had glasses of fizz on arrival and canapés. For the sit down food we had asparagus in parma ham to start, chicken for main, and passion fruit cheese cake for desert. The dessert was yummy the chefs at Marco's really did a great job with the food it was so tasty!
Photos by Squashed Apple and guests.
We wish Mr & Mrs Kennedy all the best in their married life together and thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding day with us!
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