August 11, 2022

Your Real Weddings – Stephanie & Adam

Your Real Weddings - Stephanie & Adam

Happily married since 4th June 2017

The Love Story of Stephanie and Adam

How did you two meet?

We met through mutual friends. I had been invited on a girls night out to Bingo with a friend that I had recently met. This was a night out with a group of people I didn’t really know so I was quite apprehensive but figured I had nothing to lose and went along.

After the bingo we had drinks and Adam came along as he was friends with the group of people I was with. Adam was with someone else at that point so nothing progressed. We chatted and instantly clicked but that was it! A few weeks later our mutual friend told me Adam was now single and asked if she could give him my number. The rest was history…

Stephanie how did you know Adam was the one for you?

I was on holiday with my sister shortly after Adam and I got together. But I missed him like I’d never missed anyone else before. I wanted to speak to him all the time and longed to be home with him. That’s when I knew he was different!

Adam how did you know Stephanie was the one for you?

I was with someone else when Steph and I met so I wasn’t looking at her as anything more than a friends friend. However, when we met the next time ,when I was single, the attraction was instant and I knew she was the one!

Stephanie how did Adam propose to you?

I well and truly spoiled Adam’s plan for proposal!!!! Adam took me to Paris for my birthday and had great plans to propose in front of The Eiffel Tower, all sounds very romantic however I mentioned a few weeks before we went that I thought it was all rather cliché to propose in Paris! There went his plan and he had to come up with Plan B!

Plan B was a cosey night at home, we’d had some drinks with friends at home and as everyone left I started on the dishes. Adam started acting odd and told me to stay in the kitchen and shut the door. 10 minutes later he shouted me through to the living room and I was met with a room full of candles, he sat me down on the sofa and got down on one knee!

Adam why did you decide to propose this way?

Steph spoiled my first plan with her “cliché” comment about getting engaged in Paris. So at that point, the most important thing was that she said Yes so I figured one night at home no time like the present!

How long were you engage for before you tied the knot?

We were engaged for 26 months in total.

Did you have any help when you were planning your day? Did anyone try and take over, if so how did you handle that?

Adam and I planned most of the wedding jointly. Lots of people had lots of opinions about what we should do and how our day should go. Initially I tried to please everyone however that got so stressful and I soon realised the day was about Adam and I and what we wanted so I stopped listening to everyone else and did what we wanted!!

How did you decide on a venue?

As mentioned above, the church was a given for us. Our reception venue wasn’t such an easy choice, we visited a number of different venues but none of them felt right for us. Just as we were losing heart, my mum mentioned McDonald Norwood Hotel as a red hearing option. Neither of us were keen but we agreed we view it and we are both so relieved we did!! We fell in love with it instantly. The service we received from start to finish was second to none. The hotel had real wood burning fires and the smell brought me back to my childhood as my nana used to have a wood fire.

How did you decide on the wedding style?

We wanted a traditional yet stylish classic wedding. Nothing too over the top but making sure attention to detail was key.

The Planning/Budget

How did you keep track of your budget?

I used an Excel spreadsheet to record a budget for everything we planned to book and everything we spent. I kept on top of it from the very start and it definitely helped us to keep track.

Did you find it difficult to stay in budget?

There were some things that cost a lot more than I expected. I worried for our budget but I was pleasantly surprised that some things were cheaper than our budget so it balanced out.

If you have one tip to give to couples planning their wedding budget what would it be?

Keep a track of every penny you spend. It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement when booking things. Before you know it the budget is blown. We booked most of our vendors as soon as we booked our venue. So that we knew costs from the get go rather than having hidden costs last minute!

Were there any hidden costs you hadn’t initially planned that cropped up?

Our photographer was included in our wedding package. I found out a few months before the wedding that the package offered didn’t cover the whole day. I was keen for every moment of the entire day to be caught on camera so we paid an upgrade on the photographer to have her there all day!

The Dress

How did you know your dress was the one for you?

I felt like a princess in my dress. My mum cried!!

How many dresses did you try on?

I lost count….a lot!!!

Did you decide on a ‘traditional’ wedding dress style? If not, why did you choose this?

Yes my wedding dress was a traditional A line dress.

What’s your top tip for a bride trying to find the perfect dress?

Don’t let the experience overwhelm you. I wanted to go to lots of shops on one day but it just wasn’t physically possible. The experience was a lot more exhausting that I had expected.

The Big Day

What was the most stressful part of planning your wedding?

Guest list!! We had an idea in our head from the get go of who all we wanted to be with us during the day. However the reality of this when costs became involved was very different. We had to change some guests to evening reception invites which we had not anticipated.

Were you nervous on the day? How did you overcome this?

Neither of us were nervous when the day finally came round.

What was the best part of the day for each of you?

Stephanie: Marrying my best friend!!

Adam: Spending the day with our friends and family.

Adam, did you cry when you saw your bride walking down the aisle?

Steph made a big deal about me crying when she walked down the aisle. It became a running joke that if I didn’t cry when she walked down the aisle then she would turn around and do it again. Lucky for her, the second I saw her coming down the aisle she took my breath away and I couldn’t hold back the tears.