How They Met
I was 18 and Anthony was 24 when we met at a party, and we started dating. I'd been told I wouldn't be able to have children, but five years into being together we had a daughter, and then a son.
The Proposal
It was Christmas morning and I was doing the usual Christmas clean-up when Anthony said I'd forgotten a present. I turned round and there he was, down on one knee with a ring. We always give each other joke presents, so I left him there for a few minutes, sure it was another one. Once I realised it wasn't, I video-called everyone with him still on the call, so he couldn't go back on it.
Their Wedding Vision
I never wanted a church. I wanted a big manor house with everything in one place. We went for a black and white wedding, with adult bridesmaids only, shots on the tables, a simple dinner, and then a proper party.
Finding the Dress at London Bride
My mum and auntie both found their wedding dresses at London Bride about 30 years ago, so that's where I wanted to go for mine. The appointment felt comfortable from the moment we arrived. We were offered a drink and sat down to talk about the kind of dress I liked. Normally I don't like changing in front of anyone, but I felt completely at ease. I picked five dresses to try. The one I chose, a strapless leg split wedding dress with an ivory corset and a long train, was the second one I tried on.
The Wedding Day
We married at The Manor at Bickley, with everything in one place, just as I'd wanted. It was a very long day. My hairdresser was with me at 6am, my bridesmaids were everywhere getting things done, it started raining, and everything seemed to be going wrong. But once I got that dress on, nothing else mattered. I'd waited long enough and I was so ready. Apart from the little things, it was the best day of my life. I loved every minute and I really wouldn't change a thing. Our guests were welcomed with drinks from a prosecco van, and we had so much good feedback about it.