An Exclusive real life wedding  - Christina and Patrick Rogers

Patrick & I met eight years ago at work. Patrick has such a friendly, caring & cheeky character so I was instantly drawn to him. We were always getting told off and moved for talking too much in the office, just like naughty school children! Our colleagues used to joke about when they should purchase their wedding hats. Who would have known they would actually need to in the future!

The proposal was on the 1^st of June 2015 in Cyprus. I had been nagging Patrick for years to get engaged but Patrick is very laid back & stubborn so he will always do things in his own time! Thus you can imagine my surprise when he finally got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Patrick had arranged a private dinner on the pier at the beach with candles, flowers and champagne. It was very romantic & quixotic. Therefore of course I said yes!

Pennyhill Park has a fabulous reputation for being elegant, sophisticated & professional.  I always wanted to get married locally & dreamt of having our wedding in a picturesque venue with countryside & charisma. I felt Pennyhill Park met all these requirements and the price was very reasonable. The staff took very good care of us during planning and on the day. Everyone was welcoming, organised & helpful. The day ran like clockwork and Pennyhill helped make it a true fairy tale. 

Our wedding theme was ‘long distance/travel’ to mirror our relationship. Patrick has lived & worked in the middle east for almost 5 years so we have been apart more than we have been together. We feel very honoured that we have remained in such a loving & committed relationship despite the distance and wanted to embrace this on our special day. We issued passport themed invitations, presented a table plan with countries we have visited together, table headers with long distance quotes on, a presentation table with a personalised globe and a suitcase for our wedding cards.

Finding the wedding dress was far more challenging than I expected. I was confident I wanted lace and for the dress to be traditionally white but really struggled with selecting a style. I went to 7 different shops and tried on almost 50 dresses. In the end my mother actually picked my dress out at Confetti Bridal store in Wokingham. It was lace with jewel embellishment, a sheer tulle bateau neckline, open back & chapel length train . I had a diamante belt added as I love sparkle and a beautiful lace and diamante cathedral veil to match. When I tried the dress on and walked out of the changing room one of my bridesmaids got emotional so I knew this was the one.

I specifically remember arriving at the church very nervous and emotional. The bridesmaids were straightening out my dress and veil and I remember thinking ‘I can’t believe this day has finally arrived, I’m about to get married’. But as soon as the music commenced my nerves turned to excitement and I was so happy walking down the aisle. I had the grin of a Cheshire cat and was completely in my element taking in all my guest’s reactions.

I also have vivid memories of dancing with everyone in the evening. Air grabbing and miming along to Wilson Phillips ‘Hold On’ with the girls, copying the dirty dancing lift with the boys and having a dance off to ‘The Fresh Prince of Belair’ theme tune. Such an amazing night!

Some of the special moments for me when organising the wedding was visiting Pennyhill Park at wedding fayre events & to go through the schedule of the day. I really started to visualise getting married and looking at the big picture. I remember admiring how beautiful the venue was & getting so excited for our wedding.

I simply must mention the food tasting at Pennyhill. This was an amazing experience!  We were taken to the Chef’s kitchen and were offered numerous courses to try. The presentation was fantastic and the quality was superb! Some of the best dishes we have ever tasted & one of the most fun parts of planning!

I have a very international family and as Patrick lives abroad also it is very rare we see our families.  When we were pronounced husband & wife at the church I recall hearing very supportive and joyous cheers and turning round observing all our guests being so enthusiastic and happy. I will always remember feeling so blessed to have all of our family finally together & celebrating on our behalf.

Get Pinterest. This is a great tool for ideas and inspiration.

Don’t be afraid to express & explore what it is you want for your big day. Your wedding needs to be personal to you and most venues & suppliers are very accommodating to your needs & ideas.

Don’t get obsessed or caught up with perfection & the finer details. Remember what is truly important, you are committing to your best friend and soul mate & celebrating with your loved ones. Enjoy the day!

The Bride and Groom: Christina & Patrick Rogers
The date: 27^th August 2016
The location: Ceremony: St Anne’s Church in Bagshot Reception: Pennyhill Park Hotel terrace & Balmoral
Flowers: Moutan Florist
Styling: Charisse Hardy
The Dress: Sophia Tolli
Other important or standout providers: Firebirds (fairy lights) | Dolly’s Candy Cart (sweets) | Innovents (DJ & Dance floor)

Thank you to:

Simon Kemp, Wedding Photographer
for permission to use these beautiful photgoraphs