 The
decision to go abroad to get married was made on a wet
September afternoon in a car showroom in Walsall, where
we live. I had just test-driven a Puma and had fallen
in love with it instantly, but I knew that if we bought
it we wouldn't be able to afford the big wedding we had
planned for the following July in Sussex. We sat in the
showroom for ages looking at the car and discussing all
the family problems we had gone through in the six months
since getting engaged, and made up our minds. We bought
the car and cancelled everything we had booked in Sussex.
We decided on Vegas as we were going there anyway for
our honeymoon and just brought our departure date forward
by a day. Jamie found the Little Chapel of the Flowers
on a Las Vegas website and as we wanted something a little
different for our wedding day, but not anything too tacky,
they offered the perfect package. All bookings were done
over the Internet so I was a little nervous about what
to expect when we got there!
After spending a couple of days in New York, we flew to
Vegas and arrived at our hotel, the Venetian, which was
just amazing. We had a day or so to get a few things sorted,
like a suit for Jamie and having my dress pressed. The
night before our wedding there were lots of fireworks
to celebrate American Independence Day and it was very
romantic pretending they were just for us!.
Every bride hopes for glorious sunshine on her wedding
day and I knew in Las Vegas it would be pretty much guaranteed.
I wasn't disappointed. We were both up early as we had
booked some beauty treatments in the spa within the hotel,
so I packed up all the things that I would need to get
ready as I had arranged for someone to help me dress there.
We both had a massage, which was heavenly, and then Jamie
went for a body scrub whilst I went shopping. Yes, on
my wedding day I was still shopping - I had began to obsess
about my lack of jewellery (I guess I needed something
to focus my nerves on) and so I ran, in the 105 degree
heat, to the mall to buy a bracelet!
 The
spa laid on a really healthy, tasty lunch for us but I
was feeling so nervous by this point that I didn't eat
a lot. After a manicure I had my hair styled and then
I started to get dressed with the help of the hairdresser.
All the stressing I had done about being able to fit into
the dress on the day melted away as I looked in the mirror
and could hardly recognise the reflection. When I came
out of the dressing room the girls who worked in the salon
gasped, so I guessed that I looked okay!
I was supposed to be meeting Jamie in the reception of
the hotel, but we had decided that we were both too nervous
to walk through the hotel on our own so I went back down
to our room. When he opened the door he looked at me with
such love that I knew he approved even though in his usual
manner he needed prompting to say, "yeah, you look Pretty!"
He looked absolutely gorgeous in his conductor's tails.
The Walking through the hotel was fantastic and I will
never forget it. Everyone we passed smiled at us, commented
on how nice we looked, or wished us luck. That's when
my nerves started to get even worse and I could barely
talk to Jamie! The limo that took us to the chapel was
the most enormous car I have ever seen and I felt like
a princess getting into it. The journey to the chapel
took about 15 minutes and when we pulled up outside all
my fears about what it would be like disappeared - it
was lovely. Once inside, I was given my bouquet, which
the Chapel's florist had made for me. I nearly cried it
was so stunning - fresh white roses and orchids - exactly
what I would have chosen if I had got married at home.
After a short wait and a chat with the minister it was
our turn. Here
Comes the Bride started up and we walked down the
aisle together (very quickly, as I remember - I think
we wanted to get it over with!)
The ceremony was beautiful. The minister probably says
the same words about a hundred times a day, yet he made
it feel as if they were written specially for us. He talked
a lot about friendship and family and by the time I came
to say my vows, I was near to tears, but was hiding it
with a fit of the giggles. Then my voice cracked and I
saw Jamie's eyes well up, which made me even worse! As
soon as I had said my vows I felt very calm and was able
to enjoy the rest of the ceremony without the butterflies.
We lit a candle for our families (which we have kept to
light on our first anniversary), said a prayer, and then
we were husband and wife. We walked down the aisle to
applause from the people standing outside. My aunt had
sent a rose to the chapel with a congratulations message
for us and some other relatives had phoned to say they
had watched us on the internet via the chapel web cam,
which made it feel like people at home were just that
little bit closer.
After
the photos were taken in the pretty chapel grounds our limo took us
back to the hotel for us to freshen up and then on to the helipad at
the airport, where we joined another couple (from Kent!) on the helicopter
out to the Pahrump Valley Winery. Getting in the helicopter proved to
be rather difficult in a long dress with a tight skirt and a train,
however, it provided some amusement for my new husband anyway! The hour-long
flight over Las Vegas to Pahrump was incredible - the scenery was so
beautiful, especially as the sun was setting, causing the mountains
to turn bright red and orange.
At
the winery we enjoyed some wine tasting and I got quite squiffy very
quickly after my lack of food throughout the day! We were then presented
with a bottle of our favourite wine with our names and wedding date
on. This was followed by a superb 5-course meal in the restaurant along
with a huge wedding cake.
 I
was surprised the helicopter could take off to take us
back to Las Vegas! It was dark by this time and as we
flew back over the mountains it was like someone had just
flicked a switch - the lights of Vegas were so bright.
It was one of the most memorable moments of the day, sitting
in a helicopter with my gorgeous new husband, looking
down at such a beautiful sight. I was almost in tears
again I was so overcome with it all.
By the time the limo dropped us back at the hotel we were
exhausted, but we still found the energy to have a drink
whilst playing on the slot machines in our wedding gear
before heading off to bed! We spent the next two
weeks driving up the Californian coast and had a fantastic
holiday before coming home again and trying to overcome
the jet lag before our reception two days later.
We wanted to make sure that everyone could celebrate with
us and to make it as much like a 'normal' wedding reception
as possible. So, we had a big party at a local hotel for
over 100 friends and relatives with a buffet, wedding
cake (another one) and we wore our wedding outfits again.
I even made a speech although all the way through I kept
thinking, "thank goodness I have a long dress on so that
people can't see my legs shaking!" But I really wanted
to thank my Aunt for buying my dress and to remember my
Mum who died eight years ago.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Jamie and I had our
first dance to When
You Say Nothing At All by Ronan Keating and then the
disco went on until after midnight. The night ended with
Jamie and I in the middle of a circle of all our friends
and family, high kicking to New
York, New York, which was such a laugh as most of
us by this time could barely stand let alone high kick!
It was a fantastic night and we both enjoyed ourselves
thoroughly. I think we had both been worried that going
abroad to get married would offend people so much that
they wouldn't make the effort to celebrate with us, but
we felt so happy and loved by everyone that night that
we needn't have worried. We have had so many comments
since from our guests saying that it was a really happy,
fun party and that meant a lot to us.
Do Differently: The only thing I would do differently,
and its quite petty, but I would have liked to have talked
to the DJ about the type of music he played during the
reception. We booked him through an agency without talking
to him and even though we submitted a play list he didn't
play many of the songs we wanted and sometimes the music
was a bit 'suspect'!
But the whole experience was incredible - the hotel in
Vegas, the wedding, the helicopter, the reception - everything
was better than we imagined it, and very stress-free!
Groom's Comments: If I were to do it again I wouldn't
change a thing. Katie looked like a billion dollars and
the whole day was fantastic. My favourite part of the
day was the wedding itself - knowing that I was marrying
my best mate and that all my friends and family were watching
us from the UK. My second favourite part would be getting
into our bridal transport - that amazing helicopter. The
whole thing was brilliant! |
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