The Height of Romance

Waking up to snow in New York City on Valentine’s Day, followed by a marriage proposal and an engagement ring from Tiffany’s on Fifth Avenue was just the beginning for Natalie and Gary

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Early days…

On a bleak British mid-winter’s day, Natalie and Gary jetted off to the Big Apple, and although the mid-February temperature was bitter and below freezing, the thought of Valentine’s Day was enough to warm the cockles of their hearts.

On Valentine’s Day, they woke up to see the whole of New York covered in virgin snow. Kneeling on one knee, Gary gave Natalie a Valentine’s card which read: ‘Will you marry me’. “After a few tears, we trudged through thick snow to Tiffany’s on 5th Avenue to buy my engagement ring (a diamond solitaire in platinum)! We were greeted at Tiffany’s with champagne and chocolates and treated like royalty. Afterwards, we went to see Mamma Mia! on Broadway and had a meal in Little Italy. It couldn’t have been more perfect,” Natalie recalls.

Hen and stag parties…

Natalie went with nine of her friends to Puerto Banus, Spain, for four days. They had a great time, although Natalie says there are no outrageous stores to tell, “just lots of drinking, dancing and sun-bathing”. Gary and eight of his friends headed off to Tallinn, Estonia. They had lots of fun but again, “there are no outrageous stories that I’m aware of”, says Natalie.

The venues…

Natalie and Gary visited several venues, but when they saw The White House at Englemere in Ascot, they knew instantly that ‘this one ticked all the boxes’. “It was intimate, had beautiful grounds and exceptional service. We could basically tailor the wedding as to how we wanted it. The staff was very organised and had a great deal of experience.” The White is licensed to hold a civil ceremony, which meant they could also have the reception at the same venue.

The attendants…

Natalie’s bridesmaids were her sisters Sophie and Gabrielle. They wore dusky pink strapless, knee-length dresses from Coast, complemented by diamanté shoes, diamanté bracelets and hair clips. They carried small bouquets to match Natalie’s.

The pageboy was Jake, Gary’s nephew and Godson. He wore a light grey linen suit, waistcoat and a cravat to match the groom’s. The ushers were Alan and David and they wore dark grey pin stripe suits with silver waistcoats and cravats. Paul and Martin, the best men, wore the same outfit as the ushers.

The dress…

Natalie’s dress was designed by Benjamin Roberts. The silky white, ‘Bellagio’ style strapless dress had a slight sweetheart neckline, drop waist and a small train embelllished with beads and sequins on the back. Something old was a handkerchief that Natalie’s mum had when she got married. Something borrowed was her mum’s diamond tennis bracelet, and something blue was a garter bought by a friend.

The transport…

Two Mercedes Benz executive cars were hired – one to take the bride and her dad, and the other to transport her mum and sisters.

The decorative touches…

Natalie wanted everything to be in white and silver with a hint of pink on the flowers and the bridesmaids’ dresses. They went for a movie-themed table plan and table cards, and in place of table numbers were large cut outs of actors to identify each table by the actor’s name.

Natalie was particularly keen on having lots of flowers around the venue: “I believe that they really make a wedding”. Each table had a tall candelabra with flowers draped across and vertically. In the evening, they had tea lights and hurricane lamps. Sweets in jars were also brought out, which proved to be very popular. “I decided not to offer favours, so I could spend the money elsewhere,” Natalie explains. The white five-tier cake was made by a friend and came in different flavours - chocolate, vanilla and fruit cake.

The best bits…

For Natalie and Gary, it was difficult to pinpoint the most memorable moment. “The ceremony itself was very emotional, and was exactly what we wanted. We knew the registrar who was marrying us, so it really had a personal touch.”

Even the best-laid plans cannot prevent a few hitches. The harpist turned up five minutes before the ceremony - an hour and a half late. According to Natalie, “there had been an accident which delayed the harpist’s arrival. I was unaware of this! Also, some friends that came all the way from California got completely lost, and as a result we had to delay the wedding by 20 minutes – we couldn’t start without them”! Despite everything, “the whole day was a lot of fun, with everyone we wanted there”.

The honeymoon…

Natalie and Gary spent 14 nights at Le Touessrok in Mauritius, based on a close friend’s recommendation as ‘the perfect honeymoon destination’. And they couldn’t agree more. “It was a perfect honeymoon destination, pure luxury and fantastic service. The hotel staff was friendly and attentive, but not over-the-top. The food was wonderful, the rooms and the general facilities were great. It really was a honeymooner’s dream! It really did live up to our expectations.”

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