PRETTY IN PINK

A dreamy fairytale-inspired theme made the day magical for Nikki and Errol

Click on any of the images below to view a larger version

Early days…

Nikki and Errol met through mutual friends and have been together for four years.

The proposal…

Errol proposed to Nikki on the night of their first year anniversary together. "He couldn't find the right moment, as everything kept going wrong, and ended up getting down on one knee in the car park! I had no idea, it was a real surprise," says Nikki. Errol had arranged for their parents to meet them at a local bar where they all celebrated with champagne. Her white gold engagement ring has a pink sapphire in the centre with two diamonds on either side.

Hen and stag parties…

A limousine took Nikki and nine friends to Brighton where they enjoyed taking lessons in cheerleading. Errol went to Slovakia with 17 friends. "He got thrown into a fountain naked and nearly got arrested," reports the bride.

The venues…

Errol grew up in Sandhurst and his family attended the local Church of St. Michael's, which made it the perfect choice for the wedding ceremony. After visiting several venues, the couple decided to hold their wedding reception at Warbrook House, a Grade II-listed mansion house set within 130 acres of woodland and parks. "It has a good atmosphere, beautiful grounds, and we also liked the layout," explains Nikki.

The attendants…

The bridesmaids were Nikki's best friend, Tania Schwartz, and Georgia Hutchings, the groom's cousin. They wore strapless, knee-length Alfred Angelo ivory dresses with baby pink sashes, complemented by pink sandals. The flower girl was Ellie Hutchings, Errol's cousin, and she wore a hand made ivory dress, also with a pink sash.

Harrison Hutchings, another cousin of the groom, was the pageboy, and the ushers were the bride's brother, Paul Latham and the groom's brother, Ryan Hutchings. The best men were Errol's friends James Davis and Grant Nesbitt. They all wore the same outfit as the groom's - a grey morning suit with a tailcoat, ivory waistcoat and baby pink cravat.

The dress…

Nikki spotted a baby pink and ivory princess-style dress in a magazine. "It was big and fluffy, with lots of diamantés and crystals. As soon as I saw it, I new it was the one." To match, the bride wore a baby pink veil, tiara, and diamond sparkles in her hair. "I also had some knickers made with ?Mrs. Hutchings? printed in pink crystals."

Something old was a compact mirror Nikki's mum had given her, and which she kept in a small pink bag. Something new was a heart necklace; something borrowed was a friend's lip-gloss; and something blue was a garter with a blue crystal.

The decorative touches…

Fairytale and the colour pink were the inspiration of the day. Each table had a large candle encased in a glass bowl, which stood on a circular mirror and was encircled by pink tea lights. Each table was named after a TV comedy sitcom: The Royle Family (top table), Fawlty Towers, Birds of a Feather, Shameless, Alan Partridge, Little Britain, Absolutely Fabulous, The Vicar of Dibley and Dad's Army.

Favours came in the form of baby pink organza bags filled with pink chocolate hearts and little pink rose cards printed with the bride and groom?s names, date of the wedding and a poem which read:

"This day for us is special and joy is ours to share, with all our friends and relatives, who came to show they care. Your presence here with us means more than words can say; please keep this small memento to remind you of our day."

The four-tier cake was decorated with white chocolate cigarillos and hand made pink roses in between the tiers and on the top. Each tier was made of a different flavour: chocolate, Victoria sponge, coffee and walnut and chocolate orange.

The best bits…

The entire day was perfect for Nikk. "Everyone was so happy, and we loved every single minute of the day." One of the best moments for Errol was walking down the aisle.

Top tips…

"We took time in making our choices and didn't just go with the first supplier we met. Choose suppliers like florists and photographers who have already done a wedding at the venue, since being familiar with the venue really helps.

"I would also recommend getting a professional wedding videographer. We did, and now have the whole day on DVD to watch and relive. You also get to see things that you may have missed on the day," advises Nikki. When it came to wedding gifts, the couple gave guests the option to contribute towards their honeymoon spending money - a very practical approach.

The honeymoon…

The newlyweds have always wanted to go to the Maldives, which was highly recommended by Nikki's dad. "It was absolutely beautiful. We have never seen anywhere like it, and when I got off the boat, it took my breath away. We never got bored and we met some other honeymooners who we are still in contact with. The sea plane was also an amazing experience," says Nikki.

They spent two weeks in Sun Island. "The service, the food, the accommodation, the views - all of it was simply perfect. We had lovely treatments in the spa, went fishing, and fed the stingrays and baby sharks. I went snorkelling and Errol went scuba diving."

The honeymooners also enjoyed the evening entertainment and liked the fact that there were many restaurants to choose from. "We loved riding around the island on our mountain bikes. Some evenings, Errol would cycle around the whole island in 20 minutes."

Useful Contacts: