Name : Kirsty and Neil
Age: Kirsty – 27, Neil – 31
Profession: Kirsty – Human Resources Advisor, Neil – works in the Automotive Industry
Where do you come from : Staffordshire, UK
1. How did you meet?
We met at a house party in 1996 but I don’t actually remember Neil being there but remember his friends. We met again a few years later and eventually he asked me to be his girlfriend in February 1998.
2. How did you get engaged?
We’d been together for 9 years by the time Neil proposed in August 2007. Neil told me he was taking me away as a surprise.He took me to Paris for 4 days and it rained the whole time we were there. On the last night we went for a meal and then sat on the grass beneath the Eiffel tower. Neil got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.I just couldn’t stop crying and of course, I said yes!
3. How did you choose where to conduct the ceremony and have the reception?
We’d been on holiday to Tuscany in June 2007 with my parents to a farmhouse in Montespertoli. This was before we were engaged but whilst there we did say how lovely it would be for a wedding. Tuscany was so fresh in our minds when we got engaged and then we found tuscan dreams on the internet and decided to contact them. We visited Villa Gambassi in March 2008 and then again in January 2009 to taste the food for the wedding and see the church, Santa Maria a Chianni.We loved everything about it and knew this was where we wanted to get married.
4. What research and planning did you do before the wedding?
Once we’d found Tuscan dreams and confirmed our wedding booking with them, they were excellent in helping us with all the research and planning in Italy.
5. How many guests attended your wedding?
We had a small wedding of 30 family and close friends in Italy, and then had a party back in the UK with 150 guests.
6.What did you ‘make from scratch’?
We made the table plan ourselves but ended up having to stick it together when we arrived in Italy so that it didn’t get too bent in the suitcase! We also created the order of service ourselves but unfortunately, left it until the last minute and ended up having to get them photocopied on the day we were flying to Italy and then we didn’t have enough copies for everyone!!
7.What was your biggest extravagance?
Probably actually getting married in Italy but we knew that it was what we wanted and just hoped that everyone would be able to be there to share it with us.
8.Where did you save the most money?
Probably in only having 30 guests in Italy. We could have asked more people but would have meant the food would have cost more.
9.Would you change anything about your wedding?
No, we’ve both said we have no regrets and everything was just as we wanted it
10.What advice would you give to someone planning a wedding?
Be organised. You always think you’ve got ages to do things. We had 2 years between getting engaged and getting married and it just flew by! We thought we had ages to do things but all of sudden it’s there and you still have things to do.