Names: Libby and Oliver Shepherd
Age: Libby – 33, Oliver – 34
Profession: Libby – Nurse endoscopist, Oliver – Surveyor
Where do you come from: Libby – Queensland, Oliver – Australia & Sussex, England
1. How did you meet? On a sailing holiday in Greece in 2006.
2. How did you get engaged? Woken up to 30 roses and a wet boyfriend on bended knee (it had been raining outside)
3. How did you choose where to conduct the ceremony and have the reception? We both love Italy and thought getting married there would be very romantic. We did a search on the internet to investigate where to have the wedding and came across Tuscan Dreams. Villa Gambassi suited our needs precisely and accommodated all our guests in one place. The church was close by and, fortunately, beautiful.
4. What research and planning did you do before the wedding? We visited Villa Gambassi twice. The first to assess the location and the accommodation and the second time was to taste the food and wine, which was straightforward as the chef that was recommended was excellent. We settled on a theme fairly quickly, but it was putting the thought and research into the small details that would make it individual that took more time. Having wedding planners with such experience of the location was extremely helpful.
5. How many guests attended your wedding? 77
6. What did you ‘make from scratch’? The table plans and name places
7. What was your biggest extravagance? The Alfa Romeo Spider Giuletta 1962 convertible. Unfortunately it rained.
8. Where did you save the most money? Having the reception where we were staying meant that we did not need a separate venue.
9. Would you change anything about your wedding? Having the speeches and first dance on photograph and film.
10. What advice would you give to someone planning a wedding? Have it over a long weekend which means family and friends can get to know each other before wedding and the bride and groom can enjoy the party even more.
11: What was the theme of your wedding? Rustic elegance. We chose this theme to reflect the setting.
12. Colour scheme of wedding? ivory and merlot
13. What music did you choose? Jazz (at drinks reception) and pop band