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For Milly and Alex, a trip around the world finished with a fairy-tale visit to Disney World Florida where all their dreams came true. All that was needed was a little bit of planning and a very talented caricaturist…
How did you and your husband meet?
I went on a girly holiday to Egypt with two of my best friends. While we were out there, we met a group of men from England and it turned out one of them lived nearby to me. We agreed to meet for a drink when we both got home. When we met up, he brought his housemate along: Alex. We became immediately very close friends and, a year and a half later, I invited myself along on his solo holiday to Thailand. We lasted nine hours before our first kiss. By day four of the holiday, we both knew that this was something very special and he moved into my flat on his return to the UK.
Tell us about the proposal
I am a huge Disney fan and, when Alex and I went travelling for a year, we arranged that one of the final stops would be Walt Disney World in Florida. Alex always knew that he would propose there. He had suggested that we get a caricature done of us when we were there.
While Erin, the artist, was drawing us, a parade went past and I hopped up to quickly snap a picture. Apparently I sent everyone  into panic!
Eventually, Erin showed us the picture. There was a speech bubble coming from caricature Alex saying “Will you marry me?” Alex got on one knee next to me and said “Well, will you?” Of course I said yes, and a crowd that had stopped to watch started applauding.
Where did you get married and how did you choose the venue?
We got married at Swallows Oast in Ticehurst. The managers and staff were absolutely wonderful! Deborah and Mark were so helpful and involved and appeared genuinely excited about our plans.
It was the second venue we looked at – we instantly fell in love! The oast itself was perfect for us as it didn’t feel too large and had the space to accommodate 100 guests. It had a lovely character and feel, but could also be decorated in the exact way we wanted.
Tell us about your big day and some of its key highlights
The day was just perfect, we wouldn’t have changed any of it.
I was so nervous while waiting to go in that I apparently ran down the aisle instead of the expected graceful glide. Until the doors opened and Alex saw me for the first time, he had been a nervous wreck!
The speeches were wonderful. Alex, his brother and my father did such an amazing job. They were all hilarious, but touching. I felt very lucky.
We had a slightly different table plan in that we pinned up luggage tags of everyone’s names but, to get their tag, they had to replace it with a Polaroid of themselves. It means we have a photo of every single person at our wedding and a lovely memento of the day.
We also brought a bit of my family’s heritage into the day by Alex having the MacLeod family tartan on the lining of his suit and the back of his waistcoat.
My dad was decked out in tartan trousers and traditional garb and my brother had a matching tie. Those little touches meant a lot.
How did you start your married life together? If you went on a honeymoon, where did you go?
Alex worked offshore at the time, so he was whisked away for five weeks by his company just after our wedding. We spent the first month of married life apart from each other, but we spoke on the satellite phone every day. When he got back, we went on a lovely, low-key honeymoon to Paris where we just wandered around the city, ate a lot of food, and, naturally, spent a day in Disneyland Paris! We went on an amazing food tour that we would recommend to anyone: parisbymouth.com/paris-food-tours
Who were your key suppliers?
My wedding dress was by a designer called Sarah Seven. She is stocked at Frou Frou in Tunbridge Wells and I couldn’t have loved the dress more!
Our band was the Hotrox Agency and they were amazing. You have the option to choose what kind of band you want, how many band members, etc, and tailor it to your venue and the evening you are planning.
During the ceremony itself, my cousin’s acapella group, The J Tones, sang our song, Love Is Easy by McFly, which Sebastian had arranged for us, as well as Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
Our photographer, Peter Prior, was really helpful and kept in close contact in the lead-up to the wedding. He listened to what we wanted and we are really happy with the photos he took.
My hair, and the bridesmaids’ hair, was done by Stephanie at Stephanique Styling. She really took her time to work out what we wanted during the trial and was great fun during the morning while we were getting ready.
As a surprise for Alex, I hired a vintage single decker bus from Omnibuzz for him and some of our friends to go to the venue from our hotel. My bridesmaids watched through the window and said that he did a little skip when he saw it!
5 TIPS FROM THE BRIDE
1. Don’t accept bad workmanship or service from suppliers just to make things easy – it’s not worth it!
2. I’m guilty of being an occasionally stubborn bride. Try not to be as you may regret the decision you were sure you felt strongly about.
3. Take some time to spend just with you and your new husband after the ceremony.
4. Get a videographer! The day is a whirlwind and it’s wonderful being able to watch those special moments back.
5. Take some time out the day before the wedding. Have a massage or something else relaxing, you’ll thank yourself for it.
