After meeting the seemingly shy Carol on an online dating site, Nancy Fisher soon realised she was the one for her. After six weeks there was no doubt for either of them that this was meant to be, and a proposal shortly followed
Describe your wife in five words: She made me believe again
How did you and your wife meet?
We met on an online dating site. I had three dates that week and two of them were not a good fit at all! Carol was so normal and sweet, although she was so shy at first that she barely said a thing on the initial phone call. Luckily, I trusted my instinct and went on a date – the rest is history.
Tell us about the proposal…
It was only six weeks after meeting that I knew I had found ‘the one’. We went to Wales for a five-day break in a teepee. On the first evening, we had a romantic, candlelit dinner and I produced a large diamond and asked her. Carol was in shock as she had no idea, but she said yes – luckily!
Where did you get married and how did you choose the venue?
The ceremony was at The Mansion House in Tunbridge Wells. Afterwards, we returned to our beautiful home in Southborough. We have an apartment in a Decimus Burton Mansion with five acres of grounds, so we erected a marquee in the garden – it was a beautiful setting!
We originally had a civil partnership at Brighton Pavilion ten years ago. But we wanted a special day to convert to marriage on our tenth anniversary. The Mansion house was local to us and was a grand setting to complement our home.
Tell us about your big day and some of its key highlights…
It truly was a magical day. Carol and I were very relaxed and the sun was shining brightly. The day started with champagne and photos outside the house.
After the ceremony we walked around the garden in our wellies for more pictures. For the children, there was a bouncy castle and a pi̱ata Рabsolutely lovely.
For music, there was a live Salsa band who were absolutely amazing and kept us dancing all night. A delicious hog roast easily fed all the guests and left us with more for the next day.
How did you start your married life together?
I know it’s become the ‘must do’ place for honeymooners, but we headed to the Maldives and there really is no place like it. The ten days were so fantastic – really relaxing. Nothing beats doing nothing in paradise!
Who were your key suppliers?
Two brides, two dream dresses. Mine was from With Love Bridals in Sidcup and Carol’s was selected at Dress Dreams in Sevenoaks. Both dresses were found in the sales and absolutely gorgeous!
We can’t recommend Hungry Hog Catering enough – for any event! They supplied the wonderful hog roast and the bar. They were so helpful and for a very good price.
LA Sounds in Rusthall provided the marquee. Owner Chris put up with my tears and tantrums when I was worried it was too small. He even got an extra bit to add to it. He was a star and I can’t thank him enough. They also do discos, but we didn’t require it due to the band.
The Camina salsa band, a regular at The Grey Lady in The Pantiles (the last Friday of every month), did an absolutely fantastic set for us. They are truly superb players of Latin music.
The wedding cake was made by my daughter, who is a professional cake maker. You can find her on Facebook under Wonda’s Wonderful Cakes.
The photographer saved the day by stepping in at only two days’ notice.
David Bartholomew from Tunbridge Wells was brilliant and captured the day perfectly.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
- Do what you want on the day and not what others want. Your wedding is your own and no one else’s. You can’t please everyone
- Don’t stress about the weather – there’s nothing you can do about it
- Don’t exclude children, it upsets people, and they can bring a real joy to the day
- September is the time that wedding dress shops have their sales. You can pick up some fantastic bargains as they sell off that year’s designs to make room for the new season
- When looking for suppliers, get at least three estimates. You’d be amazed at how much the prices can vary!
