A real wedding with a touch of soft, blush-pink and a hint of candy-coated sparkle.

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WHERE: Thistle Hotel, Haydock, Merseyside

WHEN: September 2009

PHOTOGRAPHER: Nicole Photography

The proposal

“It was the first day in December and we were getting the Christmas decorations down from the loft,” remembers Karen. “Nick said he’d found one more decoration upstairs. I turned to find him on one knee with an open ring box…” .

The reaction

“I said a very tiny ‘yes’ among a lot of ‘Oh my Gods’,” says Karen. “I remember exactly the timing of it as well: it was 6.40pm and just before X Factor,” laughs Karen. “I didn’t watch any of it though; I just kept kissing Nick and staring at this gorgeous sparkly ring on my hand”.

The bride’s real wedding outfit

For her real wedding, Karen wore a stunning strapless gown called ‘Honey’, designed by Berketex Bride for her real wedding. “The dress was made of soft organza chiffon and shimmered whenever I moved. It had sparkles everywhere and an embroidered flower detail. The laceup back pulled me in to show off my figure – which I’d worked hard for – brilliantly! It was absolutely gorgeous,” says Karen.

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“Hearing Nick speak about our future lives together as we took our vows was the best feeling ever…”

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The groom’s outfit

Nick chose a black pinstripe suit with a cream silk waistcoat from Groom Formal Wear.

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The bridesmaids

Karen’s three grown-up girls wore full-length, organza, dusky-pink gowns with a satin underlay from The Brides Room of Birkdale. “I love pink but I didn’t want an overpowering pink on the day, so the antique-rose colour of their dresses made them the ideal choice,” explains Karen of her bridesmaids.

The flowers

Wendy’s Flowers did a fabulous job,” says Karen. “My bouquet was made up of three different types of roses and fragrant freesias. It was also important to us that special people were recognised on the day, so we asked some additional guests to wear rose button holes”.

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The ceremony

“My dad and I are huge fans of Father of the Bride,” says Karen. “Having that moment with him before he walked me down the aisle was everything I’d ever dreamed of,” she adds.

“I chose the song I Loved Her First by Heartland from Father of the Bride for a first dance with my dad”

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The cake

The couple’s three-tiered cake was made by All About Cakes (01704 533095) and included a top stand made from Champagne flutes – a cake perfect for any real wedding!

The reception

Held at the Thistle Haydock and decorated in a burst of candy-coated pink, the couple’s real wedding reception was a sight to be seen!

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The stationery

“We made all the stationery ourselves with card from Pocketfold Invites,” explains Karen. “We then added diamanté buckles from Diamante Buckles“.

The honeymoon

The couple went to Dubai for three nights followed by a ten-night break in the Maldives.

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