Real Weddings
Katie and James’s beautiful Paphos wedding
These newlyweds jetted off for some sunshine and a stunning Paphos wedding. Our WED2B Real Weddings feature reveals more…
Katie and James met through their local running club. “Our first date was a run,” says Katie. “James is a chef so, for our next date, he cooked for us. Luckily enough, since then, I’ve not really had to cook in the last five and a half years. We were going out less than three weeks after our first date, so we both knew it was something serious. My mum also predicted, before our first date, that I’d marry him. And look where we are now!”
A lockdown proposal
The couple had been together for three and a half years when James proposed. “It was on New Year’s Eve at home, as we were in lockdown at the time,” says Katie. “We got dressed up and he cooked a three-course meal. He kept joking around saying, ‘when are we going to swap New Year’s presents?’ I thought he was acting a bit funny, but I had no idea why. And then came the ring! I was so shocked that I didn’t say yes for a while.”
“What James didn’t realise was that we’d then spend the next hour on FaceTime to family and friends because I wanted to tell everyone! It was so lovely. Even though we were in lockdown, we were in this happy bubble together. I couldn’t wait to start planning, so spent all my weekends in January doing research.”
Shopping for the dress
“My mum and I had a great experience at wed2b Milton Keynes.” says Katie. “I panic bought another dress, as a shop was having a sale. It was a post-lockdown experience, and I didn’t have my mum with me. I also felt rushed, as it was on offer. I wasn’t convinced about the first dress, so I persuaded Mum to let me go shopping again, just to try things on. Also, perhaps to find a veil.”
“The ladies who helped us at wed2b were incredible and I had a really positive experience.” says Katie. “We picked out a few dresses, which were beautiful but didn’t feel right. I knew I was after an A-line dress with some tulle and floral detail, but I didn’t think I wanted a big princess dress.”
“I then put on ‘my’ dress, Mum cried, I cried and so did a lady next to Mum who was there with her sister! Even though I already had a dress, I knew I had to get this one. When I tried my dress on I was blown away. I loved how it made me feel. I was excited for James to see me and I loved all of the finer details, especially the back. It was elegant but also with enough detail to make it spectacular. I've never felt as beautiful as I did when I wore it on my wedding day.”
A sunny Paphos wedding
The couple got married in Paphos, Cyprus. “When we realised how much a UK wedding cost, we looked abroad,” says Katie. “Paphos has a special place in our hearts, so we started there. We then found a rustic but modern venue called Liopetro and booked our Paphos wedding without seeing it in person. When we visited in September 2021 we were blown away. On the day it was perfect and our wedding planners were phenomenal.”
“The wedding was on 19th September 2022, almost two years after getting engaged,” says Katie. “Our date was dictated a bit, as we wanted September but there weren’t many dates left because lots of brides were having to reschedule their weddings. The date was also the day of the Queen’s funeral, so it will be a memorable one.”
The best day of our lives…
“My bridesmaids joined me for breakfast on the big day, while all of the boys went for a run,” says Katie. “Our friends also made sure we didn’t see each other in the hotel we were all staying in. I got ready with my bridesmaids and Mum at the bridal suite at the venue. It was a very hot day but we had good air con and we kept sneaking out to see the venue set up.”
“My dad walked me down the aisle to ‘Wildest Dreams’ by Duomo, inspired by Bridgerton. And our nine-year-old niece did a Disney themed wedding reading. Walking down the aisle to James was so scary but also so exciting, to start the next chapter as Mrs Down.”
Drinks, dancing and a saxophonist
”After the ceremony we had a drinks reception with a saxophonist, which was awesome,” says Katie. “We got to spend time with our family and friends. Our first dance song was an acoustic version of ‘One Kiss’, but then it remixed into a Calvin Harris song. We wanted our wedding party to enjoy the moment with us, so encouraged everyone to join in and dance with us.”
The best bits…
“Oh I really can’t pick a best moment, it was genuinely perfect from start to finish,” says Katie. “I cried more the next day because it had gone so well! James and I had so much fun reminiscing on what a good day it was.”
"I also have a lovely bond with my dad, as I lost my biological mum at 11. He walked me down the aisle and he gave an outstanding speech. Everyone came up to me afterwards and said how brilliant it was. We also got to dance together and, on the bus home, we had a lovely chat about the wedding and life."
“The next few days he kept saying how amazing it was. To have the two most important men in my life enjoy the day so much just meant the world to me.”
My top tips…
“Go abroad, you won’t regret it,” says Katie. “Although I appreciate this won’t be for everyone. Also, enjoy the planning experience, don’t worry about the small stuff. Spend time on organising the things that mean the most to you.”
"And, don't train for a marathon at the same time as planning a wedding. I ran the London Marathon 13 days afterwards. Luckily both went well, but I'm never doing that again!”
Katie and James’s Dream Team
Photographer: Nick at Beziique
Venue: Liopetro
Wedding dresses Milton Keynes: wed2b
Wedding Planners: Marry Me Cyprus
If you would like us to feature your big day, like this Paphos wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Your nearest WED2B is closer than you think, click here for more details about WED2B’s bridal shops Milton Keynes
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