“After the ceremony we took our guests on a boat ride which was so much fun, it was a nice surprise for everyone.”
The couple: Georgina and Joshua Davies
Length of engagement: 16 Months | Wedding date: 9th June 2016
Wedding location: Dubrovnik, Croatia | Photographer: Nina Photo
Wedding planner: Yes I Du Wedding Agency Dubrovnik
We met… Through mutual friends in our home town of Swansea in South Wales. He took me to watch fireworks and forgot to bring his wallet. He was so embarrassed but we didn’t stop laughing all night.
Our proposal… He proposed to me at home. He’d planned to do it over a nice breakfast but I ruined his plans by going shopping with a friend. When he came to collect me from the train station later that day he was wearing a new white shirt but it didn’t make me suspicious at all. It was only when I heard music playing in the living room I wondered what he was doing. I walked in and he was on one knee with a ring and our Labrador Jake had a dicky bow on sat proudly next to him. I said yes straight away.
My hair and makeup… I started growing my hair when we got engaged and it was just about long enough do to the style I wanted in the end. I love a glamorous big curl with volume, it had to work with my veil and headpiece so I avoided an updo. I don’t wear a great deal of makeup every day but I do like a dramatic lipstick colour even to go to work. I knew it had to be a deep red to go with my flowers. My eyes had shades of gold to pick out the champagne in my dress.
We chose our wedding coordinator because… As soon as I had our first meeting together I felt relieved. When you’re getting married abroad, you are putting a huge amount of trust in someone and you have to be able to call them at any time and have a panic. Martina (Yes I Du Wedding Agency) is super professional and made herself available even late at night when I had some crazy idea I didn’t want to forget. Their portfolio was extensive but more than anything else, I knew we could be honest with her about budget, style and details.
We chose our venue because… The hotel’s food and wine were amazing but also the service. The architecture of the building and the grounds went well with our vintage theme, it was a really romantic setting.
What our bridal party wore… Picking flower girl dresses was fun; my nieces love dressing up so anything with lace and glitter was like a princess dress. Finding bridesmaids dresses was a mammoth task, trying to suit several heights, shapes and styles is hard. I’m lucky that I have really great girlfriends who tried on a million dresses and stayed very patient with me. In the end I chose something sparkly for my Maid of Honour and picked out the marsala colour from my flowers for my bridesmaids. I manged to find them all on ASOS; their wedding section is pretty amazing! My mum probably took the longest to find something because she never wanted to look too much like a traditional Mother of the Bride. She’s got a glamorous style, she looked amazing on the day.
Our ceremony… We got married in the garden of the Hotel Argentina in the Old Town of Dubrovnik. When we visited it for the first time we fell in love. The garden was just the right size for our ceremony and it had a wonderful view out to the sea and Lokrum island. We could just see ourselves there, it’s strange how you just have that feeling. After the ceremony we took our guests on a boat ride which was so much fun, it was a nice surprise for everyone.
Our honeymoon… We stayed an extra 10 days following our wedding but we moved to a small island called Lopud. It’s very small but so beautiful and quiet. I travel a lot with my job so I didn’t want to get on another plane. It was perfect after the stress that comes with planning a wedding, we spent our days wandering around the cobbled streets and relaxing on the beach.
My favourite part of the wedding day… My favourite part was the drinks reception just after our ceremony. It was lovely to relax and take it all in with all our friends and family before heading on our boat ride. One of my bridesmaids did a lovely short speech and a toast which was so kind. It gave us time to speak to everyone and take in the view.
My piece of advice for other brides… Something will go wrong, and even if at the time it feels like the end of the world it really isn’t. I became a total control freak in the weeks running up to the wedding and all I could think of is ‘is everyone going to enjoy?’. In the end regardless of anyone else, it was our day, and we loved every second. Try to put things in perspective when you find yourself hyperventilating over a table setting, everyone will just love seeing you both happy.
