Your Surrey Wedding - October/November 2022 (Issue 97)

it and as it fitted perfectly with the dress, she said that it could be my something borrowed!,” continues Orlane. “I am a nanny, so my employer and I are really close. I always knew I wanted her boys to hold my veil as I walked down the aisle, so it felt special that they would be holding their mum’s veil.” Adam wore a suit from Moss Bros that was slightly different to the groomsmen to help him stand out. He finished the look with his late uncle’s cufflinks. The bridesmaids opted for pink dresses. “They live in different countries, so we chose different shades of pink as it was difficult trying to get the exact same colour,” shares Orlane. “My maidof-honour had a navy blue dress to make her stand out.” TIME TO CELEBRATE “We had a DJ entertain our guests in the evening,” explains the bride. “We wanted everyone to enjoy the party, and the dancefloor was never empty. We also had a photo booth as I had seen one at a friend’s wedding a few years ago and knew I wanted one at our wedding. It was so much fun, and now we have a lovely album with all the pictures in, and our guests got to take home a copy too! “We performed a fun dance during the reception,” adds Orlane. “In France, it’s traditional for the bride and groom to dance under an umbrella while the guests throw steamers on top of it. Each piece of streamers that gets stuck on the top of the umbrella is meant to symbolise a year of happiness.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS “The morning felt quite weird in a way,” recalls Orlane. “It felt like being in a bubble, but once we were at the venue, it all went by so fast. It had been two years of ups and down, not being sure if we were going to get married or if all the guests would make it. COVID-19 made everything tense, so to see everything going to plan was perfect. At the end of the night, we got to our room around midnight and sat there for two hours chatting about our wedding, which was a lovely way to end the day.” Orlane’s favourite moment was walking down the aisle. “Seeing all our families and friends reunited after going through a tough pandemic and having Adam standing there waiting for me was a wonderful feeling,” adds Orlane. “What stood out the most is how our English and French guests became one on the day. We had always thought that because of the language barrier our wedding would be a bit different, but they all mixed together and partied like they always knew each other. “Not many people know about it, but our first dance was actually our first time dancing as a couple, which made it even more special,” continues Orlane. “When I was getting ready in the morning, the last hour became quite a rush, and my maid-ofhonour took all my bags with her so that I didn’t have to worry about it when I arrived at the venue. She left ahead of the rest of us and I realised two minutes before leaving that I had my house keys in my handbag which was gone with her! I had to leave the house unlocked, but it did make us laugh!” The ring bearers were dressed up as security agents. “They were so cute,” reveals the bride. “They walked down the aisle to a song from James Bond, which made everyone laugh. They walked again behind me, holding my veil acting like my bodyguards, and it meant so much to me to have them with me. When I walked down the aisle, I was at the point where I was about to cry with all the emotions going on, but then I found myself feeling so confused as I realised everyone was mixed REAL WEDDINGS 45

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