I was recently thrilled to be able to make this lovely lady’s dreams come true. Francesca was the winner of the Brides Up North and Mia Sposa Bridal and Menswear Win Your Wedding Dress Competition (worth a cool £1,200). Today, I chat to the excited bride to be about the plans for her forthcoming big day…
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One thing’s for sure, luck is on this fun and feisty bride’s side!
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When did you and your husband to be meet? Tell Brides Up North your story…
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Prepare yourselves for a clichéd office romance that we managed to keep quiet for 12 months!
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We met in November 2004 when he started working at the same place as me in London. I took to him instantly because he is Northern (!) and had a cracking sense of humour! He is also tall and dark (and handsome but then I’m biased!) but back then he had long (shoulder length) hair and I knew he was special because ordinarily that would have turned me right off but not with him. Over several weeks of seeing each other around the office and chatting occasionally (and apparently flirting!?) we only really got
talking at the office Christmas lunch – so clichéd! Then a few of us went on to the pub and before we knew it everyone else had disappeared and we’d been holding hands without even realising – we talked some more, had a smooch and the rest is history. We spent hours on the phone over Christmas and then in the
New Year we spent more and more time together. Less than 2 years later we moved in together and I have been trying to persuade him to marry me ever since!
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When did you know it was love?
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Less than two months after we got together he had to go away on a business trip and I missed him desperately. I remember one night while he was away he called and I was so excited just to hear is voice. I came off the phone and burst into tears and that’s when I knew I couldn’t live without him. He was the one for me. And when he got back from the trip he gave me a beautiful necklace he brought while he was there so I knew he had been thinking of me too.
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How did he propose? Tell Brides Up North about it…
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Well, actually, I proposed…sort of! My bride to be story is slightly different from the norm – we appear to be doing things rather back to front and higgledy piggledy!
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We’d been talking about getting married for the last couple of years and I kept moaning to my friend that he just wasn’t going to propose and I was sick of waiting. So, on the 1st April this year, my friend and I went to see Kylie at the MEN Arena in Manchester and several cocktails later I decided it was a brilliant idea to text my boyfriend and ask him to marry me – only at the end of a long message about how life is too short etc. His text in reply was simply…YES!
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So it’s all rather underwhelming really and certainly not romantic in the slightest but he has promised (and this is some promise from the World’s most unromantic man!) that he will make a romantic gesture of giving me the ring even though he maintains I’ve already done the proposal!
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We’ve been looking at engagement rings over the last few months and talking about the wedding plans…I think I’m having a beautiful antique diamond ring that belonged to his grandmother but needs re-sizing to fit me or it may be one of the other antique rings we have looked at… either way, I’ll be a very happy girl! I’m currently wearing a distinctive costume ring as a temporary measure!
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My Grandma is having an 80th birthday celebration at the beginning of August and Nathan’s Mum is having a 60th birthday party – so we talked about wanting to be ‘officially’ engaged before then so we can add to the family celebrations!
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Do you have a wedding date?
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Nothing is booked yet (!) but we’re thinking September 2012… We haven’t booked the venue yet as we may well use a family house for the occasion but we have found a lovely country inn in the Yorkshire Dales that
has a ‘wine cave’ which is perfect for an intimate candlelit ceremony for about 40 people and we could have our wedding breakfast in their small restaurant. We will decide for certain in the next month or so and
everything else will follow on from there…
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What sort of theme are you going to go for?
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I don’t think there will be a theme as such but I love vintage and the idea of an afternoon tea style wedding really appeals. And we could do this perfectly at my Mum’s house as she has a beautiful cottage in the country!
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Well done on winning the Brides Up North/ Mia Sposa competition! Dress wise, what sort of style do you fancy?
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Thank you! I still can’t believe it; it’s completely amazing! I haven’t tried any dresses on yet but I’ve been flicking through magazines for inspiration and now I’ve seen the Mia Sposa website I’m so excited! I’m
not into bling or sparkle so I think something simple yet elegant and maybe some lace. I think fitted would work well too as I’m slim and not very tall!
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Will you have a hen do? If so where? What would be your ideal way to spend it?
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It won’t be anything wild but I would like to take a couple of close friends and the girls in my family out to a lovely restaurant and then go on somewhere for cocktails and dancing! I’m not sure where but I think it might have to be Manchester…keep it local!
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What are your “must-haves” for your wedding day?
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My only real must-have is that my youngest brother gives me away – we lost our Dad 10 years ago and I wouldn’t want anyone else to walk me down the aisle.
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Where are you going on your honeymoon?
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We don’t have anything booked as yet as money has been really tight but now I’ve won this amazing competition I think we might be able to afford something! I would be very happy simply spending a week (at least!) on a tiny Greek island with my new husband.
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What is your biggest wish for married life?
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My biggest wish is that we can create a family of our own and enjoy raising a brood of happy healthy children!
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Why do you read Brides Up North?
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To be perfectly honest, I just love the fact it’s dedicated to Northern lasses… so refreshing! I can always find something useful about any aspect of weddings and I don’t just use it as a research tool – it’s so amazing to read all the real life stories of girlies just like me. I also love the layout and the style of the website… and it has the best competitions for brides!
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Watch out for more updates here on the wedding blog from Francesca in the run up to her real wedding.
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