Long-term sweethearts' particularly chilled approach to getting hitched

Nikki and Bill Waddington are preparing to get married on 8 July.

And they’ve waited so long after being separated on and off by geography and circumstance, they’re determined that it will be not just a day, but a whole weekend to remember.

Zermatt in Switzerland has become ‘their place’. It’s somewhere they’ve been back to year after year, sometimes reuniting them after long periods apart. And most importantly of all, it’s where Bill ultimately popped the question in April 2016.

They love it so much that – without giving too much away before the day itself – they’re hoping to share just a little bit of Swiss mountain magic with their wedding party guests.

“Zermatt is our absolute favourite place in the world for all sorts of reasons and we wanted it to be part of our wedding, but it would have been just too much hassle to take our guests out there. So we’re going for the next best thing, which is bringing a flavour of the ski slopes to them,” said Nikki.

“We can’t give too much away in advance as it will spoil the surprise, but we intend our wedding party to be a lot of fun, with a few unexpected elements into the bargain!”

Don’t worry if you’re reading this blog and itching to know – all will be revealed in ‘Part 2’ after the wedding!

Bill and Nikki are getting married at Hessle’s All Saints Church, followed by a whole-weekend celebration. As well as putting up a marquee in the garden of their home, also in Hessle, we are planning the entire event for the lovely Bill, who is a criminal lawyer and Director of Williamson’s law firm in Hull, and Nikki who is a former cruise ship dancer and now teaches Zumba and ‘clubbercise’ fitness classes.

“We’re going for a classic style of wedding and wedding breakfast, with ivory and rose gold, and rose gold sequins for that little bit of sparkle,” continued Nikki.

“But then there will be quite a twist in the evening.”

Nikki said that she and Bill have chosen Swiss-inspired food, including fondue and a cheese table. The enjoyment will continue into Sunday, with a day-long newly-weds’ party.

And when you learn more about Bill and Nikki’s romantic story, it becomes clear why their big day is such a cause for celebration.

“We’ve been together on and off for 25 years,” added Nikki. “But I was a professional dancer until I turned 30, and was away abroad for long stretches at a time.

“We’ve had our ups and downs as you’d expect during that time, and have spent stretches of time apart. The friends who’ve shared our journey with us have been waiting a long time to see us get hitched and I think they’re just as excited about it as we are!”

She explained how their long-held love of their personal haven in the Swiss Alps came about.

“We discovered Zermatt 15 years ago and we’ve been back almost every year since. So much so that it’s become a bit of an anchor for our relationship. It’s a really gorgeous setting with its backdrop of mountains , including of course the iconic Matterhorn,and has become very much our special place, that held us together.”

Nikki performed on a number of cruise ships, touring the globe including the Algarve, Japan and Brazil.

Despite the ambitious nature of what she and Bill are hoping to achieve with their big day, she is surprisingly calm about the preparations, and has a great, chilled philosophy about it.

“I don’t want to tempt fate or anything but it’s been a doddle so far to be honest, and I haven’t felt stressed about it at all,” she said.

“I think the secret of that for me was booking everything early. Pretty much as soon as we got engaged, I booked the big things including the marquee, our band and DJ, our flowers and the catering.

“That means that now, as we get closer to the day, it’s just the smaller things like the invitations and RSVPs, and table plans, we need to finalise.”

Nikki will have three bridesmaids, including two of Bill’s nieces and Nikki’s best friend and former housemate. Bill’s nieces’ husbands and Nikki’s brother will be their ushers, making it a lovely, close-knit family affair.

Here are Nikki’s top six tips for making sure your wedding planning is as stress-free as possible.

1. “Having a vision has been really important for us. It’s changed over time – for example, our colour scheme has evolved from icy whites to softer, rose pinks and ivories, after we saw things in magazines and other places that we preferred. But nonetheless, knowing what theme we wanted and how we wanted the general experience to pan out, has really helped keep us on track and sort things simply.”
   
2. “Following recommendations and choosing suppliers who we know can be trusted to take care of everything in the run-up and on the day has also helped. Chrysta and Tony at Village Farm have been fantastic at hooking us up with everyone from our DJ to our stylist. It’s also been really reassuring to have their experienced advice about what will work and what won’t.”
3. “Planning a year in advance has given us the time and space to get things exactly how we want them without panicking. It’s allowed us to run with our vision and let it evolve, while changing elements here and there as we’ve gone along. For example, having the right music is really important to us. There will be a variety of music over the course of the weekend, which we hope will get everyone up and dancing, though we went to keep the exact details secret for the moment.”
4. “My other bit of advice, to other brides-to-be, would be not to feel pressured to choose their dress. It’s true that some bridal shops will tell you to secure a dress and put a deposit down on it six to eight months in advance, and it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement when you’re in the shop trying dresses on. I know I did at an early fitting, and ended up putting a deposit on one before changing my mind. I’d say to other brides ‘the right dress will always be out there for you, keep looking until you get that feeling that ‘this dress is the one’, because it’s absolutely true that you will know when you find it’. In the end, I saw my dream dress in a magazine and happened to meet someone when I was away on holiday in Florence who could get hold of it for me, and I just knew it was right for me.
5. “Don’t, whatever you do, be tempted to order seemingly beautiful and good value bridesmaids’ dresses from China, as I did, to my cost! I’d say visit wedding shops and try on as many dresses as possible first-hand, so that you can be sure what you’re choosing is exactly right for your day.”
6. “I’d also say, arrange a food tasting with your chosen caterer. Your food isn’t just about taste, it’s also part of the spectacle of your day and you need to be confident that your caterer can deliver on both aspects. In fact, I would meet with all of your suppliers, from your photographer to your florist. They will be your crack team on your big day and it’s important to walk through everything with them, ask questions, test things out and be absolutely clear that things are going to be just how you want them to be. Try out everything, too, including your hair and make-up, to ensure that your team can just get on with things when it counts, and have a calming and reassuring influence on you!”

Here at Village Farm we don’t just build marquees, we can take care of your entire event planning to help you remain as calm as Nikki about the whole thing. Recommending suppliers we know will deliver great things, making sure everything happens when it is supposed to and troubleshooting any niggles are all part of the service.

For a free, no obligation initial chat about your wedding vision, call us on (01262) 468160 or email info@villagefarmmarquees.co.uk.