Meet the stars of the latest Real Life Bride series…

The Groom – Matty Thompson, Home Improvements Manager
The Bride – Olivia McCourt (now Thompson!), Assistant Principal / Teacher of English

Wedding Planning

Tell us about your menu tasting, show arounds, planning meetings?

We had our menu testing in April 2018 at 2pm, we had such a great time we didn’t leave Seaham Hall until 11pm that evening! Jessica was our first wedding planner who was helpful and supportive, the next was Emma who again was very accommodating.  Then last but not least, was Chara – just amazing.   Nothing was ever a bother, she was extremely friendly and attentive.

What wedding menu did you choose?

We decided as the food was so appealing, we gave our guests a choice!  The starter options were duck terrine and white onion soup; the main course was a choice of beef or cod; then for dessert it was two of our favourites – sticky toffee pudding or lemon meringue.

Who was in charge of planning, you or the groom/joint effort?

I was in charge of planning – before the end of our holiday when Matty proposed, I had already had tentative dates booked for viewings and a ‘wedding folder’ on my phone! Matty did step in when it came to choosing suits for himself, best men, ushers and my dad.

Did you ever feel overwhelmed with planning?

There were times when I did get a little stressed! However, my mum and dad, sister and sister and law helped to ease the heightened stress levels!!

What did you do the day before your wedding?

The day before, I came to Seaham Hall to drop off final finishing touches where myself, dad and sister were greeted by Eleanor and the team who were so obliging and willing to do everything they could to ease the pre-wedding nerves.  I then returned home to spend the evening with family.  Matty spent the night at brother’s house, who was an usher – the best men and other ushers joined them for one or two sociable drinks!

Making Your Wedding Different:

Were there any special elements that you definitely wanted to include in your big day?

Having sung at weddings before, I always wanted a choir at my own wedding.  We were lucky enough to have the ‘Songbirds’ sing throughout the nuptial mass then they sang a rendition of ‘Stand By Me’ as Matty and I signed the register.  They continued their repertoire at Seaham Hall and entertained guests during the drinks reception.  As flowers are always a big part of a wedding day for us it was extremely special to have my mum, Audrey to arrange all the flowers – bridal party bouquets, church displays and decorations at Seaham Hall.

Was there anything extra special or unusual about your wedding?

The main wedding car was a cream Delahaye Coupe.

What were the standout moments for you both?

One of our stand out moments was having our nephew, Toby (3 years old) carrying the rings down the aisle.  He was followed by our two nieces Harriet, Toby’s twin sister (3 years old) and Matilda (3 years old).  As you can imagine there wasn’t a dry in the church as they walked down in front of my sister in law, Veronica, sister Joscelin, then last but not least my dad and I.

Tell us about your wedding photos and which are your favourite and why?

We were excited to have Scott, Korinne and Phil from Scott Spock Photography cover every moment of our wedding day.  Having known Scott and Korinne for many years it was a pleasure to have them part of our special day.  They have captured every part of our day, with a stunning collection of images we will treasure forever.  We couldn’t possibly choose a favourite as every picture is a favourite and tells the story of our wedding day – love, laughter and happiness.

Suppliers:

 Venue – Seaham Hall
Photographer – Scott Spock Photographer (Scott, Korinne and Phil)
Bridal Gown – Brides Dream, Newcastle
Bridesmaid dresses – ASOS wedding
Flower girls dresses – M&S
Page Boy suit – John Lewis
Men’s Suits – Woven Durham
Beauty – Just Be, Sunderland
Hair – S.I Haidressing
Bridal hair extensions – Jo Fox using Great Lengths
Flowers supplied by – Ashbrooke Florist
Cars – Delahaye and Bentley supplied by close family friend, Richard Thomson and Volvo XC90 supplied by Mill Volvo, Newcastle
Chair Dressing – Seaham Hall
Table decoration – Olivia’s sister, Joscelin and friend, Amber
Caricature – Barrie James Art
Choir – Songbirds

Explore our amazing wedding offerings and keep your eyes peeled for next weeks Real Life Bride instalment!