Michiel and Amelia Visscher's Perfect Wedding

Where did your wedding take place, why did you choose that venue, and how big was your wedding party?

Our wedding ceremony was held at St Helen’s Church in Northwich on Friday 25th February 2011, followed by a wedding reception at Rowton Hall Country House Hotel in Chester. We had 80 guests during the day and a further 15 guests joined us for the evening reception.



My husband Michiel proposed to me at the Eiffel Tower restaurant in Las Vegas in March 2010. We were travelling around America at the time as part of a six week holiday, but we couldn’t wait until we got home and so we started planning the wedding during our holiday.



While we were still travelling my mum and sister started looking into wedding venues and found Rowton Hall Country House Hotel in Chester. Michiel and I live in Tenerife which is where we met, but we decided that we wanted to get married in the UK.



As soon as we visited Rowton Hall we knew it was the perfect venue for our wedding reception, and we decided to book the venue exclusively.  We chose St Helen’s Church in Northwich for our wedding ceremony because I used to sing in the church choir there when I was at school, and had always dreamt of marrying there one day.



Did you have a theme for your wedding, and what sort of look and feel did you want to create?

As it was to be a winter wedding we picked navy blue as our colour scheme but we wanted it brightened up a bit as well, so we mixed in silver and diamante. There were table diamonds scattered on the tables and lit candles to create a romantic atmosphere. I hand made the wedding stationery, favour boxes, table decorations and photo trees to tie in with the colour scheme.



Please tell us about the running order and format of your day, including details of any live music or entertainment.

The wedding ceremony church service took place at 12.30pm. My mum gave me away and we walked into the church to the organist playing “Pachelbel Canon in D”. As soon as the music started, mum and I instantly had tears in our eyes. I was followed into church by my five young bridesmaids (Michiel’s three nieces from Holland, and my two nieces) and my sister who was chief bridesmaid.



Both Michiel and I were very nervous and were relieved when we made it through the vows without any mistakes. After the signing of the register we left church to “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” by Handel, and as soon as we walked outside the church bells started ringing.



After the ceremony we had photographs taken inside the church for the immediate wedding party and then we travelled to Rowton Hall Hotel.



On arrival at Rowton Hall, our guests were welcomed with drinks and canapés in the conservatory where there was a pianist playing. The pianist was arranged as a surprise by my mum and sister.



We sat down for the wedding breakfast at 4.30pm and had one speech before the starter, one before the main course and one before the dessert.



After the wedding breakfast we had a chocolate fountain in the conservatory which was a definite hit with all of our guests.



The evening guests arrived and at around 8.00pm we did our first dance. Our first dance was “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol which was performed by Live Wires who had learnt the song especially for us. We chose this song as when we first started going out we used to go to a bar in Tenerife where there was a live band that used to play the song, and so it reminds us of our first few dates.



The band Live Wires was the very first thing we booked for our wedding, before we’d even selected the venue! We live in Tenerife and often go to bars where there are live bands playing so knew that this was the kind of entertainment we wanted for our wedding. They lived up to and exceeded our expectations. When the band were on a break they provided a DJ service.



At 9.00pm the evening buffet was served and at 10.00pm guests were asked to make their way to the main bar or the outside area where they could view the firework display.



How big an impact did live entertainment have on your wedding day and would you recommend it to others?

For us live entertainment was very important and we were thrilled with how it all went on the day. The pianist, arranged by my mum and sister, was a fantastic idea and provided background music for guests to listen to while they had their reception drinks and canapés.



The band were fantastic for the evening reception and so many of our guests commented on how much they enjoyed the evening, and how great the band were. We would definitely recommend live entertainment for a wedding day.



What were your favourite moments of the day?

It’s hard to choose favourite moments as we loved it all from start to finish but if we had to mention any favourite parts it would definitely include the church service, being surrounded by friends and family, our first dance and the firework display.



What pearls of wisdom or words of advice would you extend to future brides and grooms who are planning their perfect wedding?

Everyone always tells you how quickly your wedding day goes and to make the most of it. They really are telling the truth. The day really does go in a flash so enjoy every second and try not to worry about any problems. Try to be as organised as possible in the run up but the evening before let other people take over (hotel staff, family members etc) and just relax and enjoy everything.