Lucan and Carrie's love story magazine

12 SEPTEMBER 2015

WEDDING MR&MRS WIDDOWSON-GROVES

Welcome to our Love Story

INTRODUCING

LUCAN

& CARRIE

WIDDOWSON-GROVES

Lucan& Carrie 12.09.15

10

Bridal Details

08

She Said Yes

16

With This Ring

22

12

We ♼ The Details

Girls Reunited

26

When We Collide

4

itsmymagazine.com

Editorial Team

18

The Journey

EDITOR Krystle Downie

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Pauline Downie ART EDITOR Thalia Banks

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SENIOR COPYWRITER Mia Lane

Our Special Memories

PHOTOGRAPHER Kelly Weech CONTACT info@itsmymagazine.com www.itsmymagazine.com 020 3086 8982

06

The Story So Far

28

Romantic Moments

Contents

06 08 10 12 14 16

The Story So Far She Said Yes Beauty Details Girls Reunited Meet The Squad With This Ring

20 22 24 26 28 30

So...The Plans We ♥ The Details Family Matters When We Collide Romantic Moments Our Memories

The

Story

Sofar

From adventurous, inquistive children to fun-loving adults; the origins of this happy couple’s love story, revealed...

T

hey say that it’s always advisable to become friends with your partner prior to it leading to love.

For many, finding love at work seems the cherry on the cake, as the dizzying excitement is always a nice distraction from the mundanity of work. Let’s rewind back to October of 2008, when chef Lucan and receptionist Carrie were fortunate to be in exactly that position. Meeting in the autumn at Fluor Limited in Camberley, the couple became closer after realising their shared sense of humour and soon found excuses to start conversations with each other. Soon, their work-place romance grew from strength to strength. Unofficially, their first date was at a friend’s wedding, but they both acknowledge that their real first date was marked by dinner and an enjoyable theatre trip to seeWicked the musical in central London. A considerate modern pair, they unconventionally decided to go dutch, however the Mexican restaurant was worth every penny, both enjoyed themselves immensely and knew they wanted round two.

itsmymagazine.com | September 15th 2015

7

SHE SAID

Yes!

D

esperate to spend more and more time together, this funloving couple soon realised that they couldn’t live without each other.

Experiencing highs and lows side by side, their bond was strengthened when Carrie invited Lucan to the USA to finally meet her family.

Lucan realised it was love when he woke up one morning and gazed at Carrie asleep. “I looked at her and thought, I want to marry this girl.”

For Carrie, marriage was not a high priority, which was probably why Lucan took five years to pluck up the courage to ask for her hand. However, with a tropical island proposal in mind, it was well worth the wait.

The couple travelled to the island of Villamendoo in the Maldives for a luxury break – well that’s what Carrie thought! Lucan had booked a desert island experience on a sandbank in the middle of the ocean, uninhabited as far as the eye could see. Playing about, Lucan fell over into the sea, got down on one knee and proposed with a ring pull.

AP

rop o

Carrie thought he was having a laugh, however when he then pulled out an engagement ring, Carrie was lost for words. Carrie continues the story “Although Lucan had asked my Dad for my hand in marriage prior to us going on holiday, we called our parents first and told them the news and by the time we got home, word had gotten around.

sal

Sto

ry

Far Left; The happy couple pose at their engagement shoot.

Top Right; Lucan shows Carrie the ropes, looking completely at ease in a canoe.

Above; The happy bride-to-be shows off her trophy with pride

We got back to see an engagement balloon at our front door, which was a lovely surprise.” With both families ecstatic about their union, the Widdowsons were delighted to have Lucan as part of the family, and Carrie’s youngest brother was particularly pleased about their coupling. Excitedly, the pair soon set about organising their big day. itsmymagazine.com | September 15th 2015

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Do you have a beauty/make up piece of advice or tip for other brides-to-be?

“Go with a look you are comfortable with and wear false eyelashes! They open up your eyes and look great on camera. Remember to top up your lip gloss throughout the day and use facial spritz to keep your skin looking refreshed and hydrated.”

Did you use the services of a hairdresser? “Yes, I was fortunate to have Yvonne on board who has styled my hair since I was a little girl, so it was only right she helped prepare me for this extra special day. My hair was styled half up and half down and it was curled, with certain curls pinned for extra hold. I had crystals twisted into the pinned curls and my tiara was sat on top of a heightened bridge of hair and my fringe was swept across and also pinned for shape. I really loved the finished look.”

Describe your gown, for us? “My gown was called Twilight by Brides Desire. I had it adjusted slightly to remove the tulle from the top of the dress and had the lace continued around the back to really personalise it to my tastes.

Finally some crystals were added onto the tulle underskirt so that when my dress was hooked up, it really sparkled! I picked this dress because I loved the cathedral length train which was removable; so I didn’t have to worry about guests stepping on my dress throughout the day.”

Beauty

Details What do you get if you mix a talented team of friends, family and a hair stylist from way back when? A vision in white that happily met Lucan at the aisle, but how did this bride prepare?

A

more excited bride couldn’t be found, Carrie Widdowson took every element of planning her wedding day look in her stride.

Here we find out just how this bride prepared. Tell us about your make up?

“My Maid of Honour Felicity, kindly did my make-up. I was after a classic, natural look which wasn’t too out of character for me and accentuated my eyes perfectly. She was wonderful.”

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Something Borrowed: Carrie had her girls spanning different generations to excitedly assist her with her preparations to becoming Mrs Widdowson-Groves.

Laughter and advice was had

Bride: Charlotte Jane Spurway

“How did you find your dress?”

“It was a very hot day when I found the dress, I was shopping with my Mum and Sister-in-law (for her wedding dress), and I noticed the train on the floor and thought a dress had fallen off the hanger. The assistant talked me into trying it on and I fell in love with all the options the dress came with, as I like being different. The dress came from Elizabeth McQueen Bridal in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. I had been to 15 different shops looking for “the dress” so you can imagine my excitement when I finally found it, it was magical.

I felt like a princess when I put the dress on, I had butterflies in my tummy, it was great.”

What other special bridal attire stood out to you? “My shoes were from Alexander McQueen, love heart peeptoe shoes in a champagne tone, my veil was scattered with crystals with my married name embroidered at the end in bright blue. My necklace, earrings and bracelet were diamonds and aquamarines set in white gold.

My tiara was one of only 10 made by Queenie & Lily; it’s a diamond and silver regal looking tiara and it accentuated the look to perfection.”

Girls REUNITED

Old friends, new horizons, having her nearest and dearest around was highly important to this blushing bride, and with her glamorous hens in tow, she was certainly in good hands

m

a sari in an aptly named

G

recian style dresses are always flattering and appealing to the eye, and choosing a dress that was both comfortable and amazing to look at was essential to Carrie. With that in mind, she made the all important decision to select turquoise blue maxi-style dresses from Coast. They fit the bill perfectly, with crossover straps and attractive intricate beading.

“

SOMETHING

Old

Meet the bridal party: Felicity Chandler – Maid of Honour & Best friend, Holly Moore – Bridesmaid & Sister-in-law, Rebecca Parfree – Bridesmaid & friend, Kerry Braybrooke-Tidy – Bridesmaid & friend / Goddaughter, Lauren Hamblin – Bridesmaid & friend, Faith Widdowson – Flower Girl – Niece, Zoe and Kelly Lee – Flower Girls & Cousins, Grace Braybrooke-Tidy – Flower Girl & Goddaughter.

Where did you meet your bridal party? “I met Felicity when we worked together in Farnham as Beauty Therapists. I met Rebecca and Lauren through dancing and Kerry and Grace through my friends Neil and Cheryl, as I used to babysit. Everyone else was family. I chose these girls as they are my closest friends and immediate family. Our day was all about celebrating with our nearest and dearest, and they really are mine.”

Any funny or interesting stories?

“Felicity and I have shared many, many drunken nights which always have a funny story attached to them; I don’t think there are enough pages for me to tell you about them all - but let’s just say, we know how to have a GOOD time! I was really happy she could experience this new adventure with me. Although it was nerve-wracking, having these ladies there made it easier.”

I had a second wedding dress to wear for our first dance in the evening.

This dress was a 1950’s princess-cut dress that was flatteringly shorter at the knee; with a turquoise blue tulle underneath so it was visible at the bottom of the dress. My bridesmaid Becky and I gave Vivian Westwood a run for her money when she helped me to sew blue crystals in differing shades into the middle of some ivory flowers, which were then sewn in a falling flower pattern down the side.

”

Meet

Squad The

Leading the way with his band of merry men, Lucan knew exactly who he’d select to escort him on his big day, and the boys did not disappoint

S

porting dapper black morning suits with turquoise waistcoats, the boys were out in full force to support their main man. Lucan explains further, “I’ve selected great guys to be a part of my groom’s squad and it was great to have them by my side, helping me to get ready for my big moment. The night before, we stayed at Ady, my Brother-in-law’s house. They are all family and are a big part of our lives. Pete has been my friend since college and even though we don’t talk or see each other much, when we reconnect, it’s always like old times.”

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September 15th 2015 | itsmymagazine.com

Meet the groomsmen: Ady Moore – Brother-in-law, Craig Widdowson – Brother-in-law, Ray Widdowson – Brother-in-law, Logan Moore – Nephew, Pete Nash – Best man / Best friend, Michael Braybrooke-Tidy – Godson, Thomas Braybrooke-Tidy - Godson

A

Softer Touch

Above; The Widdowson-Grove’s rings displayed within the Holy Bible Far Left; The checking of the rings Below; Lucan keen to finally get a first look at his beautiful bride-to-be

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September 15th 2015 | itsmymagazine.com

aking place at the prestigious St. Stephen’s church in Sparshot, the couple enjoyed a meaningful, religious ceremony surrounded by close family and friends. They had prepared for the wedding by attending church regularly for 18 months prior to the big day. Lucan and Carrie wrote their own vows and enjoyed a meaningful reading from the Song of Solomon. Choosing traditional and classical music, the entrance music was The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

by George Frederik Handel. Looking forward to a lifetime of happiness with Lucan, Carrie nervously clasped her father Andrew’s hand as they made their way down the aisle towards the waiting groom. Full of emotion and sentiment, it was a special moment for both when they finally locked eyes on each other, and the nuptials seemingly went by in a flash. The couple signed their first signatures as husband and wife to a rousing soundtrack of the organist playing Lord of the Dance and they were accompanied by Mendelssohn’s Wedding March as they exited the church amidst the glorious ringing of church bells.

A stunning horse-driven carriage boasting two white stallions bedecked with plumes of feathers awaited them for their glamorous departure.

Mr

&M

rs

itsmymagazine.com | September 15th 2015

19

S

A fabulous love story: check, a romantic proposal: double check, so how did this creative couple go about organising the biggest day of their lives?

Taking place at a leisurely pace over two years, the planning wasn’t too taxing or stressful for Carrie and Lucan. The extended time frame also allowed them to find exactly what they wanted. Fortunately they were able to call in help from the bridal party and Carrie’s thus far undiscovered talents for wedding planning, had an opportunity to shine through.

Describe your cake, flavours, colours, style, where it was sourced from? “My husband made our seven tier cake, which featured a water fountain with blue water and crystals in the pillars (made by my brother Ray). We had chocolate cake, vanilla cake, a marbled chocolate and vanilla cake and strawberry flavoured cake tiers. The blue sugar edible flowers were crafted by the Best man Pete and the heart shaped turquoise glitterised Mr & Mrs on top was a lovely touch.”

...

How did you select the rings? “I knew the design of the engagement ring I was after and I also wanted the wedding ring to ‘slot’ into the other side, as I don’t have very big fingers. I adored the diamonds set in platinum style, with a curved rim to hold the main diamond of the engagement ring. Lucan also wanted a square diamond set into his wide-set wedding ring with a panel of brushed platinum round the centre.

We had our rings designed (including diamonds selected) and created by Remi. Lucan and I both have a diamond on the insides of our wedding rings.

My engagement ring is engraved with the date we got engaged, 26-7-13 and our wedding rings are engraved with and along with the date of our marriage, 12-9-15. Every time I look at my hand, I’m filled with great memories and smile.”

Top Left; Lucan and Carrie pose for their pre-wedding engagement shoot.

Below; The love birds share a kiss

The Finer Details Are there any special architectural venue features you fell in love with? “At our reception venue, Lucan loved the family church ruins in the grounds. I loved the mile-long grass verge going downhill in stages from the main house, with trees lining both sides; very picturesque. I also loved the old church with a bell tower in the little town which we got married in; all the churchgoers were lovely and welcoming, which made such a difference.”

Tell us about your wedding theme or style. “We went with a turquoise blue shade and our tables were named after all the musicals we went to see when we were dating. Our theatre dates included Wicked and Oliver to name a few.”

What favours did you choose for your guests? “We sourced each table’s favours from the musical merchandise stores.

Wicked (top table) had travel mugs and tote bags, Shrek had Shrek and Fiona headbands, DVD and magnets, Legally Blonde had magnets, fluffy pens and dogs in pink bags (they came from my cousin Mark in Australia),

Billy Elliott had DVD’s and a boxing glove key ring, Mamma Mia had magnets and pens, We Will Rock You had guitar picks and magnets, Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies (we saw both on the same day in London one after the other) had magnets and key rings, Jersey Boys had magnets and pens, Thriller had pens and key rings, The Lion King had Simba and Nala toys, magnets and key rings. Yes, you can tell we’re true fans!”

What flowers did you have, any specific type and colour scheme? “We had Blue Singapore orchids with white roses, and crystals in the middle, and gypsophila in a teardrop bouquet for the bride. Bridesmaids had white carnations with blue wire balls randomly slotted in, made into a ball bouquet. The Flower girls had glitter baskets with a mixture of the same flowers in. The Groomsmen and our mums had Blue Singapore orchids, with me (Lucan) having the addition of white roses adorned with crystals.” itsmymagazine.com | September 15th 2015

21

We K

The

een to flex their creative muscles, the couple sourced and arranged all the special touches of the day. Carrie explains further, “My brother designed our letterbox, a cream post box featuring a Wicked The Musical style wedding globe, engraved with our married names on it. We had photos of us printed onto canvases and erected on the walls between the barn and the main house; finally we lined the walkway with blue candles that remained lit throughout the day, which was pretty special. You don’t realise the importance of the details!”

Details

To appease the sweet-toothed guests, the Widdowson-Groves’ created a sweets table featuring old favourites, an indulgent chocolate fountain and a beautiful white LED dance floor to work off the calories. Carrie’s dad kindly donated roses to go on every place setting and they had a helpful toastmaster to organise proceedings.

An eye-catching feature was the twisted-stem bay trees in blue pots with fairy lights which adorned the outside walkway in addition to a grand archway of gypsophilia outside the church.

Resourceful Carrie continues the story and elaborates further:

♥

“Our wedding invites were handmade and sent out in boxes with turquoise blue ribbon and a crystal heart buckle, we had to source the reply envelopes from Germany.

We actually sourced quite a lot of things from around the globe for our wedding; things came from Australia and America (including my wedding shoes as I couldn’t find a pair in the UK).” The couple also had a glorious string quartet perform from the Wedding Music Company during the drinks reception, a lively band called Something Borrowed and a disco by Ample Entertainment, all guaranteed to keep guests dancing.

Something blue The couple commissioned an attractive emblem made of their initials which was used on their wedding invites, candles, order of services, confetti cones, and thank you cards to memorialise the day

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Family MATTERS

A

CLOSE AND In addition to joy and laughter, LOVING FAMILY this couple’s big day was blessed is paramount to with sentimental memories this sentimental couple, and sharing which were special this moment surrounded by loved in more ways than one. ones and close friends was magical.

m

In a devastating blow however, eight months prior to their wedding day, Lucan’s Dad Nigel sadly passed away, impacting the family greatly.

“

Special

Touches

Our confetti was created from dried out flowers that Lucan had brought me when we got engaged, as well as flowers from both Lucan’s dad’s and my grandad’s funeral, I really loved the bright colours of the confetti as well as the symbolism.

Lucan shares more, “The wedding day was very hard without him, as he was very much missed. As a tribute, we had a button hole made for him which was placed on the top table where he would have sat.” In an equally tragic blow to the Widdowson family, six months prior to their wedding day, Carrie’s grandfather also departed. Carrie continues

“I was really close to him so it was very upsetting to not be able to have him there on my wedding day.”

Another touching family moment had occured eight weeks prior to Lucan and Carrie’s big day. Carrie’s younger brother Raymond married his sweetheart Ilona in a romantic ceremony in Watford on what was then the hottest day of the year.

WE MISS YOU NAN! The couple were so happy to have Carrie’s nan in attendance, Carrie explains further “My Nan has since passed away in 2017, but I’m really thankful that the photographers took photos of Lucan and I with her on the day of our marriage, which I will forever treasure.

”

t s e fF

O t h ig

AN

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ie t i v i

When We

C

Collide

A combination of great food, sentimental speeches and fabulous entertainment were the ingredients for a fantastic night for this beloved couple and their guests.

T

hey say that age and glasses of wine should never be counted and how true that is. Firm foodies, this couple were keen to delight the palates of their guests. Here they share more. Describe your wedding breakfast menu: “We actually based it on food we’d eaten on our dates, so we carefully designed our own multi-choice five course seated wedding breakfast with meaning.

For our starter, the choices were either a wild mushroom espuma, prawns with a radish salad or butternut squash and parsnip soup, followed by a pink champagne sorbet. The main was either lamb rump with dauphinoise potatoes, red snapper with crushed herb potato or wild mushroom risotto.

Dessert was a trio – Eton mess, vanilla cheesecake and chocolate parfait with a dark chocolate glaze.”

Tell us about the speeches, any memorable moments? “Lucan and his best man Pete had some very funny stories in their speeches, which were really entertaining. Lucan was on point that day and had put a lot of hard work into his speech. At one point he joked that I had written his speech for him (and telling his Mum she had raised a beautiful, intelligent and funny son) at which point his sister Holly chipped in and said it was

“

My most memorable moment was our first dance, which I’d choreographed. Lucan told me after the wedding that he was so worried about it, he had been practicing outside the front of the house during the night, so that no-one saw!

He also stopped drinking before the dance so he didn’t drop me – such a sweetie.

”

-Carrie Widdowson-Groves

actually the other way around! This injected a bit of humour into proceedings. I loved when my Dad recollected my younger years and told how when I was two I adored my little fur coat; apparently I slept in it and refused to take it off! Another particularly moving moment for me was when Lucan and my Dad toasted family members gone but not forgotten; all of the speeches were good trips down memory lane.”

Lucan shares his favourite speech moment, “Toasting my Dad who couldn’t be there as he’d passed away earlier that year was particularly poignant. On a lighter-hearted note, Carrie’s Dad’s speech was funny as I’m a little accident prone and he got me my own ambulance and first aid kit! Our guests travelled from America, Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Scotland so it was lovely to see everyone together all in one room.

During our wedding ceremony, the Rev. Jax Machin brought out a bottle of champagne and opened it for us to drink. I had never known or seen this done before so it was a great surprise! Our nephew Logan wanted a drink so came to drink ours, so the Reverend ended up giving her Champagne glass of water to him, so he happily sat on our laps to drink it.

It was so sweet to have a mix of ages in attendance sharing our big day.”

Romance is

on

the

Cards N

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September 15th 2015 | itsmymagazine.com

ot unfamiliar with gestures from the heart, on another romantic occasion, Lucan treated Carrie to a Valentine’s Day surprise. “I filled the whole house with lit candles throughout, laid rose petals leading to a bubble bath and had music playing and Champagne waiting.

Let’s just say, it was an unforgettable evening!” Lucan reveals. When asked about Carrie’s traits that he finds most adorable, Lucan was quick to deliver: “Her gorgeous bum, she’s kinky in the bedroom and she puts everyone first before herself. I love the fact that she’s caring, beautiful and so understanding.”

Asked the same question, Carrie is just as quick off the mark, “His thoughtfulness and his ability to make me laugh. He’s loving and affectionate and also a fabulous cook.

I’m truly blessed.”

When you know, you know A shared love of West End musicals and fine cuisine had these former work colleagues laughing and loving in equal measure

Our

MEMORIES

Revealed

M

y favourite memory was first catching a glimpse of my beautiful wife-to-be at the alter of St. Stephens church, it truly gave me butterflies.

The best thing about being Carrie’s husbnd is being able to come home at the end of a hard day’s work and having someone listening who cares and puts me first in everything.

I’d like to end by thanking all of the special friends and family who both helped and shared in our big day, we couldn’t have done all of this without you... and my final message goes to my wife...

...I love you Mrs W-G!

Lucan

Fin

al W ord

s

M

y top memory of the day was the special time we had alone just after leaving the church in the horse drawn carriage, a magical feeling.

The best thing about being Mrs Widdowson-Groves is knowing I have someone to come home to and cuddle up with at night. Having a partner who always has my back and an ear to listen to my problems and give reassuring hugs and advice is amazing.

Thank you to all of our loved ones who have supported us on this journey, we are grateful to have you in our lives.

To my wonderful husband, each day with you is a new adventure, and I’m always excited to see what tomorrow brings with you at my side. I love you.

As time goes by and people pass on, it’s the memories we create and share, that truly live on.

Carrie

itsmymagazine.com | September 15th 2015

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