This fabulous Willy Wonka wedding theme really does compare to pure imagination  – A fun-filled, purple theme that‟s sure to make you smile!

The proposal
“It wasn‟t love at first sight!” laughs Sarah. “My first memory of Mark was when we were at junior school together, I was teasing him about something, to which he stood up and shouted; „I hate girls!‟” Through school and university we  remained friends, and both agreed if we weren‟t married by the time we  were  30,  we‟d  marry  each  other!  For  Mark‟s  birthday  we  went  to  a dog-friendly B&B  called  the Wensleydale Heifer taking our puppy, and it was while we were out walking her by the river Mark popped the question,” she adds.

The bride’s outfit
“After  trying  on  lots  of  different  styles  of  dress  (because  I  had  no  idea  what  I  wanted!)  I  went  back  to the first gown I tried on (typical!), which was a  Benjamin Roberts dress, style 1007,” explains Sarah. “It was  full  enough  to  make  it  feel  fairytale,  but  still  fitted  me  beautifully  without  being  too  heavy.  It  was also a really reasonable price, coming in at under £1,000,” she adds.
“My  first  memory  of  Mark  was  when  we  were  at  junior  school  together,  I  was  teasing  him  about something, to which he stood up and shouted; „I hate girls!‟”

The groom’s outfit
“We used a shop recommended by a friend called  Off The Cuff Menswear, and they were so lovely and informative  in  helping  us  choose  traditional  tails  for  Mark,”  remembers  Sarah.  To  fit  in with  their  Willy Wonka wedding theme, Sara said “He also wore a top hat and carried a cane, which he loved!”

The bridesmaids
“I  had  a  harem!”  smiles  Sarah.  The  older  girls  wore  dresses  from  Debenhams,  and  the  younger  ones from Monsoon‟s wedding range.

The ceremony
“This  was,  without  doubt,  our  favourite  part  of  the  day,”  recalls  Sarah.  “In  order  to  marry  in  our particular  church,  we  had  to  attend  on  numerous  Sundays  before  the  event  and  go  to  a  marriage preparation  course  –  but  it  only  helped  to  make  the  ceremony  more  personal,  especially  as  our  vicar knew us so well.”

The flowers
“These  were  put  together  by  a  family  friend  who  really  bought  into  my  Willy  Wonka wedding  theme,” explains  Sarah.  “The  little  bridesmaids  had  lollipops  made  out  of  wire  with flowers  entwined  on  them, while my bouquet was more traditional. Sheila used orchids and flowers from good friends‟ gardens.”

The decoration
Lots  of  sweets  were  the  order  of  the  day  for  the  brilliant  Willy  Wonka  wedding  theme.  “My  Dad  made some  metal  trees  for  centrepieces,  which  I  decorated  with  fake  sweets  and candy  canes.  Every  sweet was handmade – it took hours and a lot of polystyrene packaging and cellophane!” says Sarah.

The honeymoon
“We  knew  we  wanted  a  trip  of  a  lifetime,  and  chose  South  Africa  with  activities  organised through Trailfinders,” says Sarah. “We even got to plant an olive tree with a name plaque next to it, in celebration of our marriage!”