Journal

Charlotte + Nathan — Coral Beach Hotel, Coral Bay Paphos

Charlotte and Nathan met at school — Nathan the year above. He used to queue for his class near hers, and she had been crushing on him until he got in touch with her friend to ask for her name. Shortly after they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and 12 years later man and wife.

Coral Beach Hotel Coral Bay Paphos Wedding

How they met

The proposal

Nathan had joined the army and was on tour in Afghanistan when he came back for his R&R break after six months away. He took Charlotte into the city and they went on the London Eye, where he proposed at the top accompanied by a portable speaker playing their favourite song.

It was a magical two weeks having him home until he returned to Afghanistan to complete his tour of duty. He came back safe and sound a couple of months later, and they celebrated their engagement in the Dominican Republic. He chose the ring himself — a beautifully classic white gold diamond solitaire which she still loves. They had been together five years at the time, but Charlotte was still surprised — and cried a lot.

The dress and groom's suit

The dress was by Allure Bridal, from Lori G Bridal in Derby. Charlotte didn't want a typical "abroad dress" — she wanted the dreamy gown you can only wear for your wedding. It had amazing ruffles from the waist down and a delicate ivory lace top over a very soft pink bodice that came through only slightly.

Nathan wore a three-piece suit from Next — a very light stone colour, fitting for Cyprus. Trousers, waistcoat and jacket for the ceremony, then matching shorts for the reception. Charlotte's dad and brother were both matching too. They all looked so handsome.

Finishing touches

After planning for two years, they had collected lots of little bits. The theme was soft lilac and pink with gold glitter wherever possible. The flowers were provided by the wedding planner and were exactly as asked.

Charlotte's bouquet was a mix of white, purple and soft pink roses; the bridesmaids carried white and creamy roses that looked amazing against the lavender dresses. There were heart-shaped cookies with people's names on for place settings, wooden "love" and "Mr & Mrs" tokens scattered with gold confetti.

Coral Beach Hotel Coral Bay Paphos Wedding — image 2 of 91

The cake was amazing — the bottom tier in purple ruffles and the top all white. The personalised topper came all the way from Venezuela, ordered eight months before the wedding. Charlotte kept it a surprise for Nathan, who loved that it included their little dog Rocky. Rocky also took pride of place on the ceremony table and in Charlotte's flowers — a lovely way to include him when he was back in England.

The wedding day

Charlotte and Nathan used Kerry from Cyprus Dream Weddings, who was nothing short of fabulous throughout the two years of planning and truly understood their vision.

They got married on the pier — surrounded by sea and sun, just what they wanted. The light-up Mr & Mrs lights set off the reception space, and floor fireworks went off during the first dance.

For evening entertainment, Greek dancers got everyone up — literally the best decision. The food was hands down the best meal they had all holiday — a traditional mixed meze where the courses didn't stop coming.

Favourite part of the day

Seeing Nathan at the top of the aisle for the first time. When he turned around, his reaction was lovely — Charlotte couldn't believe how lucky she was to be marrying him.

Why Coral Beach Hotel

They were lucky enough to visit Cyprus to see lots of venues, but Coral Beach had everything they wanted. The pier was the selling point — being so close to the water was amazing. The tavern for the reception was traditional and beautiful, with flowers flowing from the ceiling and a sea view to die for. They loved that all their family and friends could stay close by.

Styling and décor

Coral Beach Hotel Coral Bay Paphos Wedding — image 3 of 91

Charlotte just wanted lots of flowers and sparkle — everything else fitted in.

Richie Roo Designs provided a beautiful sign in memory of Nathan's grandparents
The Wedding Pod supplied little favour tags and sparklers
DIY via eBay — personalised fans with their names and wedding date, plus a beautiful engraved ring box

Music and entertainment

First dance: Ed Sheeran's Perfect — the first time Charlotte heard it, it moved her to tears, and Nathan loved it too. The fireworks gave it that little extra something.

Advice for other couples

"Come to Cyprus for sure. We were so lucky to create our dream day and we wouldn't change a thing. Do your research into suppliers as these will really make your day. If you do this, you have no reason to stress. Enjoy all the little moments of the day and, as much as you're able, don't compromise."

On working with Beziique

"Fantastic. They honestly kept us laughing the whole day — especially Aimie. It was so easy to put our complete faith in them to capture our wedding day, and we felt like we had known them years by the end. We would both highly recommend them — as would our family."