Christopher Eglinton and Renata Mazzone-Eglinton's Perfect Wedding & Perfect Wedding Entertainment!!

I had a father-daughter dance with my dad, and Night and Day played “Daughter” by Loudon Wainwright III which was beautiful, and they also played our first dance song “Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden so beautifully that I'd say that was my favourite part of the evening!

Our wedding ceremony took place at St Mary's Church in Oakley, Bedford followed by a wedding reception a few minutes down the road from the church at Oakley's Village Hall.  

We chose the church because Christopher's family is from Oakley, and the church had a big part in their lives. 

Christopher's grandfather even bought the bells for the church many years ago.  The church is very old and the sense of history appealed to both of us. 

It could also accommodate all of our guests, and the minister was lovely and ever so kind.  She was a joy to work with, as were the choir and the organist.

Our wedding party consisted of four adult bridesmaids (my sister Dominique as the maid of honour), two flower girls, four ushers and a best man, as well as both our parents and ourselves.

One of my bridesmaids flew over from Brazil to be here for our wedding, which was very special.

Our wedding ceremony started punctually at 3.00 pm and lasted for about 45 minutes.

We then had photographs taken by the church for an hour or so. 

We did not have a theme as such, but everything ended up being very pink! 

I wanted elegance, not stiffness.  I merged my Brazilian traditions with the British way, and in the end I believe we did it very well. 

I also have Italian influences in my upbringing as I grew up surrounded by my Italian grandparents, and great aunts and uncles, so good food and great music was very important. 

I also wanted the day to flow with emotion, and for everybody to feel comfortable. 

We entertained the children (all 15 of them) with party bags filled with all sorts of goodies including colouring books, play dough, sweets, cars and dolls.  The bubbles we provided were a great hit with the kids, but unfortunately it meant a lot of the guests were wearing bubble solution at one point or another, including me!

We arrived at the wedding reception venue at 5.00 pm and Night and Day, the band we booked through Alive Network entertainment agency, started at 6.30 pm straight after speeches.  Night and Day played three sets, the first set was quite mellow which appealed greatly to our older relatives.  The comments we received regarding the band were amazing, and all of their business cards were gone by the time they started their first set of the evening at 8.00 pm. 

The music selection they chose to play during their breaks was also great, and everybody danced.  At the end of the last set, we wanted them to stay and carry on!!!  They played a few more songs at our request, and the guests were so pleased, as were we.  If we ever need to book a band again, we are sure to return to Alive Network and hire Night and Day!!!

Night and Day were the life of the party, and everybody liked them!  The oldies were amazed that Ella Fitzgerald made an appearance during dinner, and the youngsters’ danced non-stop.  My parents, who were a little sceptical as we had never seen the band play live, were over the moon.  I think nothing beats a live band, and if you can have one who's not only talented but also flexible and reliable, it makes the event!  I would, and already have, recommended Night and Day to anybody who asks!

Favourite moments of the day include the ceremony, which was incredible, and hard to put into words.  Night and Day, and our caterer, ensured that the guests were 100% happy throughout the wedding reception, so I'd say that we enjoyed the whole day!  I had a father-daughter dance with my dad, and Night and Day played “Daughter” by Loudon Wainwright III which was beautiful, and they also played our first dance song “Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden so beautifully that I'd say that was my favourite part of the evening!

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

Do not be afraid to take on the planning of your entire day yourself.  If you find good, reliable and honest suppliers like we did in our caterers, the band, the chair and table rentals, the photographer and videographer, you cannot fail! 

Obviously it will take time and effort, but knowing that you have taken the time to do things your way without compromise is the best feeling.  It also helps to have great people around you who are willing to help, and if you can manage it, take the time to make things personal.  I made all of our stationery for the day but I wanted other things done professionally, so I bought the invitations and personalised envelopes from Vistaprint.

The table plan I made with the assistance of my aunt Jane who's an artist and painted orchids on it for us, my mother who's a chef made individual cakes as favours for our guests which were just divine.  Make it your day, surround yourself with those who love you, and those who are reliable and professional, and remember that even that unexpected guest can be accommodated, and you will be just fine! 

One more thing, in the current climate everyone should take out wedding insurance. We lost £250 in chair cover costs because the company went into liquidation.  If you don't want to take out wedding insurance, rely on what your bank can offer you.  Credit cards will offer you insurance in case the goods or the service is not provided, and Visa debit cards will give you peace of mind of Visa Chargeback, whereas bill payments done by internet, telephone banking or cheque do not give you the option of recovering funds.

I think nothing beats a live band, and if you can have one who's not only talented but also flexible and reliable, it makes the event! I would, and already have, recommended Night and Day to anybody who asks!