The Ceremony at Arundel Town Hall
Silviu & Chloe got married earlier this year at Arundel Town Hall, and here is Chloe telling their wedding story.
PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THE PROPOSAL:
Silviu proposed to me in The Palace of Versaille on my birthday. It was in the room called the Hall of Mirrors. It wasn't a traditional proposal, he didn't get down on one knee, he simply asked me if I'd like to be his wife which I was very happy to accept.
WHAT DREW YOU TO ARUNDEL TOWN HALL AND MADE IT YOUR DREAM WEDDING?
I had grown up in the local area and had always loved Arundel. I had taken Silviu to Arundel on a day trip in 2021 and he fell in love with the whole place but especially the castle. While we would all love to get married in a castle, it's simply not possible but the Town Hall gave us the same small castle vibe along with beautiful views all around.
DID IT TAKE YOU A LONG TIME TO FIND YOUR ‘PERFECT VENUE’?
We booked our viewing in November 2022. We actually only viewed Arundel Town Hall once and decided that it was perfect for our wedding. We loved how it had a medieval feel at the entrance then lead to a beautiful high ceiling Georgian room. Let's not forget the gorgeous chandelier!
WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF ORGANISING YOUR BIG DAY?
Organising the day was easy in the sense of preparation. I had prepared as much as I could. Mostly everything went smoothly on the day but somethings don't always go as planned. This happened with hair and make up. Trying to ensure our ladies were all ready in time was very difficult!
HOW DID YOU KNOW YOUR WEDDING DRESS WAS ‘THE ONE’?
I didn't do the traditional bridal shopping. The idea of being surrounded by so many dressed and being in a room full of ladies with all different opinions was not my idea of a nice afternoon. I brought my dress off of Facebook. The bride who owned the dressed before had brought it and had changed her mind. I brought it home ensuring to hide it from Silviu. I put it on one evening, once he had gone to work. Once all the accessories were on and I had my bouquet in my hands, I just imagined myself in the town hall walking down the aisle. That's when I knew it was the one!! And yes, I had already gone through 3 other dresses but don't tell Silviu!!
WHO SUPPLIED THE GROOM AND GROOMSMEN’S SUITS AND WAS THERE A PARTICULAR STYLE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?
We got Silviu's suit from Tru clothes online. We have never been the type of people for shopping in town and ordering online meant we could try everything in the comfort of our own home, plus we could see whatever colours complemented our colour scheme. We wanted a different kind of suit to your usual wedding ones, which is how we ended up with a checked suit.
DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO GET MARRIED?
I don't think at the start of our relationship either of us saw us getting married. We had know each other from work for 2 years before we got together. We had talked about it and thought about elopement but we are happy with the decision we made to get married in beautiful Arundel.
WHAT WERE YOUR STANDOUT MOMENTS OF THE DAY AND MEMORIES YOU’LL CHERISH FOREVER?
Our favourite moments were walking down the aisle and seeing each other (even though we didn't spend the night separated). After we were married, we took a moment to ourselves along with some photos before rejoining our guests. Our first dance which we had in the town hall once everyone had left. It was a private moment for us which we greatly enjoyed and gave us a moment to absorb all the joy. Finally, doing our photos with just us, which was nice to have some romantic ones along some funny ones!
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FIRST DANCE, WHICH SONG DID YOU DANCE TO AND WHY YOU CHOSE IT?
We decided to have a private first dance. We decided this as neither of us are professionals and we didn't want the pressure of everyone watching us. This was the best choice we ever made and would definitely suggest everyone to do this. We danced to Elvis Presley, Can't Help Falling in Love. We choose this as it represents how our love blossomed.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR COUPLES PLANNING THEIR WEDDING DAY?
I definitely suggest planning as much as you can. I found it helpful putting decoration in boxes and labeling them. Try to make a timeline of the day. Make sure to make time for you as a couple to have some moments to yourselves. Just remember to enjoy yourselves and the day as it will go so quickly!
If you are planning your wedding here are some helpful wedding tips for you to read:
From Jitters to Joy: Mastering Your Wedding First Dance
5 Reasons Why Rain On Your Wedding Day Won’t Spoil Your Big Day