CONNOLLEY-SMITH

There was no purple in sight (except for flowers) when Mat and Kat were married on a glorious June day (26th, to be exact) in 1999.  It was a colourful, joyful, youthful, beautiful, wonderful day.  Kat wore blue and green silk and chiffon with a contemporary silver tiara and carried blue, mauve and green flowers and Mat wore a milky-tea DKNY suit with a buttonhole of chillies and ivy, a navy silk shirt and a tie with a standard lamp on it. There were 1000 balloons, 500 filled with helium and 500 with air (blown up with a pump!), loads of colourful and sweetly-scented flowers arranged by 'the mums', a bouncy castle for grown-ups and a 6 stone, 3'6" high white chocolate-covered chocolate wedding cake decorated with flowers, fruits, vegetables (including chillies) and ladybirds, all made of chocolate. The best man was a very well organised woman called Mel who kept the whole day together whilst echoing Mat's wardrobe - she wore a navy suit with a blue agapanthus buttonhole, a milky-tea silk shirt and a tie with an armchair on it.  The bridesmaid was Eleanor, cousin to Kat, who wore a lovely summery dress in printed chiffon and carried flowers similar to Kat's bouquet which were also made into a circlet for her hair.  Their rings were made by a one-time teacher of Mat's called Ricky and are unique: Mat's is a broad band of platinum (the metal of Kat's engagement ring, which is very simply set with a beautiful smooth, round diamond) with a narrow band of gold running around it, and Kat's is a narrow band of gold.  The evening entertainment was provided by an assortment of their friends taking turns on the decks.  A tremendous time was had by all at a wonderful 'approved venue' wedding in the Chilterns.