Paris Match

When student Benoit met Hanna at South Bank University he made his move from France to Britain a permanent one
Photos by Sarah Critchlow

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Early days…

Design and technology teacher Hanna, 27, and Benoit, a 29-year-old admin officer at the French Consulate, met six years ago while studying at London's South Bank University: "Our eyes met across the smoky and crowded student union bar," says Hanna. "I had just begun the final year of my degree and Benoit was over from France working on his masters degree. He was initially only supposed to stay in London for a few months, however after we met he transferred from Paris and has lived in the UK ever since."

Benoit is slightly more candid about their first meeting: "I was on a night out with the boys from the university rugby team and Hanna attracted my eye straight away. I wanted to get to know her better but she played hard to get and so I blanked her for 15 minutes to give her a taste of her own medicine. When I looked again in her direction she had gone. I looked all over the Student Union but I couldn't find her and after an angry trip to the bar, I turned around and she was there chatting with one of my team mates. I went over and introduced myself, and the rest is history."
Luckily for Hanna who admits to "love at first sight", Benoit felt the same: "I saw her and I knew. Sometimes it's really as simple as that."

The proposal…

Hanna was completely surprised at Benoit's proposal, which had been meticulously planned. As Benoit explains: "The idea of proposing had been growing for several months and I finally decided to go ahead on Hanna?s birthday. I choose plain and boring presents and behaved a bit like a prat all evening. As the time came closer, I was more and more nervous and slightly drunk too. I was afraid she might say 'no'. After dinner, I asked her simply if she wanted to spend the next 60 years of her life with me and she said 'yes'."

"Benoit made me wait a week before letting me buy a wedding magazine," laughs Hanna who was presented with an unusually shaped two-diamond white gold ring. "Hanna is far too quirky and unique for a plain and simple solitaire," says Benoit.

The venues…

For their ceremony the couple chose St Peter's in Ardingly where Hanna grew up: "I had always said this was where I wanted to get married. It is a beautiful church and is exceptionally welcoming. The Reverend John Crutchley is an amazing speaker and really made us comfortable, he even did a welcome and prayer in French for us."I first contacted the reverend in December 2006," says Hanna. "Which was just a week after I proposed!" Benoit laughs.

After the ceremony the couple and their guests went to Buxted Park Hotel to celebrate. Hanna explains how they chose the venue: "We visited the hotel on one of those really sunny but really cold days; there were roaring fires in the grates and the staff were so welcoming. We were shown around the hotel by one of the managers, Marc, who is also French. He made us feel at home and really charmed everyone. It was the first and only place we saw and we made up our minds there and then. Benoit's parents came over from France for Christmas and we took them to Buxted Park on Boxing Day for coffee and afternoon tea. They agreed it was beautiful and Benoit's mother thought it quintessentially English."

On the big day, guests were greeted with mulled wine which Hanna says 'was really welcoming on the bitterly cold but very sunny day'. After the photos, 84 guests sat down to a delicious wedding breakfast which included tasty treats for both meat eaters and vegetarians. "The meat eaters dined on rack of lamb with fondant potato and seasonal veg for the main course, while the vegetarians had a vegetable puff pastry tart. Then to finish we all had a winter berry mini pavlova."

The dress…

The bride and groom: Benoit wore a traditional morning suit of black tails and grey pinstriped trousers with a white waistcoat, white cravat and handkerchief. "I tried on a top hat but it just didn't look right on me. I looked like some fat banker out of the Victorian times so I decided against it."

Hanna wore a Benjamin Roberts dress in white Duchess silk. It had a sweetheart neckline and had a ruched bodice, full skirt and very long train. It was covered in sequins and pearls and sparkled all over. "It was the first one I tried on and fell in love with it straight away. I always said my dress would be so big that there would be no room for anyone else in the church and later I was told that the dress I had chosen had the longest train in the shop."

The bridesmaids and ushers: Hanna had her four closest friends as bridesmaids while Benoit's two nieces were flower girls. The adult bridesmaids wore prom dresses in a shimmery cranberry red and fluffy faux fur shrugs. The flower girls also wore shrugs but over white dresses.

The best man and three ushers wore morning suits that matched the groom's, but had red waistcoats, cravats and handkerchiefs to match the bridesmaids' dresses. For their efforts, the men received silver pocket watches.

The transport…

The transport Hanna says: "We hired a 1957 Armstrong Sidley car which looked like something from a movie. Graham, the driver, was fantastic and we were surprised with a bottle of Champagne in the car after the ceremony on the way to Buxted Park. I also hired a convertible 1961 red Cadillac as a surprise to pick up Benoit from his hotel and take him to the church. It then came to the house to pick up the bridesmaids."

The decorative touches…

The decorative touches The reception venue was decorated with tea lights and rose petals. "My aunt Carol and cousin Emma decorated the venue for us and made it look magical as we arrived and it started to get dark outside," says Hanna.

The floral decorations were created by florist Zara who mixed roses, green foliage and orchids for beautiful table centrepieces. "We also used spare favours to decorate any empty spaces," says Hanna who goes on to describe the favours, which were chocolates from Thorntons and Minstrels wrapped up in red or white boxes tied with silver twine and decorated with a feather.

The best bits…

"It is hard to choose which bit was the best part," says Hanna. "The ceremony for me was so emotional; seeing Benoit waiting for me seemed to be the most natural thing in the world. It was a cold day but the sun shone through the stained glass windows making the church feel really warm and welcoming and the Reverend John Crutchley performed a fantastic and very personal ceremony. Everyone commented on what a good speaker he was."

Benoit says: "I will always remember the moment when John asked me to look behind me and I saw Hanna in her dress walking down the aisle. The light, the surroundings, the music, everything was perfect and she looked like an angel. It was magical. The rest of the day was just a succession of smiles and happiness, but this particular moment will stay with me forever."

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