Last updated 14:50, Thursday, 06 November 2008

It was on the first holiday that Andrea and now husband Richard Wilkinson spent together that Andrea set eyes on her perfect wedding location.

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They were at Walt Disney World in Florida and saw a couple getting married.

Andrea, 31, said: “We both love Disney and I remember thinking how magical it was to get married there and that if we ever got married this would be my dream location.”

But when the Whitehaven couple got engaged in February 2007 they faced the dilemma many couples face when choosing the venue for their big day – if we get married abroad will we upset family and friends who can’t make it?

In particular they were both unsure because their grandparents wouldn’t be able to travel to Florida for the wedding.

Another consideration was that Andrea has a much bigger family than Richard and they didn’t want one side to dominate at their wedding.

In the end they decided that they could have the best of both worlds if they got married abroad and then organised a blessing and reception when they returned from their honeymoon.

They tied the knot on August 5 this year at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion – which has views of Cinderella’s Castle – followed by a reception at Disney’s Board Walk and an evening meal at Disney’s Polynesian hotel.

“The stress of running around organising things was taken away,” said Andrea. “On the day everything came to me. The people who were doing my hair and make-up came to my hotel and the flowers were taken to the church for us to pick up.

“I was a bit worried though and there were a few hiccups along the way, but it all went smoothly on the day.”

Andrea, a teaching assistant, and Richard, who works at Sellafield, were able to book all the details of their wedding from home.

“You pay for the basic wedding package then you have a choice of things you can add on,” said Andrea.

“The weather is certainly a factor for choosing to get married abroad. Although you are never guaranteed sunshine in Florida there is more chance than if you stayed in this country.”

Andrea’s dress, an ivory gown with Australian crystal bodice, was specially packaged in Andrea’s suitcase by Cumbria Bridal Centre in Whitehaven.

She said: “When we got to the airport I said that there was a wedding dress in the case and it was fragile so they put all our cases through together as fragile.”

Nineteen guests travelled to Florida for the wedding, turning the trip into a holiday. Andrea and Richard had a month abroad altogether, spending 10 days in Florida with their family and friends before flying to Los Angeles and then boarding a Mexican Riviera cruise.

When the newlyweds returned home from America they had a week to make the final preparations for their blessing at Hensingham Methodist chapel and reception at the Summergrove Hotel on August 30 – and they did find that things got a little hectic at this point.

“It was a busy week,” said Andrea. “I had to retrieve everything that had been brought back from America by various family and friends. The groomsmen’s suits needed hanging up, the bottom of my dress had to be repaired and I had to pick up the cake. I did feel stressed.”

They kept the pink, ivory and silver wedding theme they had followed in America for their Cumbrian celebration, attended by 150 guests, and the Mickey and Minnie cake topper from the wedding cake in Florida got re-used.

Andrea said: “We couldn’t have gone away to get married and then done nothing to celebrate back at home.

“I did have some doubts as to whether we were doing the right thing.

“I wouldn’t change anything though. It was a fairytale wedding.”