Wendy and Neal went back to nature for their countryside wedding, with a gorgeous rustic and sapphire blue theme for the day.
How they met
Romance evolved from friendship for Wendy and Neal. “We were friends first and when we met we instantly clicked,” smiles Wendy.
The proposal
Neal proposed to Wendy while they were visiting a friend in Canada. “Neal secretly booked a country house B&B for the night, and after a beautiful meal in the restaurant, we went out to the veranda at dusk and he got down on one knee,” Wendy remembers.
The bride’s outfit
Wendy looked sensational in her Jim Hjelm Blush gown in ivory cotton lace with an A-line skirt and chapel train, which she had modified to feature a sweetheart neckline and a brooch at the waist. “As I’m petite, I struggled to find a dress that fitted, and didn’t really know what I wanted, but it was ‘the one’ from the moment I tried it on,” Wendy explains. She wore her nan’s vintage necklace, a bracelet given to her by the groom’s parents and nude patent shoes from Kurt Geiger.
The groom’s outfit
Neal wore dark grey tails from John Field. “He looked amazing –he doesn’t wear a suit for work, so it seemed even more special to see him dressed up for our big day,” says proud bride Wendy.
The bridesmaids
Wendy chose sapphire blue multiway dresses from BHS for her two bridesmaids.
The ceremony
Wendy and Neal were married in a civil ceremony at Batemans Barn, a stunning structure dating back to 1270 on an organic farm in Norfolk. “It was so special – I loved seeing Neal waiting for me at the end of the aisle, and then walking out at the end of the ceremony as a married woman,” says Wendy.
The reception
The guests were served a locally sourced menu with options of roast chicken in streaky bacon or south Elmham organic lamb shank, followed by a trio of desserts. “We had a rustic countryside theme, with details including freeze-dried petals, mason jars of flowers and teacups holding the place names,” Wendy says. The guests were entertained by a string quartet during the day, with the venue’s house DJ in the evening.
The honeymoon
The couple’s action-packed Mauritius honeymoon included kayaking, archery, snorkeling, diving, parasailing and beach bonfires. Perfect!
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