How they met
“I first met Mark at a postgraduate welcome reception at university. He approached me and said hello, but I was too busy catching up with my best friend to pay much attention to him!” laughs Lisa. “Mark has a passion for outdoor sports and for our first date he decided to take me power kiting on a windy day at Mersea Island. Apparently I picked it up quite quickly so he taught me to ‘kite jump’ – at which point I ended up being dragged down the beach with my trousers round my ankles! It wasn’t an elegant moment, but he still wanted a second date!”
The proposal
“Well, there was Mark’s ‘planned’ proposal and then what actually happened,” smiles Lisa. “He wanted to pop the question at the end of a week’s holiday in North Wales. On the last day, we climbed Tryfan and Glyders. On the summit of Tryfan there are two large rocks called Adam and Eve and the story goes that a local priest jumped between the two rocks to ‘gain the freedom of the mountain’ – a tradition that many walkers have since continued. Mark had planned to do the famous jump, ending on one knee, but apparently I told him off for being irresponsible and made him get down! He then had to rethink his proposal, and ended up doing it by a beautiful lake a little further down the mountain,” she adds
The bride’s outfit
“I always knew that I would end up with an Enzoani dress – I fell instantly in love with their grand and romantic styles,” explains Lisa. “When I stepped into my dress on the morning of my wedding I felt wonderful and knew I was going to have the best day of my life.” Lisa’s dreamy dress was called ‘Derby’ from Enzoani’s Blue collection
The groom’s outfit
Handsome groom Mark wore a three-piece grey morning suit with a fitted shirt, cream cravat and smart, black Ted Baker shoes. His look was completed with a double hunter pocket watch – a gift from his bride. Suits were hired from Moss Bros
The bridesmaids
Bride Lisa spent a long time looking for a dress that would be appropriate for both adults and teenagers. However, a chance spot in Debenhams found her the perfect style, and they were in the sale, too! “I had to frantically ring around every Debenhams store in the country to try to get enough dresses in the right sizes, and have them sent to my local store,” explains Lisa
The ceremony
“The whole ceremony was just perfect, and everything I had always imagined. It was simple, personal and romantic. Being sung down the aisle, with my dad by my side and all my friends and family grinning back at us, and finally seeing Mark at the front with a huge beaming smile was an incredible and emotional feeling,” says Lisa
The flowers
The couple’s beautiful bouquets and buttonholes were created by Best Buds of Halesworth and were perfect for the rustic feel.
The reception
“Our whole wedding took place at Bruisyard Hall. The barn dates back to the 16th century and had only recently been converted into a wedding venue. I tried to create a romantic, laid-back country atmosphere with lots of rustic touches,” says Lisa
The details
Lisa and Mark let the rustic features of their reception barn shine through, and only added a few little details to create the look they wanted. These included jugs of flowers as centrepieces, floating candles, a ‘wedding’ sign (made by Lisa’s bridesmaid) and mini lanterns that were bought online
The cake
Was a gorgeous four-tier creation separated with fresh flowers designed by Vanilla Patisserie Cake Design. “Mark’s grandmother and my own grandmother each made a tier of traditional fruit cake, too, along with six gluten-free and lactose-free mini cakes for our guests,” explains Lisa
The transport
We love Lisa and Mark’s adorable vintage tractor, which originally belonged to Lisa’s grandfather. “It’s been in the family for years and has now been passed on to my father,” says Lisa. “Dad made the hoop over the trailer, and then my sister decorated it with ivy, bunting, and hay bales for Mark and I to sit on.”
The honeymoon
Thanks to donations from their guests, Lisa and Mark used Trailfinders to organise their Indonesian honeymoon.
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