Sarah and Mark kept their celebrations intimate and personal and with a colour scheme inspired by peonies, they created the perfect pink wedding day.
The proposal
When architect Mark booked a weekend away for Sarah in a quaint cottage he had been working on, she had no idea what was about to happen. “I thought he’d taken me there to show me his work,” Sarah explains. But after a lovely dinner the couple headed home and it ws there that Mark asked her to marry him. “I just cried and hugged him so hard! I don’t think I said yes until ten minutes after,” laughs Sarah.
The bride’s outfit
On the day, Sarah wore a pretty Maggie Sottero number with a full length satin and chiffon skirt. “Before it was even done up I told my mum it was ‘the one’. I never wanted to take it off – for the first time ever I felt beautiful!” Sarah smiles. The bride kept her accessories simple, choosing ivory satin shoes with small diamantés and a tiara wth ornate pearl and flower detailing.
The groom’s outfit
Mark bought his dark grey suit from TK Maxx, and opted for matching tie and pocket handkerchief in pink to go with the colour scheme. “He looked so gorgeous, I couldn’t wait to get down the aisle!” Sarah says.
The bridesmaids
Sarah’s two bridesmaids, her sister and best friend, wore black halterneck dresses from Coast, accessorising with pearl earrings and diamanté and pearl hairslides. “They looked so elegant!” smiles Sarah.
The ceremony
Sarah and Mark had a civil service on the pretty grounds of Chaucer Barn where all their guests stayed as well. “It was so nice to be outside in the sunshine, surrounded by flowers,” explains Sarah. “I walked down the aisle to a recording Mark had done of Black Sabbath’s Fluff, which may seem liked an odd song choice, but we both loved it!”
The reception
Instead of choosing a specific theme, the couple decided to keep things simple. “I love peonies, so the colour scheme of soft and bright pinks contrasting with black, grey and ivory grew from there,” Sarah explains. A lot of the stationery and decorations were handmade by the couple and their artistic family. “Mark and I found an image of a peony we liked and drew it on all the invitations, menu cards and orders of service,” Sarah explains. “My mum also used to make wedding cakes semi-professionally, so she came out of retirement to make our beautiful two-tier cake.”
The honeymoon
The couple continued their wedding celebrations by spending an extra couple of nights with family and friends at their wedding venue. Then they spent two weeks sight-seeing in Sorrento, Italy.
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