With festive sparkle and shimmering details, this cosy winter wedding between Rachel and Ryan warms the heart, and looked a LOT of fun…
How they met
From their very first meeting, Rachel and Ryan felt they were destined to be together. “We met through mutual friends, and on the night I met Ryan, I knew straight away that I would marry him,” smiles romantic Rachel.
The proposal
Ryan proposed to Rachel one night at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas. “We were overlooking the Bellagio fountains, when Ryan got down on one knee,” says Rachel.
The bride’s outfit
Rachel initially spotted her Maggie Sottero ‘Kendra’ gown online, but didn’t think it would suit her. “I chose a different dress, but couldn’t stop thinking about ‘Kendra’, so I tracked it down, tried it on and fell in love,” Rachel says. The gown featured subtle diamanté detailing and a puffball train. Rachel wore it with a satin shrug for warmth when travelling between venues.
The groom’s outfit
Ryan wore a stylish, slim-fitting suit and waistcoat from Marks and Spencer, with a silver floral tie. “It was a real novelty to see him dressed up and looking so smart,” Rachel says.
The bridesmaids
The three ‘maids wore navy blue satin gowns from Romantica of Devon, with glamorous long-sleeved fur jackets for warmth.
The ceremony
Rachel and Ryan chose a church ceremony, with a Bible reading from Song of Solomon and the poem What is Marriage? read by Ryan’s brother. “It was so special to see Ryan’s face when I walked into the church – his eyes filled with tears and he had the biggest smile,” Rachel recalls.
The reception
The couple held their cosy winter reception at the Inglenook Hotel, a local pub with a lavish carvery. “The hotel was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and they added lilies in tall vases as table centres and dressed the chairs with silver ribbon,” says Rachel. “We bought table crystals for extra sparkle, and my dad sat for hours with a snowflake puncher, making us festive table confetti!” Florist Katherine Stayt put together a top table display of fir cones and sprayed silver twigs.
The honeymoon
Rachel and Ryan spent a four-night minimoon in Washington DC, followed by a luxury stay at Sandals Grande Riviera in Jamaica a few months later.
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