Jade and Harry met at university. Harry played rugby and Jade was part of the cheerleading team. Romance blossomed when they spent 22 hours in each other’s company on a coach trip through Europe on the university’s annual sports holiday. They made the most of the long hours on the road discovering a common love of films, travelling and generally enjoying life. Jade says, “Our dates were full of laughter and we always seemed to accidentally have that extra bottle of wine! Travelling and exploring the world is something that we both absolutely love to do and we regularly find ourselves planning our next adventure together.” Having decided they’d spend New Year 2019 in another country, Harry suggested Cyprus knowing he’d be able to propose in Jade’s favourite spot, The Natural Bridge of Koraka (Lover’s Bridge) at Cape Greco. Following a stressful journey through security with Harry hiding the ring and Jade nursing an NYE hangover, the proposal was a complete surprise. Harry even managed to set up his GoPro and captured the whole thing on camera for posterity. Join us now as bride Jade shares her treasured memories of the big day, 10th July 2021... LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Having always been set on the idea of tying the knot at a country-house venue, the couple fell in love with Coombe Lodge in an instant, along with its views of Cheddar Gorge and the Bristol Channel. “As we made our way through the grounds up to the building there was a sense of a timeless mystique making us feel as though we were walking through a fairy tale,” Jade explains. The opportunity for an outdoor ceremony beneath the beautiful sandstone arches was also a major draw. “The guest rooms were exceptional with many having standalone baths and floods of natural light,” the bride recalls. What’s more, nothing was too much trouble for the venue’s team and any idea the couple discussed with them was met with a warmth and eagerness to oblige. SETTING THE SCENE “We both love a party, so there was only one choice of favour for us – the beloved shot,” Jade laughs. They opted for limoncello, which is a favourite with both of them from their travels to Venice. The favours were used to raise a toast at the end of Harry’s speech with a hearty: “Yamas!” (“Cheers” in Greek Cypriot). Wanting to share with guests all of the beautiful places the couple have visited together they selected a table plan design entitled: “Where in our world are you sitting?” In a bid for chic simplicity place names were etched onto clear acrylic. The table names too shared a travel theme, named after favourite holiday destinations. Love Bridge was a natural choice for the top table. Each one was paired with a Polaroid of the couple in the corresponding location. Florist Stephanie Saunders created a combination of candelabra ball displays with a cluster of bud vases, and jars filled with flowers and candles to create varying heights across the space. Blooms included coral peonies mixed with white avalanche roses, eucalyptus and lisianthus. The bridal bouquet was a teardrop shape featuring white flowers with coral tones, broken up with foliage. Harry’s buttonhole was a single white rose finished with lisianthus and foliage. “Walk around during the wedding breakfast.We were served first and had time to chat to our guests. It meant that we had a memory with every single person without worrying about finding people on the dancefloor.” – Harry REAL WEDDINGS 27
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