Jo tells us. “We also had handbell ringers, soloists, a guitarist, a poet and a secret star of the show who performed with me! The day ended with a Les Misérables flash mob and a picture-perfect confetti cannon kiss!” The couple chose a silver, red and white theme to decorate their day. For their reception held at Stage Left at the Palace Theatre Paignton, an arts and event space, they chose quirky centrepieces. “Each table had a large red box, themed to a specific show that I had been in, for example, CATS, Beauty and the Beast, Calendar Girls and Legally Blonde,” Jo tells us. “Every box contained face gems, bubbles, props from the show, boas and dress-up items!” The couple’s place names and favours were a photograph of each guest along with a red love heart pen. “We had nine tables each themed to a different show that I had appeared in,” Jo says. “The talented team at Palace Hotel Paignton provided the mouthwatering menu, catering to all dietary requirements. We asked guests to bring cakes for our cake table during the evening reception. We ordered 100 cupcakes from Beaumont Bakes in Brixham to add to this which tasted delicious!” One of Jo and Jonny’s bridesmaids had a wife, Carmen who created a candy table of pick and mix sweets. “She themed it to reflect my favourite musicals or musicals that I had appeared in,” Jo tells us. The sweets were colour coordinated, and props were used to help set the themes - it was a real showstopper with the queue for the candy nearly stopping the wedding from starting on time!” Jo made the bouquets herself using flowers purchased from M&S and the couple had foil heart-shaped balloons. “English Rivera Events provided a beautiful backdrop for the entertainment area at the venue,” Jo explains. LOOKING THE PART Jo’s wedding dress from Brides at Waterfields in Exeter was by Maggie Sottero. “As a plus-size bride, I wanted a princess-style dress to accentuate my top half,” Jo tells us. “The beautiful bodice was covered in crystals that shone under the spotlights.” Jonny and his groomsmen chose grey suits teamed with red ties and pocket squares while the couple’s bridesmaids all wore red dresses. TIME TO CELEBRATE Jo and Jonny booked Kane Fowler, a local magician to entertain everyone. “Kane was incredible – very talented and loved by all of our guests,” they tell us. “We also had a photo booth that created small GIF videos as well as photos that our guests could keep. The sensational Roberta Calamari provided cabaret and karaoke which is still talked about by our guests today.” Top tip: “Give all creative control to your wife!” - Jonny REAL WEDDINGS 27
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