FULL BLOOM A love in Char and Chris’ wedding at Somerleyton Hall was a joyful celebration of love and nature Images courtesy of Georgia Rachael Photography Char and Chris met at a murder mystery party and felt an instant spark. Chris tells us, “I tried to kiss her in a nightclub after the party, but she promptly rejected me. I did manage to get her number though, and we went on a date later that weekend and never looked back.” Chris proposed to Char on a skiing trip with friends to Val d’Isère in France. He had planned to take her to the Eye of the Needle, an iconic rock formation overlooking Tignes, but the weather dramatically turned and it took them hours to descend. Chris adds, “Later that evening, I popped the question beneath a button lift on a quiet walk. Not quite the pictureperfect proposal we had imagined, but it was just right for us.” The couple explored wedding venues across Italy and the South of France, but in the end felt drawn closer to home. While visiting Char’s parents, they drove past St Mary’s Church and Somerleyton Hall and knew they had found somewhere they could return to time and time again. Chris explains, “Somerleyton Hall didn’t need a theme, and in keeping with the hall’s love of nature, sustainability and rewilding, we chose a beautifully green feel for the day – using plants rather than flowers wherever possible and gifting them to our guests after the weekend.” Char and Chris turned their day into a weekend-long affair, and on the Friday they welcomed their closest friends and family with Champagne, gifted to them at their engagement party. Chris recalls, “We were incredibly lucky to have Brasted’s provide the catering for us. Sian and her team were amazing — from the Ottolenghi-style supper on Friday evening, to the oysters at the reception drinks, and their special sorbet cone palate cleansers at the wedding breakfast. The venison hog roast on Sunday was the perfect, relaxed ending to the weekend.” Char wore a dress and veil by Louise Selby paired with Manolo Blahnik shoes, while the bridesmaids chose elegant designs from Nobody’s Child. To delight their guests, the couple offered drinks as everyone wandered through Somerleyton Hall’s walled garden. A pianist played during the reception, and individual poems were hidden on the back of each menu, waiting to be discovered. Espresso martinis on exit from the wedding breakfast kept spirits high, before fireworks lit up the evening and Chris’ brother-in-law’s band, The City Suits, took to the stage. The highlight of the day for the couple was standing together at the altar. Chris says, “The church was so joyful – looking back and seeing all your guests beaming their love towards you. As we left, Char cheekily jumped into the driver’s seat of the car, before we swapped for a second victory lap around the Somerleyton Hall estate, passing the bridesmaids riding in the back of the shoot truck. We shared a quiet moment together in the library before greeting our guests as a married couple, which felt incredibly special. Before the wedding breakfast, I made a disastrous attempt to open a bottle of Champagne, and Char had to step in and show me how it was done – an iconic moment.” As planning a wedding can be stressful, Chris shares his top tip: “When we curated the order of events, we thought carefully about how we wanted to feel, and how we wanted our guests to feel at every moment – even down to small things like having plenty of water at the church. Walking through everything beforehand gave us complete peace of mind. On the day itself, forget it all, put your phones away and simply enjoy it – you’ll be in safe hands.” REAL WEDDINGS 23
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