Joe and Sophie love story started at university, where they met through mutual friends. After a night out, the pair spent hours walking around campus together in the cold. They ended up sitting on a bench and speaking about their shared interests. Sophie says, “As cheesy as it sounds, we both knew from the start that we were a perfect match.” Joe proposed to Sophie at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, right in front of Hogwarts. The location was very appropriate as they’re both huge Harry Potter fans. She says, “It was such a surprise, even though we had spoken about getting married before.” SETTING THE SCENE The pair set the wedding date for the 7th August 2021 and set off to find the perfect wedding venue. After looked at many gorgeous venues throughout the Midlands, none of them compared to the Trent Building at the University of Nottingham. Sophie says, “For years, we’d spoken about getting married at the venue as we both studied at the university. Plus, it’s right by the lake where we first got together – so it held a lot of significance!” The couple settled on a tartan colour scheme, which featured blue, dark green and burgundy hues. These bold colours complimented each other perfectly and gold accents tied everything together perfectly. The couple spent a lot of time searching for centrepieces as it was important that each one was eye-catching and represented their day. The bride says, “We decided to have a small stack of vintage books that matched our colour scheme on each table with a few tall candles in gold brass candlesticks. To bring a more fairytale element, we included a few touches of greenery.” The table numbers featured different quotes from books and the pair’s venue stylist created the perfect finishing touches such as the chalkboard-style table plan. To keep a lasting memento of the day, the lovebirds opted to have artificial flowers at their wedding. The bride selected a bouquet from their florist’s website as well as two matching table pieces for the top table and buttonholes for the groomsmen and the couple’s dads. Strawberry Cupcakes created the three-tiered cake, which featured raspberry and white chocolate flavours. Sophie says, “We originally looked at a selection of small desserts like cupcakes or doughnuts, but eventually we decided a traditional wedding cake would be best. We didn’t have our hearts set on a particular design and ended up choosing one with a beautiful-marbled effect.” The venue provided all the catering throughout the day, and the couple had the option of a set meal with table service or a carvery-style buffet. The pair opted for the second option to ensure guests received food they enjoyed, which went down a treat. LOOKING THE PART When it came to finding the perfect gown, Sophie didn’t get as many opportunities to try on dresses as she would have liked because of Covid-19 restrictions. From the start of the planning process, she knew a ballgown-styled dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves and gold detailing would be the perfect option. She says, “I never expected to find the exact dress I pictured in the first shop I went to – I knew I had found the one as soon as I saw it.” The bride added a fingertip-length veil to add a hint of shimmer and a tiara, drop earrings and a gold tennis bracelet to finish off her look. The groom wore a three-piece suit and a tie to match the colour scheme, while the groomsmen each picked a two-piece navy suit – so there was a little variation in cut and colour. Joe stood out from the others with a waistcoat and a larger buttonhole. Each bridesmaid could pick their own dress, as long as it was floor-length and dark green – different tones and styles were encouraged. The bride says, “It was important that they picked a style they’d be most comfortable in; they’ve all got great taste and looked incredible on the day!” REAL WEDDINGS 27
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