Your East Midlands Wedding - February/March 2023 (Issue 54)

flowers to match the colour scheme. The bride’s hairstylist was terrific and stayed until the last minute to ensure that Charlotte looked perfect before walking down the aisle! Lewis wore the same suit as the groomsmen, the pair’s dads and his stepdad from Smart Grooms in Leicester. He went for navy tweed suits, which matched their colour theme and relaxed style. The groomsmen wore sage green ties and pocket squares to match the bridesmaids, while the groom wore a bespoke tie and pocket square made by Florence and She based in Coalville. TIME TO CELEBRATE The couple hired a Synergy Live Band to keep guests entertained, and they performed all day from when the guests arrived until the last dance – they were a massive hit with loved ones! The band are just fantastic singers and entertainers; they knew the right songs to get people up dancing and even sang in Spanish, which added a summery vibe to the day. They also let guests do a bit of karaoke at the end of the night; Lewis and his mum sang Bohemian Rhapsody with guests on the dancefloor like their fans! It was such a funny but special moment that they’ll always treasure. The couple also had a photo booth with props, which was especially great for entertaining the children! The captured images were placed into a book, and guests could write messages for the lovebirds alongside. The bride says, “I find that at weddings I’ve been to before, it can be easy to forget to write in the guest book. But when it’s in the form of a photo booth, everyone is happy to spend time on it! MEMORABLE MOMENTS Charlotte woke up a lot earlier than her alarm on the big day as she tossed and turned all night, hoping everything would go perfectly on the day. She says, “I made a cup of tea and had some croissants for breakfast – it was so nice to have some time to myself.” She adds, “It’s such a strange feeling just before you walk down the aisle because you’re so excited to be married to your soulmate, but the nerves of walking down the aisle in front of everyone and the realisation of how big this moment is just hits you!” Lewis was a bag of nerves all morning and went into panic mode as he just wanted everything to go right. The bride says, “When we saw each other for the first time, you can quite literally see the relieved, excited and happy looks on our faces in the photos! We both relaxed so much after the ceremony!” A moment that stood out to Charlotte was the first look with her dad, which was unforgettable and emotional. It was even more special when they walked down the aisle to one of the pair’s favourite songs, which Charlotte also sang to her dad growing up. Her dad made their day extra special as he spent hours outside in his shed, no matter the weather, making props for the day. Charlotte says, “Anything we wanted, he made! Honestly, our wedding wouldn’t have been the same as he made it possible for us to create our dream wedding!” The couple added some special touches to symbolise loved ones that are no longer with them. The bride had a bouquet charm on her flowers, which included pictures of her grandparents. They picked pink carnations for the flowers and buttonholes as this was her grandmother’s and Lewis’s grandfather’s favourite flower. Mambo Bars were great and let the couple include a Singapore Sling to the cocktail menu in memory of the bride’s grandmother who went to Singapore and had the drink at the famous Raffles Hotel. The company let the pair name the drink after her, so they picked The Kathycabana as her name was Kathy and she loved Barry Manilow! There was also an area with photos of other loved ones so they could be there in spirit. REAL WEDDINGS 37

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