Your Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Wedding- Page number 37 - June/July 2021 (Issue 27)

even had a wedding planner helping us arrange everything when we went into lockdown in March 2020,” Katie says. “We waited until July before postponing the wedding but decided that we still wanted to get wed on 1 st October 2020 as planned, so we started searching for small wedding venues in the UK and had less than three months to sort everything out. Then, two days before our wedding, there was an announcement limiting guest numbers to just 15.” The couple chose their reception venue because it was close to the register office plus it’s set in beautiful countryside. “The grounds provided plenty of picturesque photo opportunities,” Katie tells us. “The hotel is home to a conservatory showcasing spectacular views of the grounds and also a large ballroom which meant that we could adhere to the social distancing measures with ease. They also offered a delicious wedding breakfast menu and allowed us to customise the dishes. We offered each guest three choices with vegan and vegetarian options.” The couple chose a pink colour theme for their reception. “I designed small flower arrangements to place in the centre of each table surrounded by candles,” Katie says. “We didn’t need a table plan because everyone sat in their households and we gifted each guest chocolate truffles in hand- crafted boxes featuring thank you stickers that we designed. Our place name cards featured the same pattern as the favour boxes so that everything matched.” Katie and Charlie opted for a small pink iced cake with alternating layers of pink and white sponge and a raspberry filling. “I added a cake topper and some flowers,” Katie explains. “On the subject of flowers, I designed my bouquet. I purchased some flowers and used them to make a beautiful bespoke bouquet which featured the exact varieties what I wanted.” The couple also had pale pink bows decorating their chair covers, props for the photo booth and small bottles of hand sanitiser as a reference to getting married during a pandemic. “We also gave pink face coverings that were individually wrapped and sealed with the same sticker design as those on our favours which said spread love, not germs. Our packets of pink confetti featured stickers saying throw me,” Katie explains. LOOKING THE PART Katie wore a sheath gown with an embroidered lace top and train and a low back. “The shape suited my figure and I teamed it with a single-tier, chapel- length veil and a small crystal hair comb,” she tells us. “I had purchased my dress for our original wedding abroad and decided to wear it when our plans changed. Charlie chose a navy three-piece suit teamed with a white shirt and pale pink tie and pink buttonhole.” TIME TO CELEBRATE “We weren’t allowed to have live entertainment at our wedding so we had music playing in the background and our first dance provided the entertainment because we are not good dancers so it made our loved ones laugh!” Katie says. MICRO WEDDING SPECIAL 37