Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - September/October 2022 (Issue 94)

Elisha and Adam met through mutual friends at school and have been a couple ever since. No matter how much time they spent together, they always managed to make each other laugh and have made so many amazing memories over the years. Adam proposed on Christmas day after hiding a ring in a cracker to surprise Elisha – of course she said ‘yes’. The pair set the wedding for July 25th 2021, and created a memorable day surrounded by loved ones. SETTING THE SCENE When it came to finding the perfect setting for their special day, the couple fell in love with The Italian Villa in Poole. It was the beautiful gardens that first caught their attention and the venue’s stunning décor, especially in the Medici Suite where ceremonies take place. With beautiful arches, pillars and floorlength windows overlooking the gardens, the pair knew it was perfect location for their vows. To decorate the fabulous spaces, the couple hired The House of Styling and the team captured the pair’s vision perfectly. A stunning foliage arch was placed at the top of the aisle, which created a beautiful backdrop for the “I dos”. Candles, terrariums, trees and hanging tea lights added a magical atmosphere to the ceremony space and set the tone for the rest of the day. The reception space was already decorated with fairylights, so the couple added hanging wisteria and lanterns above the dancefloor. The trestle tables were decorated with foliage, white flowers in small pots, candles, tea lights, terrariums, floating candles, gold pineapples and grey napkins. The groom wanted to incorporate some of his favourite films into the table plan, so each table had a Marvel symbol paired with a movie quote. For favours, each guest was given a mini bottle with spirit inside, which doubled up as place names. To add some extra fun, everyone also had a scratch card. The pair wanted rustic and natural looking blooms, so they opted for wildflowers, green foliage, olive vines and peonies – the bridesmaids had smaller versions. As the wedding took place during the end of the pandemic, the bride created personalised tissues and hand sanitisers that could clip onto bags – this was very popular with loved ones. The pair served beer and prosecco during the drinks reception – their favourite beverages. As the venue was set within botanical gardens, guests had access to look around the beautiful spaces during this time. To keep guests from going hungry, a barbecue was served with five different meat and vegetarian options. For dessert, loved ones enjoyed beautifully presented white chocolate, raspberry and honeycomb domes. There was a snack buffet in the evening with mini fish and chip cones, burgers, bacon rolls and cheese toasties. A huge hit with guests was the snack bar with pick ‘n’ mix sweets, personalised cookies, crisps, pretzels, popcorn and the wedding cake which featured raspberry, white chocolate, butterscotch and lemon flavours. 27 REAL WEDDINGS

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