Dancing through the daffodils Katrina and Will said “I do” at Belvoir Castle before celebrating their nuptials at The Duck in Woolsthorpe Images courtesy of Charlotte Jopling Photography Katrina and Will (known as Fran by those who love him) were set up on a date by their best friends who knew they were perfect for each other. “We clicked immediately, and it felt like we’d known each other for years,” Katrina shares. She rang her bestie, Emma, straight afterwards to tell her how amazingly it went. Meanwhile, Fran was on the phone to Josh telling him he was going to marry Katrina! “Josh and Emma stood by our sides as best man and maid-of-honour at our wedding,” Katrina tells us. “The two people who saw our future before we did.” On the cliffs of Pentire Point in Cornwall, Fran told Katrina that he loved her for the first time, and in the same spot two years later, he completely surprised her by dropping to one knee. “It was the easiest yes of my life,” Katrina says. Belvoir Castle has been a second home to Katrina for the past six years, working as a PA to the Duchess of Rutland. So, choosing it as their wedding venue felt natural. “Not only is it breathtaking, but we know every corner of it, which made the day feel even more personal,” Katrina explains. Following the ceremony, they moved on to their favourite local pub, The Duck, which has a beautiful private event space. “The food is always exceptional, and the team there couldn’t have been more supportive,” Katrina continues. Katrina’s favourite colours, yellow and blue, formed the wedding’s palette and everything fell into place from there. The couple chose to tie the knot in March, when the daffodils would be in bloom, so they let them take centre stage in their venue styling. The bride’s friend, Charlotte from Wilde Avenue Floral Studio, went above and beyond to bring the vision to life. The daffodils were grown by Fran’s parents, and the arrangements were understated, allowing them to reuse as much as possible. The flower meadows from the church were brought to the reception, and guests were invited to take the pot plant centrepieces home at the end of the night. For a seasonal touch, Lindt bunnies doubled as favours and place names. The couple and their guests enjoyed a drinks reception featuring Graham Beck fizz in the Rose Garden at Belvoir Castle, before heading to The Duck for canapés and a threecourse wedding breakfast. A cheese tower was served instead of a wedding cake, and Katrina’s friend, JF from The Catering 4 You, surprised the newlyweds with two huge chocolate tortes. Both the cheese and the tortes were well and truly demolished! Having decided to get married just four months after getting engaged, Katrina needed to buy a dress off-the-peg. She fell in love with a gown by Moonlight Bridal, and happily, it only needed a few alterations. “I knew it was the one as I didn’t want to take it off; I just felt beautiful,” Katrina remembers. The groom wore his own morning suit and he and his groomsmen accessorised with yellow and blue ties with little pigs on them, Fran’s favourite animal. The bridesmaids, meanwhile, looked beautiful in their chiffon sky-blue dresses, each in a style that suited them. “Without question, the highlight of the day was walking down the aisle to my husband-to-be and the ceremony itself,” Katrina shares. “We’ve never felt elation and happiness quite like it; every nerve melted away. The joy in the room was infectious, and the ceremony was filled with laughter and magic. The Belvoir Castle chaplain who married us was so much fun and made the whole ceremony special and joyous.” The bride tells us that the best decision they made on the planning journey was refusing to plan the day down to the second. “Over-scheduling only invites stress when the smallest detail shifts, and it always does. Instead, I kept a loose sense of the order of events, which allowed me to be fully present.” REAL WEDDINGS 23
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