Vinaya and Tom first met while training to become lawyers and immediately clicked. They bonded over their mutual love of soul music, plus red wine, and have been inseparable ever since. Vinaya says, “Meeting when we were a bit older meant that we knew what we wanted in a partner. We knew we’d found the one and spent every day together during the lockdowns.” She adds, “Our relationship felt very natural and like it was meant to be – everything has always happened very easily for us.” After moving into their new home together, Tom proposed in the kitchen. His original plan was to pop the question in Italy, but Covid-19 restrictions got in the way. Vinaya comments, “We were getting ready to go out to one of our favourite restaurants, and he secretly set up candles, champagne and flowers while I was upstairs. Tom put on an Elvis Presley song and called me downstairs – I started to twig what was going on!” She continues, “Our rescue puppy Hector was in the kitchen at the time and decided to get involved by jumping on Tom when he got down on one knee – of course I said yes!” SETTING THE SCENE The couple’s wedding took place on the 13th August 2021 and was inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The aim was for the day to be relaxed to reflect the pair’s personalities with a big party, good food, great music and plenty of dancing. Wylam Brewery was the obvious choice for the couple when it came to finding the perfect setting for their special day. The bride says, “It’s the only venue we went to see and they had one date left in August, almost exactly one year later, and we were so lucky to get that date. The property is very different and not your traditional venue, which suited us perfectly.” The couple hired a 1963 Jaguar MK2 on the day, which created the perfect backdrop to wedding photography – as did the wooden arch with cascading flowers! The blooms throughout the day featured wildflowers and plenty of green foliage which looked beautiful against the rustic lanterns and wooden slices of the table centrepieces. The couple didn’t have place names as they wanted loved ones to sit where they liked, and each setting had wildflower seeds for favours. Guests all enjoyed a two- or three-course wedding breakfast as per their choosing and indulged in a stunning semi-naked cake with lemon and Victoria sponge layers in the evening. LOOKING THE PART The bride looked beautiful in a mermaid-styled dress by Morilee. She says, “I went to the dress appointment with a fairly open mind, but I knew I wanted something fitted and beaded for the day. The gown I picked was more traditional than I originally wanted but it was perfect – all four bridesmaids and my mum cried.” The bride picked a slinky sequin dress with an oversized satin bow at the back for the evening. She finished off her look with a mixture of vintage-style jewellery from her mum and mother-in-law, Valentino shoes during the day and electric blue strappy Jimmy Choos in the evening. Vinaya says, “I felt very glamorous and like the best version of myself thanks to the fabulous Lisa Jones – my make-up and hair magician!” The groom wore a bespoke tailored three-piece suit in royal blue with a light grey waistcoat, a forest-green tie, a burnt-orange pocket square and dark tan brogues. The groomsmen and dads wore three-piece royal blue suits from Slaters with a matching tie and pocket square to complement Tom. The bridesmaids looked lovely in cream floral midi-wrap dresses. TIME TO CELEBRATE A big hit with guests on the day was the band The Gatenbys, Vinaya says, “The three local lads, led by John Gatenby on vocals, were even better than we’d REAL WEDDINGS 25
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=