Your Sussex Wedding - October/November 2023 (Issue 105)

“Have faith in your suppliers. It’s their job to make your day the best and they’ll work very hard to ensure that happens.” – Leanne LOOKING THE PART Leanne wore Raven by Maggie Sottero. “I always thought I wanted a big dress, but when I tried on the larger ballgown silhouettes, they really didn’t suit me. After trying on plenty of styles I discovered that A-line was the look for me,” Leanne shares. Pearls played a big part in the day as they’re the bride’s birthstone and also provided a nod to her late nan. Raven was embellished with small pearls along the straps and across the waistband, so this offered further proof, if it was needed, that this was the one. “However, me being me, I couldn’t just have an off-the-peg dress,” Leanne smiles. “So, we added an extra 18 inches to the train, and had more pearls sewn onto the waistband. It was perfect.” The couple actually stumbled across Alex’s groomswear in 2022, when looking for a suit for him to wear as groomsman for a friend’s wedding in Italy. Remembering the look when shopping for their own, they opted for the linen-effect light grey suits they’d seen with navy ties and white or navy pocket squares for his own groom’s party. Alex and the father-of-the-bride also wore waistcoats to set them apart. Leanne was originally looking for navy dresses for her bride tribe, but when she stumbled across some white and navy dresses online, she took the plunge and ordered them straight away. Shortly after, she was due to fly out to Dubai to see her best friend and ask her to be a bridesmaid, so she managed to take a couple with her to try. Success! She and the rest of the girls loved them and they fit beautifully. TIME TO CELEBRATE Tobias Alexander from Lumimix entertained the couple and their loved ones from post-ceremony drinks through to midnight. “He’s an amazing singer, and a real entertainer,” Leanne tells us. “Our guests were all talking about him throughout the day, and still are!” The couple also booked magician, Jimmy Sheridan, who wowed everyone during the canapés and wedding breakfast. “He completely blew people away with his magic and they’re still talking about how incredible he was,” Leanne remembers. MEMORABLE MOMENTS The newlyweds both agree that one of the highlights of the day for them was heading off to the other side of the lake for sunset photos. The venue provided golf buggies for the trip and they were joined by their photographer, as well as their videographer, and nephew. Once the photo session was complete, everyone bundled back into the buggies, except the happy couple who took a romantic stroll back to the venue alone. “We could see all of our guests across the lake and it was such an emotional moment having that time to ourselves, just to reminisce about how the day had gone so far. We both got choked up,” the bride recalls. REAL WEDDING 35

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