something to the happy couple. The flower arrangements for the day all included a combination of orange and peach roses, orange cala lilies, spray roses, hypericum berries, green foliage and orange freesias. Charlotte’s bouquet was tied with an orange ribbon, while the bridesmaids’ were tied with gold. The bride tribe also wore flower crowns and the bride herself had loose flowers in her own hair. FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD “The food at The Ravenswood was sooo good!” Charlotte tells us. From the drinks reception where they served canapés with a choice of Peroni, prosecco or elderflower; to the wedding breakfast, where the team were adept at catering for various dietary requirements; and on to the evening food – there were delicious delicacies to delight the whole way. There were further treats on offer in the shape of the wedding favours, which were heart-shaped Welsh cakes doubling up as place names. Charlotte’s dad is Welsh, so they were a nod to her heritage. The big-day bake was formed of three tiers of traditional fruit, chocolate, and coffee. It was decorated in ivory fondant icing with sugar roses and leaves, and topped with a Mr & Mrs Archer topper. “The cake looked amazing, and tasted amazing,” Charlotte remembers. LOOKING THE PART The beautiful bride wore Bellagio by Eddy K with a subtle glitter tulle. Charlotte explains, “I’d always wanted to feel like a princess on my wedding day, so only a princess dress would do.”She accessorised with a matching tulle glitter veil and a fauxfeather bolero to wear for the sparklers outside in the evening. She completed the look with a gold necklace Ryan bought for her, two pairs of earrings, one belonging to Ryan’s late grandma, and her mum’s gold bangle. Ryan was dressed in a grey striped suit as were his groomsmen, father-of-the-bride and the groom’s dad. They all had a dark orange pinstripe running through them, which matched the colour palette perfectly. Orange ties, purchased using Swagger and Swoon’s colour match service to mirror the exact hue of bridesmaids’ dresses, completed their ensembles. Ryan’s tie had a paisley print so that he stood out as man-of-themoment and the gents all wore pins that he’d bought for them. The bridesmaids wore burnt orange midi, drop-hem, cowl-neck dresses paired with gold heels or flats and a gold shawl to keep the chill off. CELEBRATE IN STYLE A cellist played beautifully throughout the drinks reception as guests arrived from the church. “We had lots of lovely comments about her playing,” Charlotte says. The Ravenswood supplied the evening DJ, who sent the couple a form to complete to make sure they played the right music. “They did a great job and the dancefloor was full all evening,” the bride remembers. MEMORABLE MOMENTS Charlotte says, “It was the best day ever. I was so nervous in the car on the way to the church, but as soon as I started walking up the aisle and saw Ryan waiting, I relaxed and enjoyed every minute. “I surprised Ryan during the speeches by singing him I’ve Been Waiting For You by ABBA with some personal word changes. As I was performing, my four-year-old nephew, our pageboy, went over to Ryan and tried to put his ear defenders over his ears!” REAL WEDDINGS 29
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