An Essex Wedding - Mar/Apr 2017 (Issue 79)

REAL WEDDINGS 45 travelling around South America for our main honeymoon, we named each table after a country that we’ll be visiting.” The centrepieces were made from a cherry tree in Matt’s dad’s garden, which Abi’s grandad cut into log slices. These were then topped with glass jars decorated with hessian, lace and twine, filled with sweetpea, gypsophila and roses. The couple’s cake was a three-tiered semi-naked masterpiece decorated with blooms matching the bride ’ s bouquet, it sat on a log stand to continue the rustic theme. The tiers were flavoured white chocolate and raspberry, cherry Bakewell and strawberry and champagne – delicious! “My nan Mary and aunt Janet made our heart-shaped biscuit favours,” says Abi. “These were put in lace bags, tied with twine and had a Kraft card label thanking guests for attending.” LOOKING THE PART “I wore a strapless, A-line lace gown with a sweetheart neckline by Maggie Sottero. I had a whole day planned for wedding dress shopping but chose my dress within an hour,” shares Abi. “I’d always liked this style and when I tried it on, I knew it was the one . It had a gorgeous low back, two layers of lace and scalloped edging around the bottom.” The bride accessorised it with a long, scalloped-edged lace veil, which laid beautifully over her train, a necklace and matching earrings from Swarovski that matched her belt and hairpiece. The bouquets consisted of ivory and dusky-pink sweet avalanche roses, gypsophila and some foliage, which were tied with ivory ribbon and decorated with tiny pearls. Matt wore a royal blue dinner suit, an ivory waistcoat, white shirt, a rose-pink tie and pocket square. He stood out from the groomsmen who had blue waistcoats and pale pink buttonholes contrasting with Matt’s ivory-hued option. “The four older bridesmaids wore rose-pink, strapless, floor-length chiffon dresses,” says Abi. “I thought it would be difficult as they’re all different body shapes. However, they all loved the first one we tried and it suited each of them perfectly.” For her two younger bridesmaids Abi opted for full-length lace and chiffon gowns with a pink ribbon, which tied in with the older ‘maids dresses. PARTY PEOPLE During their ceremony the couple opted for well-known hymns and even enjoyed Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds , which the organist learnt specifically for the wedding. It was a real hit with the congregation. The pair also had Pimm’s and canapés as guests arrived at The Warren Estate. They had a prop basket and Polaroid frame with a camera to use for fun snaps, as well as a sweetie table, and a wish jar. “In the evening, we opted for a live band, Winston and the Lads, as we thought they’d play a bit of everything and would get everybody up and dancing,” shared Abi. “We had all sorts of music playing from all eras. Our guests loved them and most people were on the dancefloor all night and many said they were the best live band they’d ever seen – they did about three encores because our crowd wouldn’t let them finish.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS “Seeing each other for the first time in the church, exchanging our vows and becoming Mr and Mrs Jones was a real highlight,” shares Abi. “We also stopped on route to the reception in a corn field for a photo shoot and guests driving past thought we’d broken down!” The pair didn’t leave each other’s side the entire day and had so much fun. “It couldn’t have been more perfect; guests commented that they could see how happy we were,” adds the bride. BEYOND THE BIG DAY Abi and Matt spent two weeks in Pissouri, Cyprus following their big day. “We experienced some local traditions such as plate smashing, Greek dancing and eating meze – you never knew what was coming next,” shares the bride. ♥