An Essex Wedding - September/Ocotber 2020 (Issue 94)

REAL WEDDINGS 39 W hile working as teachers at the same school, Megan and Matt discovered that they shared a love of folk rock music. It turned out that Matt had a spare set of tickets for a festival in Lewes, where the pair’s favourite band, Mumford & Sons, would be performing. “Little did we know that weekend would change our lives,” Megan tells us. “It ended with me on Matt’s shoulders as we sang I Will Wait at the top of our lungs!” It wasn’t long before Matt was dreaming up the perfect way to pop the question, and he hatched a plan with friends who lived in Brighton to meet in Lewes for lunch. “Our friend text to say she was ‘running late’, so Matt and I walked across a picturesque field,” Megan says. It just so happened to be the field that hosted the festival where the couple first connected. Megan continues, “It was a beautiful sunny day when he got down on one knee. Families watched and clapped from afar, before our friends arrived ready for a prosecco-filled lunch to celebrate!” The pair set the date for 8 th August, 2019, at Blake Hall in Ongar. We caught up with Megan to find out how they planned their perfect wedding… SETTING THE SCENE The couple fell for Blake Hall instantly, with its charming barns, idyllic gardens and on-site accommodation for the family. “It had a classy, rustic vibe,” Megan says. “Everything was perfect from the drive up through the magical gardens and the romantic swing to the option to get married outside. It totally surpassed our dream vision.” The venue inspired their rustic theme. “We used the brilliant florist Cherry Tree Way,” Megan tells us. “We wanted our flowers to be a celebration of late summer, with wild and naturally styled florals complementing the rustic setting.” Roses and dahlias in warm peach tones provided impact, while grasses and meadow-style flowers softened the venue and gave a welcoming feel. The barn was brimming with natural styling, textures and tones. On the tables were beautiful silver tea sets, which were borrowed from a close friend, and placed on wooden slices. The delicious three-tier Victoria sponge cake was in a rustic style. “Rachel’s Cake Boutique hand- picked berries to decorate it,” Megan says. “Just like the venue and flowers, the cake exceeded our expectations and was perfect for our theme.” We love it when a couple reflect themselves in their wedding, and that’s exactly what Megan and Matt did. “We named each table after an artist we’ve seen live,” Megan explains. “For our favours, we burned CDs of our favourite songs from these bands, as well as I Giorni by Ludovico Einaudi, which is the track I walked down the aisle to.” Waters Edge Catering provided a sumptuous three-course feast. “We started with a light summery 