ENCHANTED DAY An Amy and Julian’s September celebration enjoyed the beautiful backdrop of The Olde Bell in Hurley, Berkshire Images courtesy of Stone Photos Amy and Julian first crossed paths at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town back in 2014. “My halls of residence hosted an 80s-themed dance where each student had to bring a date,” Amy tells us. “I invited Julian, who was a close friend of my brother and who had offered to show me around when I first viewed the university and the rest, as they say, is history.” Julian proposed in August 2019, just outside Split in Croatia. “We visited a quaint village where Julian asked me to marry him at sunset, overlooking the ocean,” Amy says. The couple were legally married in a civil ceremony in February 2020, with the plan to have a large wedding celebration in South Africa a few months later. “We could never have predicted a global lockdown, so our celebration in South Africa never happened,” Amy explains. “Although we were officially married, we never had the chance to share that moment with our friends and family, so we hosted a five-year wedding celebration in the UK. Each year of marriage has a traditional material, and the fifth year is wood. When we saw The Olde Bell’s barn with its beautiful wooden beams, it felt like the perfect symbol of five years of marriage - and the ideal place to finally celebrate with everyone we love.” One piece of advice that the couple’s married friends gave them was to have a close friend or relation to act as their celebrant - someone who truly knows them and their relationship. “This ended up being one of the best decisions we made,” Amy tells us. “Having one of our closest friends lead our ceremony and vow renewal made the moment incredibly personal, meaningful, and memorable. It felt intimate and genuine, and it was a highlight not only for us, but for everyone who was there.” The couple’s theme was bringing the outdoors in with colour, greenery, flowers, candles and lanterns, creating a wonderful ambience and atmosphere. “We set two long banquette tables dressed with cascading greenery, soft white flowers, glowing lanterns and candles running the entire length of the tables,” Amy tells us. “It looked exactly like the enchanted setting that we both wanted to achieve.” The team at The Olde Bell did a wonderful job with the catering. “We had canapés to start, followed by a delicious three-course wedding breakfast,” Amy tells us. “During the evening, our guests enjoyed egg and bacon butties.” Amy wore a dress by House of Savin purchased from White Lace & Butterflies Bridal Boutique in Great Missenden, South Buckinghamshire. “I knew from the start that I didn’t want to wear white because it was our five-year wedding celebration, so I wanted something that reflected that,” Amy tells us. “After visiting multiple bridal boutiques and not finding anything that felt right, my best friends discovered White Lace & Butterflies Bridal Boutique. As soon as I saw their House of Savin collection, I had a good feeling, so I secured a last-minute appointment and instantly gravitated towards one dress. The moment I tried it on, we all knew it was the one!” Julian looked great in a black double-breasted tuxedo, and the bridal party wore what they wanted. “We wanted them to feel comfortable and enjoy the party as our closest and best people!” To entertain their guests, Amy and Julian had an open bar and a great DJ. “We had guests who had travelled from across the world, as far as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the USA to be there to celebrate with us, so we wanted to ensure they had the best time,” Amy tells us. “It was important for us to have a great party with good music!” REAL WEDDINGS 25
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