Your East Anglian Wedding - April/May 2021 (Issue 48)

REAL WEDDINGS 39 To reflect his family background, Richard and most of the groomsmen wore their own kilts along with matching grey jackets and socks. The bridesmaids complemented the wedding colours in lilac multiway dresses that they could style to suit them. Family friends Janet Sayer and Angie Twaite created the wonderful floral displays and bouquets, inspired by the renowned florist Constance Spry in keeping with her design philosophy to ‘leave room for the butterflies’. “When Janet told me this I just loved it,” recalls Steffi. “I wanted my bouquet to have that just-picked-from- the-meadow look and it was exactly what I asked for.” In a nod to Richard’s Scottish roots the flowers and buttonholes were all tied with Black Watch tartan ribbon. THE 'I DOS' The venue provided the ideal setting for the romantic ceremony. “We had dried petals lining the aisle, my mum made the chair decorations and our celebrant helped us to personalise our vows,” says Steffi. Afterwards they toasted their new married status with drinks and canapés, including a special plate all of their own. As everyone mixed and mingled, artist Jo Want created a buzz doing guests’ portraits. “She was a big hit and we wish we’d booked her for longer as lots of people wanted to have theirs done. Everyone loved her pictures and they were a nice memento for them to take home,” adds Steffi. “We were extremely fortunate to have such amazing people to help make our day so special.” THE PERSONAL TOUCHES Decorative details included fairylights adorning the venue with uplighters in the main hall to highlight the stunning brickwork. They had a simple noticeboard-style table plan to complement the wedding stationery. The tables were scattered with dried wildflower petals and the centrepieces were flower-filled white enamel jugs tied with tartan ribbon on rustic wood slices. Richard’s brother David made their cake including two layers of lemon sponge topped with a rainbow- coloured vanilla tier, decorated with wildflowers to match the centrepieces and bouquets. “We bought a bamboo cake stand engraved with our names and wedding date to display it on,” adds Steffi. “We also hired decorations including the lanterns for the aisle which we reused around the venue and outside in the evening.” The three-course wedding breakfast provided a delicious array of dishes with a selection of tasty starters, followed by loin of lamb or grilled sea bass with a vegan option too for the main course and a choice of tempting desserts. TIME TO CELEBRATE At the end of the night everyone kicked up their heels and danced to celdih band Stumpy Oak. “They did two sets which were incredible and they also provided the DJ for the remainder of the evening,” says Steffi. “Everyone present on the day had a part to play in making it extra special and we can’t thank them enough!”