Your East Midlands Wedding - Apr/May (Issue 31)

REAL WEDDINGS 31  E mma and Tom first met at secondary school and started dating when they were just 17-years-old. “At that age our first date wasn’t extravagant. We enjoyed a casual Italian meal together. It went really well but there was a touch of embarrassment on Tom’s part when the first people we saw were family friends of his parents,” says Emma. Years later the duo was on holiday in Portpatrick in Scotland when Tom surprised Emma. “We’ve had many happy holidays here over the years, so it was really special that he proposed there. We went for a walk and had just enjoyed a lovely meal out when he asked me. I thought he was joking – it was a complete surprise,” she says. “Even though Tom knew I wanted to get married it wasn’t something we talked about much as we were happy as we were. This was the cherry on top!” A BIG PARTY Emma cracked on with the planning and 12 months later the big day arrived. “The easiest thing to organise was the venue. We both wanted to get married in a church and the paddock for our marquee suited the style of our day perfectly,” she says. “The view was sublime, and our marquee had a completely clear wall on one side so we could enjoy the surroundings all day,” she says. “Not being in an official venue was great for us too as we could decide and control everything including numbers and suppliers. We basically organised a really big party!” DRESS TO IMPRESS When it came to finding the perfect dress, Emma enjoyed each moment. “My mum and I went to a couple of boutiques on different days so we didn’t have to rush,” she says. “I wanted something quite simple and fitted with a little sparkle. During the ceremony I wore a beautiful lace jacket and later when I took that off I added a belt to create a second look,” she says. She wore her hair down in waves and kept her make-up natural but with a bold lip colour. Emma’s sisters Imogen and Alex and best friends Trish and Alex were bridesmaids. “I chose dresses in the same material but two different styles to suit their figures. They all looked gorgeous.” Wearing a suit most days for work, Tom decided to wear navy tails so he felt different. He accessorised with a sage-green patterned tie and pocket square. His brother Lewis was best man, and friends Matt, Phil, Luke and Will were ushers. They all wore the same suits but with plain accessories. “He’s not a great fan of shopping so it was never going to be the most exciting part of the planning for him but he organised a day for the fitting, which also involved beer, rugby and a curry!” THE CHERRY ON TOP A gorgeous paddock set the scene for Emma and Tom’s special day Images courtesy of Shoot it Momma Photography

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