Your East Midlands Wedding - Dec/Jan 2019 (Issue 35)

REAL WEDDINGS 33  B ill and Becky’s adventure started when they first met at University and from there, the connection grew between the two over games of pool. Becky says, “We found each other to be genuine and we share a lot of the same values. We both like to have our interests and take that time for ourselves but we also make a great team.” Their love blossomed into not only a great relationship but also a beautiful friendship that left Bill ready to ask that all-important question. He hired the Knoll Tower at Western Park for a weekend to give Becky a huge surprise that the couple would always remember. Becky comments, “He had spent the day preparing the place, laying out candles and roses and even cooked a fancy meal. To top things off we practically had the park to ourselves because it was November and it was closed to the public, he got down on one knee when we arrived and it was a complete surprise.” SETTING THE SCENE The choice of venue for the ceremony was an easy pick for the pair as they decided to go for All Saints Church in Sapcote where Becky attended during her childhood. For their reception they went for Beaumanor Hall, Woodhouse, because of the incredible grounds and good amount of space inside and beautiful grand staircase. Becky says, “The venue was very flexible to meet our requirements, unlike some venues which we found to be quite rigid in format. The staff were very helpful throughout and things were calm on the day resulting in everything going smoothly.” The lovebirds settled on a colour theme of white and green to keep everything classic and incorporated that into the centrepieces by adding artificial foliage with roses centred around a lantern with scattered candles. There were also small buckets of mints before and after the meal if people were peckish. Becky says, “We loved our place names as we hadn’t seen anything like them before – they were white clay circles with the names stamped in and looked very effective. Unexpectedly, as the night went on, people used these as name badges to help mingle with other guests which was quite funny.” The tables themselves reflected the number of years the couple has shared and each one had a number and a photo of the pair from that year.  Other decoration included chair covers with grey hessian and linen-type sashes with matching table runners and flowers which included roses and peonies for an elegant look.  Catering was provided by the venue with a wide range of choices to pick from and the couple selected a three- course meal for the wedding breakfast and in the evening had cheese and biscuits.  The traditional white three-tier cake had taste buds dancing with its textured icing and fresh green foliage around each layer. There was also a separate fruitcake and gluten-free cake for those who preferred it. The