Your Herts and Beds Wedding - April/May 2020 (Issue 79)

REAL WEDDINGS 25  J ames discovered Emily online and sent her a message, which initially followed with awkward conversations back and forth. Emily says, “We finally agreed to meet and James picked me up in his mum’s car, which was filled to the brim with rubbish for the dump. We headed to the local ice skating rink where James proceeded to put the skates on the wrong feet. It’s a cliché but I knew then that he was the one, and several dates past and he made things official.” Four and a half years later, James asked for Emily’s hand in marriage. She says, “I was having a cup of tea at my mum’s house when the doorbell rang. With mum ‘pre-occupied’, I answered to find James on the doorstep holding signs reminiscent of those from a  Love Actually  scene. For once, I was speechless! Of course, I said ‘yes’ and after popping some champagne, we went out for a meal to celebrate.” SETTING THE SCENE When it came to finding the perfect venue, the couple knew Micklefield Hall was a great space for their special day due to the characterful barn and stunning grounds. Plus, the church was only 15 minutes away. The venue recommended a florist, called Andrew Fleming. Emily says, “We were thrilled with the outcome; his gorgeous, autumnal arrangements of astilbe, thistles, roses, skimmia, dahlias, thlaspi and eucalyptus were exactly what we’d hoped for!” The centrepiece included a hand-tied arrangement in a sweetie jar that was placed on a log slice, which was adorned with tea lights. The invitations, order-of-service, table plan, place cards and place names were all designed and printed by the couple’s good friend. Emily says, “We kept them simple with black font on a white background and images of eucalyptus.” Figs and blackberries were used to decorate the three-tiered semi-naked cake. The wedding breakfast included tomato soup, beef pie and sticky toffee pudding – perfect for an October wedding. Throughout the day and after, many guests commented on how delicious and well-presented all the food was. Emily says, “After the magical first dance, Soho Gourmet cooked pizzas from an oven in the back of an old MINI Cooper. For those not wanting to leave the dancefloor, Kalm Kitchen served up bacon rolls back in the barn.” LOOKING THE PART After multiple hours of searching for the perfect gown online and in-store, Emily decided on an ivory