Your Hampshire & Dorset Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 76)

Froyle Park was perfect for our English countryside twisted fairytale theme. It felt really comfortable, we could choose all our own suppliers, have a free bar for everyone and my mum fell in love with it when she saw the peacocks in the garden. The church was right next door to Froyle Park so we were able to walk to the reception after the ceremony. The bridesmaids’ dresses were contrasting pastel shades to go with our bright colour scheme. “Sue from Bleu Bridal was incredible and even steamed all the dresses for us.” W hen former local beauty queen, TV presenter, model and all round glamour lover Karina Holmes decided to take the plunge she was determined to do it in style. She and long-term boyfriend Darren Morris first met in a Southampton nightclub and he soon won her over with his loveable cheeky charm. So much so, he took up residence while she was away filming her TV series Karina: Wild on Safari. “He took me to the airport and when I came home he’d moved in. He was the only boyfriend my dad ever welcomed into the family and he got his feet firmly under the table while I was gone,” she laughs. They were together for nine years and Darren had always been wary about proposing in case Karina said no. He finally plucked up the courage during a spur-of-the-moment trip to New York at Christmas time. “He popped the question at the top of the Rockefeller Centre and then went with me to buy the ring so we could choose it together in New York,” explains Karina. “My family were over the moon and said it was about time. My mum and sister were with us on the trip and I couldn’t believe they’d managed to keep it secret.” After a year of planning, they tied the knot at Hampshire’s Froyle Park country estate on 25 th May, 2019 and opted for a bright and funky twisted fairytale theme. Read on for Karina’s account of their magical wedding... I knew I was going to have an extreme dress as I was looking for something a bit quirky with an edge to it. I had a pink glittery cape made to go with it, which shimmered in the sunshine. Darren wore black and had his suit handmade as he wanted something different.