LOOKING THE PART “My dress wasn’t what I expected to pick at all,” recalls Gemma. “However, with the guidance of the talented stylists at Confetti & Lace, I knew from the minute I put it on it was the one. My mum and dad had watched Say Yes to the Dress and encouraged me to go to Confetti & Lace as they’d seen them work their magic!” The bride’s gown was Snowball by Dando, Gemma loved it and, after a few alterations, felt comfortable and unusually girly, like a princess all day. “I accessorised it with a tiara, and an earring and necklace set that Ben had given to me as a birthday gift in the first year of us being together.” Ben always knew he wanted a navy suit so his choice was relatively easy. “The blue/grey ties and pocket squares complemented the suits and matched perfectly with the bridesmaids’ dresses thanks to Victoria’s Bridal Boutique,” shares Gemma. “Ben had a grey waistcoat which complemented the suit and ties well, and to make him standout from the other groomsmen who were in navy three-piece suits with matching ties and pocket squares.” Gemma really wanted bridesmaid dresses in a grey/blue colour which they thought would be flattering and look lovely for a summer wedding. “I didn’t initially realise that finding dresses in your ideal colour could be tricky to find,” recalls Gemma. “However, with help I found the perfect dresses at Victoria’s Bridal Boutique. I wanted my bridesmaids to be comfortable, so I left the style choice to them, and they went for a V-neck fitted top that went into loose chiffon from the waist down, nice and light for a summer wedding, both my bridesmaids looked stunning.” LET’S CELEBRATE To entertain their loved ones on the day, Gemma and Ben opted to have a live singer/guitarist to welcome guests, play during the ceremony, and during the drinks reception. “This we felt gave a more personal touch,” shares Gemma. “We picked the very talented Rob from Tailored Entertainment who was excellent, and our guests all seemed to love the addition of live music.” The couple also decided to have a photo booth which was used constantly by guests throughout the evening. “It really created some hilarious memories of the night. Photo Chic Photo Booths were brilliant, and sent copies of the photos to us within 24 hours, giving everyone a laugh flicking through the photos the next day.” In the evening Winters Barns’ recommended DJ, Harry from The Wedding Chaps kept the party going. “He was excellent!” adds Gemma. “His planning prior to the day was brilliant with an extensive questionnaire to form a list of favourites, must include, and definitely don’t play songs for the evening giving us and our guests a fabulous night − the dancefloor was never empty. He even took an end of the night photo which was a lovely memory.” MAKING MEMORIES “The whole day was perfect. We were both relaxed and enjoyed the day celebrating with friends and family. There wasn’t a moment when the two of us weren’t smiling or laughing,” remembers Gemma of the day. “We couldn’t possibly pick one standout moment as the whole day was perfect and we wouldn’t have wanted to change a thing. We just wish it hadn’t gone so quickly, and that we could repeat it all over again in slow motion!” There are too many people that went above and beyond to make their day special but a particular thanks went to the couple’s parents who made the whole thing possible. “Our wedding coordinator from Winters Barns, Sally, ensured the smooth running of the day, the caterers at Scott Anderson Caterers went the extra mile so that we were well looked after, and Nick, from Parkershots, made us feel incredibly relaxed and took the most amazing, natural photos, creating memories of our perfect day.” 47 REAL WEDDINGS
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