Your Kent Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 76)

Our tables were long and narrow, so we chose a selection of rope-handled jars filled with gypsophila and single-stem vases of pink variegated spray carnations to run down the centre. These arrangements sat on hessian table runners and were interspersed with tea lights As a nod to my maiden name, Taylor, we had mini bottles of Taylor’s Port as our favours. These were accompanied by bags of chocolate seashells to complement the seaside venue. We made thank you tags to match the nautical stripes running through the stationery My bridesmaids wore full-length teal dresses, with embellished tops, which looked absolutely lovely. We had so many compliments on them. The groom and groomsmen wore light blue suits paired with tartan waistcoats, also made by Mum. We chose these as a nod to our Scottish heritage instead of kilts, which didn’t fit in with our venue or theme! The groom stood out because his buttonhole was more distinctive with a larger flower. My mum made my wedding dress. We worked on it together over the 12 months leading up to the big day, although she did most of the work! I tried on a few different styles at a wedding fair, and we decided on our own pattern from there, which meant it could be exactly as I wanted. It was perfect and showed off all the hours of hard graft that went into it. K atrina and James first got chatting at their university’s badminton club. Serendipity soon struck, as they bumped into each other on a night out the following day. They hit the karaoke with their rendition of Train’s Drops of Jupiter , a song that later became their first dance track. James proposed while the pair were visiting the Christmas markets in Tallinn. Katrina says: “We were at the top of a tower around the city wall. I was looking out of a window and turned around to find James on one knee!” The bride is from Devon, so she found the idea of a beach venue really appealing. Whitstable, being a favourite spot with the couple as well as being close to where they live, seemed ideal. “When we came across East Quay, we thought it was perfect,” Katrina explains. “The location is amazing, and the venue gave us flexibility to do exactly what we wanted in terms of decoration, catering and use of the space.” Here we find out more about the big day with the bride… I wore a veil, which I made with a lace trim to match the dress. It was attached to a pearl and diamanté hairpiece. I also had beautifully embellished bridal wedges, which were perfect for walking on the pebbles on the beach. 48