A wedding full of MAGIC AND MISCHIEF Rebecca and James levelled up their Hampshire celebration with fun and personalised details Images courtesy of Captured Moments by Jennifer Lou These lovebirds met online through Match. Rebecca is from the West Midlands and James from Hampshire. After only a short time talking and meeting in person, they knew there was a connection. Weekends together became routine until Covid restrictions limited travel. They navigated a difficult year of mostly online meetings and outdoor visits. When things returned to normal, Rebecca handed in her notice and moved to Hampshire. James proposed on what seemed like a normal weekday. “We had both just finished work and I was getting ready for a casual date night,” says Rebecca. “While I was getting ready, James hid the ring on my vanity. He had handmade the ring box, carefully machining and carving the wood, adding metal hinges and engraving the words ‘Can I keep you?’ on the lid. Inside was a dream-worthy emerald set ring.” SETTING THE SCENE After the excitement, Rebecca began looking at venues, but it was James who found the perfect one online during a work break. Bouton Hall combined their shared love of historical buildings and was almost exactly halfway between James’ family in Hampshire and Rebecca’s in the West Midlands. It blended National Trust–style history and beautiful architecture, while fulfilling Rebecca’s dream of feeling like a princess in a Bridgerton-style estate. The theme included subtle nerdy references for close friends and family, reflecting their love of gaming, science fiction, fantasy films and D&D. The colour palette was led by plum, a shade that suited their soon-to-be joint surname, and emerald for multiple meaningful reasons: Rebecca’s birthstone, James’ favourite gemstone and a nod to the engagement ring. Complementary colours were added to enhance these shades for a summer wedding. Rebecca, a keen crafter, spent time mood-boarding and creating personalised pieces for the venue, guiding the choice of vendors. The wedding breakfast centrepieces featured classic lanterns personalised with names and table numbers, surrounded by faux flower wreaths crafted by Rebecca. Subtle touches included mini sword hairpins, D&D dice and coloured gel in science beakers resembling gaming-inspired potions. Fallout-themed elements were added with reusable bottle tops and Nuka-Cola labels. Rebecca used a Cricut machine to create personalised name cards, which James later sealed with a custom wax stamp. These were also used on save-the-date cards and invitations. Welcome signs were framed and personalised, featuring Black Country slang and whimsical messages. Rebecca’s father made a wooden welcome sign, painted and framed with flowers. The florist worked with summerappropriate shades of plum and emerald to create a stunning display on the main staircase. “We wanted the house to feel full of colour and fun,” says Rebecca. The ceremony room was soft and calming, with cascading table arrangements and decorated aisle chairs with white blossom trees that completed the look. Children (and some adults) received personalised activity packs with Disney sticker activities, mini toys, puzzles, bubbles and a special colouring book. Rebecca’s tattoo-artist best friend created Disney-inspired pages, which Rebecca turned into a full weddingthemed book with personalised games. The final page depicted James and Rebecca in wedding attire with top nerdy references. TO DINE FOR Guests were greeted with canapés including salt and pepper squid, spring rolls, Black Forest gâteau and apple custard crumble, accompanied by Pimm’s and Thatcher’s cider on the lawn - perfect for the hottest day of the year. The wedding breakfast included roast garlic and tomato bruschetta or pimento and pea risotto to start, followed by roast sirloin of British beef or Portobello mushroom en croûte. Desserts were apple and sultana tart or sticky toffee pudding, with red, white and rosé wines. Children had veggie dippers, chicken nuggets, chips and ice cream sundaes. Evening food reflected their West Midlands roots. “Being from the West Midlands, fish and chips are a staple of our upbringing, so we treated everyone to a proper chippy-style supper,” says REAL WEDDINGS 29
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