Your Sussex Wedding - Page number 29 - August/September 2021 (Issue 92)

T he spark between Charlotte and Josh was clear from the moment they met and it was obvious to friends looking on that they were witnessing love at first sight. Five years on, and by that time a couple, they’d quit their jobs to go travelling for seven months. Charlotte was quizzed before she left about whether Josh might propose, but she was adamant he wouldn’t. Sri Lanka was the first stop on their travels and whilst there they made sure to visit a restaurant recommended by a friend. Charlotte tells us, “We’d just ordered cocktails when Josh asked me to come down to the sea with him, and it was there by the water’s edge that he got down on one knee and said: ‘before we left, I asked your dad a question...’ I immediately started crying, but when I was eventually able to speak, my answer was ‘yes.’” The best thing about Josh’s timing was that it meant the pair were able to spend the next few months in their own little newly-engaged bubble as they completed their travels. Charlotte says, “We celebrated with family and friends when we got home and it felt like we’d got engaged all over again!” In their perfect wedding venue, the pair were looking for somewhere intimate where they could host everything in one place, and fell in love with Southend Barns. So, the date was set for 17 th April, 2020. But just one month beforehand, the unthinkable happened as the nation was plunged into the first Covid lockdown. “I’m pretty sure we could fill the entirety of Your Sussex Wedding with tales of our changed plans. By the time the actual day arrived, we were on something like plan 10,” Charlotte says. Over the course of the summer the guest list was downsized from 120 guests to 30, then to 15. Despite toying with the idea of postponing further, the couple were keen to start a family and as no one knew how long restrictions would continue, they decided to get married in October and make the most of it. Here, Charlotte tells us more about their wonderful wedding day... SETTING THE SCENE By their own admission Charlotte and Josh went all out on their venue styling. And why not? The bride explains, “There were only 19 of us, so we wanted the barn to feel intimate. I was blown away when I saw it for the fist time. It was more beautiful than I’d imagined.” Keen to incorporate the memory of her late mum into the day Charlotte selected orange for the flowers, as well as the gentlemen’s accessories since this was her favourite colour. Given the move to an autumnal wedding date, this actually worked brilliantly as a seasonal palette. The centrepieces were garlands by The Floral Artisan and To Have and To Hire embellished the tables with some fab theme-fitting finishing touches. Charlotte adds, “Our florist went above and beyond our expectations. The fact that she pulled it all together within a matter of days, in the face of continued uncertainty over restrictions, was incredible.” The couple gifted their guests super-fun hangover kits as wedding favours. These included coffee sachets, tea bags, Kit “In the end, we wouldn’t have changed our day. It was intimate and special. I’m now a huge advocate of small weddings, ours helped us to see what’s most important.” REAL WEDDINGS 29