as spring is our favourite season,” Vicki explains. FOOD FOR THOUGHT The groom made the cakes as he wanted to ensure there was a personal touch in the catering. After plenty of practice, there were two types. The first was a Middle Eastern inspired lemon and labneh cake with mascarpone icing, meringue kisses and burnt lemon powder. The other was one for the chocoholics, a double chocolate cake with the bride's homemade marmalade and chocolate orange icing. Pickers Catering provided food for the Friday night, as well as Saturday’s wedding breakfast and the evening feast. The delicious wedding breakfast had a North African theme with sharing platters for the starter and main course, plus highlights including giant couscous, Zatar spiced chicken, and rose and ginger Pavlova. “Suzy and Guy were the perfect choice as they embodied the informal approach we were hoping for, and in taking the time to get to know us delivered food with our personal story,” Vicki remembers. PRÊT-À-PORTER The beautiful bride wore Palmer by Rime Arodaky. “I’d been particularly keen on the French designer for the classic silhouette and purchased the dress preloved from a private seller,” she says. She had it altered by Rose Savage who came very highly recommended. “She was kind, talented and filled me with confidence,” we’re told. Vicki’s hair and make-up was done by Leanna Biggs who also looked after her four bridesmaids and mother. “She was a true star creating amazing, natural-looking flattering designs as well as fostering a lovely relaxed atmosphere as we were getting ready,” Vicki shares. “This all created a truly memorable morning among best friends.” As Steve isn’t one to be the centre of attention or to stand out he wore a two-piece navy suit and a pink tie – a stylish yet understated look. He asked his groomsmen to wear the same colours in whatever way they felt comfortable, but he ensured the key details of socks, pocket squares and ties were matching. Similarly, Vicki asked her bridesmaids to choose their own dresses, with the specific request that it would be something they’d wear again. The bride suggested block colour and below the knee but later realised that this was quite tricky for them as there was so much choice. “They all looked absolutely beautiful though and hopefully felt the effort was worth it,” she says. ANYONE FOR TENNIS? During the day guests were encouraged to use the venue’s facilities, and there was croquet, tennis, swimming, snooker and rooftop golf all available to them, offering a great way to get guests to mingle and make new pals! Vicki remembers: “Two guests were still playing tennis 20 minutes before the ceremony before running off for an impressively quick change into their formalwear!” Immediately after the wedding breakfast, the newlyweds hosted a cocktail hour. The bride’s cocktail was a white sangria, and the groom’s was an espresso Martini. Having successfully set the tone for the night, DJ Nigel Pierce kicked off the musical entertainment and dancing went on until late. MR BLUE SKY “We felt incredibly blessed by the amazing weather,” Vicki says. “The sunny, beautiful day was more than we even dared hope for on an April day.” The bride even managed to get in a set of tennis with her tennis club friends, and we understand Steve has some impressive drone shots of his golf shots from the roof of North Cadbury Court! “Neither of us braved the lake but plenty of our guests were seen taking a dip!” the bride confides. The couple were legally wed prior to the celebrations at North Cadbury Court, which meant they were able to have a close friend as their celebrant. In fact, many guests failed to realise she wasn’t a professional. “She expertly balanced emphasising the gravity of marriage, our earnest romantic stories, and humour. If you’re not committed to a religious ceremony a celebrant is worth considering. This was the perfect start to our day,” Vicky tells us. HONEYMOON HOTSPOTS Straight after the wedding the newlyweds spent a couple of nights at The Newt in Somerset, and two months later went to Sri Lanka for two weeks. The honeymoon included a week of exploring including a food tour in Colombo, whale watching in Trincomalee and leopard spotting in Yala. This was followed by a week relaxing on the beach in Pasikuda. “We loved the food, culture and nature Sri Lanka had to offer and would definitely recommend the country to anyone considering a trip,” the bride concludes. REAL WEDDINGS 39
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