Your Cheshire and Merseyside Wedding - Page number 21 - November/December 2021 (Issue 59)

L aura and Neil met through mutual friends and from the moment they started chatting it was clear they had a lot in common – it even turned out that they’d actually been living around the corner from each other for the past two-and-a- half years. Neil won Laura over with his cooking and prepared her a chicken pesto pasta dish on one of their first dates. “We don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t made me that meal,” Laura laughs. The couple headed to New York to celebrate Laura’s 30 th birthday and went to watch the sun rise over the Brooklyn Bridge on the first morning there. Laura remembers, “It seemed to take forever thanks to all of the high-rise buildings.” But when it eventually peaked out from behind the skyscrapers Neil got down on one knee and presented her with the engagement ring. “It was a huge surprise! We were expecting our first child that August and were about to move house, so I’d thought a wedding would have to wait,” Laura shares. It was love at first sight when the pair visited Abbeywood Estate. “The gardens are breathtakingly beautiful – the perfect setting for a summer wedding,” Laura explains. The venue had to close during lockdown, but its gardens could remain open, and they made the most of them by going for walks with their new daughter. So, by the time the wedding date came round, they felt a real affinity with the place. Here, bride Laura shares her memories of the big day... SETTING THE SCENE Laura and Neil opted to style their day in a romantic and relaxed way, using a palette of dusky pink and grey, accented with eucalyptus and plenty of greenery. This was beautifully brought to life through the floral arrangements. A flower arch adorned the church entrance, with two dramatic pedestals bearing blooms flanking the aisle. At the reception venue, grey chiffon runners were draped along the centre of the tables and glass candle sticks holding tall dusky rose candles sat on top, with eucalyptus and roses carefully wrapped around the bases. The table plan was created in a white canvas with eucalyptus detailing around the edges and the place names were designed to match. As wedding favours, guests were gifted super-cute packets of seeds, which were labelled “let love grow.” Laura’s mum made the big-day bake and decorated it in silver grey ribbon to complement the theme. “After months of tasting and practising, she definitely pulled it off,” the bride tells us. It was completed with more beautiful blooms provided by their florist. The venue took on a wonderfully romantic ambience in the evening as lanterns lit the REAL WEDDINGS 21