Sam and Michaela first met on Plenty of Fish, a popular dating app, and set off for their first date after messaging back and forth. Michaela says, “The conversation flowed effortlessly, and I was instantly attracted to his looks, ambition and selflessness.” The pair realised they’d found the one at a three-day horse show, which Michaela was competing in. After the first two days of the event, she had fallen off twice and felt upset about her performance. But Sam inspired her to stay for the qualifying round, and she ended up winning thanks to his support. From that moment on, the pair knew they’d met their perfect match. Every year around Christmas time, the couple visits Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, London Olympia Horse Show, and finishes some last-minute shopping. But Sam planned something extra special on this trip. Michaela comments, “We were with friends and saw a horse and carriage outside, which looked like something out of a movie. Our friends encouraged us to take a photo with the two white horses, and we posed for the photo. Sam suddenly dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him – I couldn’t control my emotions and cried with sheer happiness.” Of course the bride said yes, and the pair travelled in the horse and carriage through Covent Garden until they arrived at Dirty Martinis, where loved ones were waiting to celebrate. The couple set the wedding date for the 1st August 2021 and wanted to create a relaxed day where friends and family could come together to celebrate. SETTING THE SCENE Situated in Northamptonshire, Rushton Hall Hotel is a beautiful venue with many historical spaces for lovebirds to explore. What location would be better for Sam and Michaela’s special day? The bride says, “I had visited the property numerous times before and had always said it was my dream to tie the knot there. I never thought it would be possible, but my mum encouraged us to get a brochure, and the venue was within our budget!” The lovebirds didn’t want to take away from the venue’s beautiful spaces, especially in The Orangery, and kept all venue styling simple. They opted for a vintage mirror in a champagne-coloured frame for the table plan, and each table was labelled with a number to help guests find their seats. The favours were elegantly displayed in marblepatterned boxes with names written in calligraphy to doubled up as place names. Inside, guests found grey and white personalised M&M’S and some love hearts. The pair sent menu options to guests before the wedding to help them decide what they wanted to eat. They then had A5 cards created with each person’s food options to help the staff serve the food without any confusion. REAL WEDDINGS 29
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