Kayleigh and Tom met on Tinder six years ago. “I pulled out of our first date but then decided to take a chance and we quickly arranged another!” Kayleigh tells us. “We visited the BST Hyde Park to see Mumford & Sons and Wolf Alice perform which was fantastic, we had a great time and the rest is history! Tom is very outgoing and chatty whereas I’m a bit quieter so we balance each other perfectly.” The couple became engaged during a surprise proposal in Venice. “I’ve always wanted to go to Venice so we took the chance to visit just after the lockdown lifted,” Kayleigh tells us. “Apparently it had never been so quiet! We headed over to the island of Murano to enjoy lunch along the canal before taking in the view of the Venetian Lagoon. Tom nervously pulled a red heart-shaped vintage ring box from his pocket that he had been carrying all day and inside was his grandmother’s Welsh gold ring. I was stunned and said ‘yes’ as he breathed a sigh of relief - I can’t believe that I didn’t notice the box in his pocket all day!” SETTING THE SCENE The couple visited four venues before they viewed Matara. “We met the owner, Geoffrey who showed us around the Asian-inspired, exclusive-use venue and its vast gardens,” Kayleigh tells us. “As soon as we arrived, I welled up with tears and just knew that it was the place for us to get married, it was beautiful. Geoffrey has worked hard to make it a relaxing and peaceful environment with oriental influences from his travels. We loved the rose garden and wild meadows - we had wanted something a bit different and this venue offered it.” Kayleigh and the couple’s son stayed at the venue overnight and her bridal party arrived in the morning with breakfast and bubbles. “I managed to keep my emotions in check until we arrived at the ceremony where I had to take a moment before walking through the archway,” she tells us. “Our son took my hand and helped me down the steps. I wasn’t sure if he would have the courage to walk me down the aisle but he was the perfect little gentleman who was as excited as I was! We walked down to the song Baby It’s You by London Grammar. Tom and I had written our vows which added a personal and meaningful touch. We each chose a reading too with mine being an extract from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières while Tom chose A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. Hearing Tom say his vows was an emotional moment and our guests loved watching me pull out a hidden handkerchief from the bust of my dress!” The couple chose a natural theme using neutral colours with the flowers being the main focal point of their décor. “The area where our wedding breakfast was held has a beautiful dome in the centre and I knew that a flower cloud would look stunning suspended from it,” Kayleigh tells us. “I found a local florist, Emma from Thistle by Nature who understood the look that I was trying to achieve and her work was outstanding. I wanted a mix of dried flowers and grasses so that I could keep them afterwards. There are now several vases around our home displaying the flowers which is a wonderful reminder of our special day. Emma also created three meadow boxes that framed the ceremony beautifully in the courtyard.” For their tables, Kayleigh and Tom wanted to keep the design simple by draping fabric runners topped with a mix of candles and foliage running down the centre. “I chose the fabric from a local shop and spent a week making the table runners and the napkins with my mother-in-law-to-be,” Emma tells us. “It was wonderful to spend some quality time together and the result was better than we expected! Each table was named after our favourite places and each place name was attached to a menu.” 42
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