The food and wine were really important to the couple. “We both love cooking and going out for dinner and I spent 10 years working for Laithwaites, the wine company so we sourced and paired the wine ourselves opting for a Portuguese red variety and a delightful Picpoul de Pinet. The food by the kitchen team at Matara was outstanding and all of the produce was locally sourced and organic. Our guests had three choices of scallops, arancini balls and ginger panna cotta.” Kayleigh and Tom chose a three-tier wedding cake. “Two of the tiers had a light coconut sponge with a zesty lime buttercream,” Kayleigh tells us. “Our son chose the chocolate middle tier and the result tasted delicious.” LOOKING THE PART Kayleigh chose a strapless dress with a soft lining and an ivory lace overlay by the designer Justin Alexander. “It was similar to the Berta designer wedding dresses I had been lusting over and my bridesmaids loved it!” Kayleigh explains. “It was being discontinued the following month and we were also going back into lockdown so I made a quick decision to purchase it. I also purchased a mini shift dress decorated with sequins that I could change into for the evening and can wear to parties in the future.” Kayleigh wore a gold chain necklace and Tom gifted her a pair of pearl earrings which she opened on the day of her wedding. “My shoes were cream strappy stilettos by the designer Jimmy Choo which I wore around the house for weeks before the big day to break them in which I would recommend to any bride!” Kayleigh had been growing her hair for a year leading up to the wedding so that she could wear it up with a cathedral-length veil but because she had chosen a strapless dress, she decided at the last minute to have it cut into a bob. “I wore it down and wavy which I felt was a reflection of me and which suited our laid-back summer wedding theme,” she tells us. Tom wore a pale-green suit with a natural-coloured waistcoat featuring mother-of-pearl buttons and a silk lining. “Our son wore the same suit with a similar colour waistcoat and they looked very handsome together!” Kayleigh says. “Tom’s handmade English shoes added the final finishing touch. I wanted the groomsmen to wear a contrasting suit to Tom’s so we decided on the same style in grey with neutral-coloured waistcoats. I wanted to ensure that the groomsmen had a suit they could wear again in future.” The couple’s two bridesmaids, Susie and Rhian and their maid-of-honour, Rachel choose dresses that they loved in the chosen colour theme. “The result was gorgeous, each one looked stunning and the colours worked perfectly,” Kayleigh says. TIME TO ENTERTAIN The couple had three DJ sets throughout the day to entertain their guests. “The first set was played before the ceremony, the second one was after the ceremony during the welcome drinks in the garden and the final set was played during the evening,” Kayleigh says. “We made sure that the music in the evening suited everyone but the last hour focussed on house music. It was such a special moment being able to dance with our loved ones after a tough year of lockdowns.” The couple welcomed children at their wedding with bubbles, colouring books and toys to keep them entertained. “Our son is a keen footballer so we made sure that football was available!” Kayleigh says. REAL WEDDINGS 43
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