SETTING THE SCENE Berkeley Castle was the first (and last) venue that the couple viewed. “We just knew the moment that we stepped into the Great Hall that it would be the fairytale backdrop to our special day,” they tell us. “It’s steeped in history, full of beautiful artefacts and boasts ancient stained-glass windows. Berkeley Castle has it all – while being grand and impressive, it still felt intimate and able to host a fun celebration. A big part of our decision to book the venue was the amazing wedding planner and manager, Pippa, who was lovely and put us at ease from the moment we first reached out - nothing was too much trouble and she made executing the perfect day look easy.” Rich and Tim chose to walk up the driveway to the venue handin-hand instead of being driven, as a symbol of equality, and care for the environment. “During our ceremony, the registrar got our names the wrong way round just as we were saying our vows and then quickly realised her mistake, which amused our loved ones!” they tell us. “It helped with our nerves, that’s for sure! The ceremony felt magical, there was a deep feeling of love from everybody who attended supporting and celebrating our relationship - neither of us have ever felt anything like it before. The coming together of our family and friends from across the world after the separation of lockdown was also extremely emotional and satisfying.” The wedding enjoyed a pastel colour theme. The table plan and table names were made using frosted-glass signage with white hand-drawn script lettering which provided a contemporary twist in the traditional setting. “Our place names were written on rusticstyle textured white card using an elegant font in black ink,” the couple describe. “We also placed a printed menu complete with wine pairings at each place setting, using the same elegant font. We named the tables after our top twelve favourite places from our travels together around the world.” For their flowers, the couple wanted an emphasis on sustainability over traditional floristry and the theme of bringing the outdoor forest inside the castle. “We had potted trees lining the ceremony aisle and down the sides of the dining hall mixed with ferns, wildflowers, and plenty of candles in glass lanterns which gave the Great Hall a magical, fairytale feel,” they tell us. “For our centrepieces, we wanted a rustic and country-inspired look, so, together with our florist and design team, we came up with a bespoke look consisting of wooden round tables, mix-and-match cut glassware, gold cutlery and small bohemian vases filled with pretty bunches of wildflower varieties from England and Australia. These were complemented by potted succulents which can be reused, rather than traditional large statement centrepieces, and allowed our guests to be able to chat over the low-level displays.” Rich and Tim’s cake featured Australian native flowers and King Protea all made from sugar paste. “It was a five-tier showstopper with grey marble frosting,” they tell us. “The flavours were chocolate ganache, white chocolate and raspberry.” LOOKING THE PART Rich and Tim wore matching silk-trimmed tuxedos from Giorgio Armani formalwear with Tim in black and Rich in navy. These were complemented by classic black patent leather Armani shoes, white wing collar dress shirts and bow ties, plus a pair of Tiffany & Co. cufflinks each which were a wedding gift from Rich’s dad. “Instead of having bridesmaids and groomsmen, we had a wedding party each, consisting of a best woman and two best men each, and we allowed the two wedding parties to wear outfits of their choosing,” they tell us. TIME TO ENTERTAIN Throughout their ceremony, drinks reception, and wedding breakfast, the couple had a live string quartet playing, firstly in the upper gallery at the top of the Great Hall and then in the pavilion by the lily pond “The hard work of our team of suppliers who made our special day a reality was much appreciated. We had an idea of how we wanted it to look and they made it happen.” – Rich and Tim 23 REAL WEDDINGS
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