Emily and Dan had already been friends for a number of years before they found their relationship developing into something much more. “Our first date was different to any we’d been on before as we already knew so much about each other. We have so much in common, but also complement each other’s differences,” Emily tells us. Dan proposed to Emily while on holiday in Jamaica. On their third day there, Dan told Emily that he’d booked a bird nest at Ivan’s Bar & Restaurant to watch the sunset with some drinks. “He's super-thoughtful and listens a lot when I’m dropping hints or mention places I’d like to try, so I thought nothing more of it,” Emily remembers. Dan got down on one knee just as the sun was setting with the sea glowing pink. Without Emily suspecting a thing, he’d been to London several times to design and pick up her engagement ring, and had even arranged to meet her dad to ask for her hand in marriage, all so he could be prepared for this perfect moment. “It was honestly perfect,” Emily shares. As a couple, Emily and Dan have been fortunate enough to attend many weddings as guests, and in Emily’s case, as a bridesmaid. So, they had a clear idea of what they did and didn’t want when it came to the venue. “We knew we wanted a space with some character, plenty of room to party and a bar in the same room as the dancefloor. We weren’t going for a church service, so we also needed a nice space for the ceremony on site too,” the bride explains. They’d heard about Cooling Castle Barn and when they went to visit knew it was for them right away. Read on as Emily tells us more... “WE DO” For the newlyweds, their ceremony is something they’ll never forget. Emily tells us, “The first glimpse of each other at opposite ends of the aisle was a standout moment for me. We also loved being able to face our guests during the ceremony, rather than having our backs to them. We also got to share 10 or 15 minutes alone together straight after the ceremony, seeing how “Our God children did a beautiful reading during the ceremony, and we wrote our own vows, which was deeply meaningful for us.” 40
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=