to create these, as well as the invitations, table plan cards, wedding welcome signs and timeline. “All of our stationery had the same theme: the black border with a mixture of italics and capitalised words, then our initials at the top. Each time a draft was sent Jasmine exceeded our expectations and created absolute perfection,” Tasia says. Flowers seemed to have fallen by the wayside amongst the rest of the planning and the couple didn’t actually have a florist until four months before the wedding when Cathy and Paul from Sussex Roses came to the rescue. The bride remembers, “They were fantastic to work with and they knew exactly what we had in mind. We aren’t big flower people and just wanted dark foliage for the centrepieces, signage and photo hoop, with gypsophila for each guest’s card on the table plan as well as the bouquets.” They decided on a minimalist approach for the centrepieces, which featured black candlesticks with electric taper candles, dark green foliage, silver tea light holders and real pinecones. Despite having a traditional wedding the duo knew they didn’t want a traditional wedding cake. Happily they found the amazing Carrie at Caritas Cake Design and fell in love with her work. After sharing their vision with her, she was as excited about the cake as they were and it turned out even more incredible than Tasia could ever have imagined. “More importantly, it was the best cake we’ve ever eaten,” she says. It had five tiers, which included lemon cake, red velvet and chocolate fudge cake filled with salted caramel butter cream and a caramel drizzle. There was also a dummy tier enrobed in Belgian chocolate ganache. In keeping with the traditional and sophisticated theme Tasia and Daniel opted for the classic wedding car. They found Brooklands Wedding Cars online and they made everything so easy, which was very much appreciated in the midst of planning. “On the day, our driver was a star. She was so kind, helpful and an expert in knowing exactly what we might want or need after our ceremony. She even came prepared with water and champagne, and offered to drive a longer route to allow us some quiet time together,” Tasia shares. LOOKING THE PART The bride initially struggled to find her dream dress. She visited several stores, but nothing was calling out to her. She was looking for something with sleeves and no lace, but didn’t expect how difficult it would be to find. Deciding to broaden her search she came across bespoke bridal designer Emma Tindley and reached out to her. Tasia remembers, “Emma understood exactly what I wanted and was honest about what would or wouldn’t work. We then sketched my dress and it was made entirely bespoke. It was made from a Mikado fabric, woven using recycled fibres, meaning it was carbon neutral. We added a layer of tulle on the skirt to make it a little more playful and the style was perfect for me.” Given the sleek and classic nature of the dress Tasia chose not to have many accessories, but was the keen to have the longest veil her head would hold! This was also made by Emma Tindley and it added beautifully to the drama of the back of the dress. “Before the big day Daniel never knew the levels he’d go to in the name of style,” Tasia laughs. Not just any suit would do – if it could be worn in the office it was ruled out. After some careful searching, the groom and groomsmen chose dark navy suits with emerald green ties and pocket squares. Wanting to stand out Daniel then went on the hunt for a silver waistcoat and managed to snag one before having the suit tailored. Tasia’s vision for the bridesmaids was of dresses with sleeves. She wanted them to feel comfortable as they’d no idea what the weather would be like, this look would also mirror her own gown beautifully. Eventually, she found the perfect one in emerald green on ASOS. “It looked stunning on each bridesmaid and they looked unbelievably beautiful,” she says. TIME TO CELEBRATE To entertain guests, the couple hired a band and a magician. Tasia tells us, “Luckily, one of our close university friends is an outstanding close-up magician, and we knew he’d provide fantastic entertainment. We weren’t wrong! By the end of the night, everyone was coming up to us saying: ‘Have you seen the magic man?’!” Originally, they’d decided against a band, but the more they visualised the day, the more they started to regret that decision. “We found Electric Outfit who kept the party going all night. They interacted with our guests and even managed to get REAL WEDDINGS 37
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=