dishes. “This was a great way to get guests interacting with each other as they passed dishes around,” Alice says. The meal ended with sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. The pair opted for a late-night food choice of vegetable paella as a nod to their Spanish engagement. Many of their guests expressed that they couldn’t believe everything they’d eaten was vegan. “No one went hungry,” Alice says. LOOKING THE PART Alice looked stunning in her Madi Lane gown, Avery, featuring ivory lace over a layer of glitter tulle and blush satin lining. “It felt bridal enough yet still playful and romantic,” she says. “I wanted a dress I could comfortably move around and dance in.” She accessorised with a cathedral-length veil and green gemstone jewellery. George wore a bespoke suit from Gresham Blake in Brighton. The emerald green herringbone jacket was lined in a paisley fabric. His floral tie was selected to match the sunflower and carnation theme of the bouquets, and he finished the look with a crocheted carnation buttonhole. The groomsmen were dressed in grey, slim fit, textured two-piece suits, which they wore with black shoes, green ties and pocket squares to complement the dark green palette. They too wore crocheted carnation buttonholes. The bridesmaids wore emerald green full-length chiffon dresses with floral embroidery detail around the waist. TIME TO CELEBRATE Live band Roots kept the dancefloor full during the evening. The couple found them through an agency Southend Barns recommended and we’re told they were incredible. “The dancefloor was packed during both their sets, and they finished the night with Mr Brightside by The Killers, a perfect ode to our first date,” Alice remembers. “If you have the budget, a live band is really worth it in our opinion.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS “We felt so immensely happy and incredibly lucky,” Alice shares. “To be surrounded by everyone you love and care about it so special. The venue coordinated the whole day so we could just relax and let it happen.” The ceremony will forever have a place in Alice’s heart: “The moment you first see each other at the end of the aisle is surreal and beautiful,” she shares. The speeches too were a highlight: “They were all very funny, most notably George’s mum, Denise, sang a personalised a version of Living Next Door to Alice by Smokie with the refrain changed to ‘Alice, Alice, George has married Alice!’ The rest was not so clean... everyone was in stitches!” the bride tells us. Alice’s top tip for all you soon-to-be weds out there is to focus on the big things first. “You don’t want to miss out on the perfect supplier as they get booked up,” she says. “Also, get a wedding coordinator so you can just enjoy yourselves on the day.” THE GETAWAY The newlyweds set off on honeymoon to Tanzania and Kenya for a multi-stop safari and beach holiday. It was planned by Jane Woollaston from Holidays Please. “We’re so lucky with the animals we saw, and the overall experience was unlike any holiday we’ve been on before,” Alice says. “A once in a lifetime experience.” REAL WEDDING 27
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