Emily and Nathan met online and hit it off right away. “He was a nice guy to talk to and good looking, which of course, helped,” says Emily. “Nathan proposed to me in July 2020 in the Shropshire Hills. He took the biggest rucksack in the world and filled it with fleeces, waterproofs and everything you would need, even though it was July! I didn’t think much of it, but he later said that he didn’t want me to find the ring, so he filled it to the brim in case I needed anything! Just before he proposed, there was a steep hill, I remember walking up and turning around, and he was fumbling around with the bag, and I thought, ‘I’m just going to carry on as this hill is too steep to wait around!’. At that moment, Nathan was grabbing the ring from the bag and putting it in his pocket! When we reached the top, he took a photo with my back facing him. I remember standing there for ages and saying, ‘Are you done yet?’ Nathan replied, ‘Nearly there’, but he sounded like he was standing right behind me, so I responded with, ‘You’re standing too close, the photo is going to be rubbish!’ He soon shouted, ‘Done!’, and I turned around, and there he was, down on one knee with the box. He hadn’t even opened it yet, and I burst into tears.” SETTING THE SCENE “The first time we walked around Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, we knew we wanted to get married there,” shares the bride. “It was recommended by Elite Tents, but the gardens spoke for themselves and had a unique beauty. It was grand yet understated and was perfect for what we wanted. A lot of the decorations I either made myself or knew someone who could do them. Our general colour scheme was based on the rainbow, as I’ve always pictured my day bright and colourful with an assortment of flowers and decorations. I had coloured ribbons hanging off the chairs and in the tipis. We also had LED candles and sweet jars wrapped in hessian that sat between the gin bottles. Elite Tents did an amazing job of making the tipis look grand with minimal decorations.” The happy couple named their tables after gins. “We both love it and couldn’t think of anything else that resembled us more,” explains Emily. “For our favours, we gave our guests little bottles of Damson gin that my father-in-law’s wife made from their garden. We also incorporated gin into our table plan. We found an old step ladder from an antique shop, which I sanded and repainted white. I then added photo frames and gin bottles filled with the flowers that our florist used for the bouquets. “For our centrepieces, we wanted to keep it simple, so my father-in-law cut pieces of wood, sanded and stained them,” adds Emily. “On each piece of wood, we had a different gin brand with a blue moon rose, which was Nathan’s nan’s favourite flower. We also had a photo of us from our engagement shoot and a geometric flower pot with a little money plant in it; these are good luck in the Chinese culture.” Emily’s best friend made their big-day cake. “She likes baking in her spare time, so she made our three-tier naked bake,” recalls the bride. “We had three different flavours: the bottom tier was Victoria sponge, the middle was chocolate, and the top was caramel. I also asked some family members and friends to make cakes, so we had our wedding cake and a cake table! I am a big foodie and love to feed people, so this reflected my personality.” The Greek Outdoors provided the food for the day. “It was delicious,” reveals Emily. “Chris was an absolute dream to work with. We were able to try the food ahead of time; she was reassuring and happy to cater for kids and dietary requirements. She was so personal, and I never felt like I was hassling her when we spoke. The transaction was easy, everyone complimented their food, and I would highly recommend them! Arden Pig Company provided the evening food; they accommodated our vegetarians and people raved about the hog roast.” DRESSED TO IMPRESS “My dress was by Justin Alexander,” says Emily. “I was adamant that I was going to have sleeves, but in the end, I went for strapless and was over the moon with my choice. I debated for a long time between two completely different dresses; one was very bohemian, but ultimately, I felt I could wear it any day of the week, which made my gown feel even more special. I only went to one shop, and that was TDR Bridal Birmingham in Halesowen; Mia was an absolute dream to work with! I tried a princess dress to humour one of my bridesmaids, which was beautiful but definitely not me! I accessorised with a veil, which was the same length as my train, and a lovely belt.” Nathan wore a navy suit from Peter Posh Formal Suit Hire. “He wanted the groomsmen to match and to ensure that everyone knew they were part of the wedding party,” explains Emily. “They chose blue ties and pocket squares to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. For these, I ordered the same gown in a couple of different colours, and I loved how different it looked, as I hadn’t seen it before. It was a perfect fit for all of my bridesmaids, and they all felt comfortable, which was what was most important to me.” REAL WEDDINGS 33
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