shares. The centrepiece for them was the food. Caterers Hog and Apple offer raised boards for the spread to go on, which looked impressive in their own right. “The presentation is stunning and we wanted enough room to make it easy to be placed down,” she continues. The couple also bought their own glasses with cut glass decanters containing mead for their toasts. Along with the wine and bud vases, these were just enough to fill the tables. Having worked alongside Emma at The Petal Studio for years, Anna decided she wanted to collaborate with her on her own wedding. The two settled on a meadow vibe to complement the Abbey and used urns to create a statement backdrop for the ceremony. This was later moved to the dancefloor where the wedding cake was displayed and used as its backdrop. Not wanting to waste any of the incredible blooms, the meadows also went into the marquee to decorate the table ends. With a gorgeous muted pastel palette throughout the displays included big blousy peonies, tulips and a selection of blooms carrying sentimental meaning including lily of the valley and forget me nots. Given Anna makes wedding cakes as a career, this was always going to be the most anticipated element of the day! Anna took inspiration from her wedding dress and its hand embroidery. Together with her sister they combined two techniques to create the showstopper: Anna hand-painted the flowers while Gayle used brush embroidery over the top. She also created some sugar flowers inspired by the couple’s wedding florals and used an off cut from the bride’s dress to create a big bow. There was also an incredible dessert table for which Anna baked all of her favourite cakes and sweet treats decorated with palette colours and hand-painted to tie into the day. “Don’t forget to eat! You run on adrenaline and don’t often feel hungry, but do remember to eat and drink plenty of water.” FOOD FOR THOUGHT Food and music were two of the most important aspects of Anna and Chris’ day, as going to gigs and finding street food to try are things the two of them enjoy as a couple. The Hog and Apple provided their sharing boards and the newlyweds adored the Brazilian twist on their traditional wedding meal. There were a selection of three meats – steak, chicken and pork – with plenty of sides to choose from. “It all looked as good as it tasted and it was such a joy when guests told us how delicious it all was,” Anna shares. A food van was enlisted for the evening. The couple found Spud and Bros as a food festival and asked them immediately if they catered for weddings. “We loved that it was a small business making poutine,” Anna says. “It was something a little different but at the end of the night, cheesy chips and gravy is a perfect option.” “We had a golden hour walk around the Abbey. It was so special to have a few moments to ourselves.” LOOKING THE PART Anna discovered Savin London gowns online and immediately fell in love with the floral inspiration. So, she visited the White Yard, which stocks the designer. She’d met 32
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