couple’s cake was a four-tier design, the bottom tier was ‘death by chocolate’ and coconut, the middle was luxury lemon (with Limoncello in it), and the top was Baileys Irish cream. “One tier was a hollow heart made out of polystyrene, covered in icing with our initials hanging down in the centre,” adds Lianne. “We also had a cake topper made out of clay which looked like us.” LOOKING THE PART Lianne wore a slim-fit ivory-toned dress featuring lots of lace, sparkle and a big train. “I wore a pearl necklace and earrings, with ivory-hued shoes with delicate bits of sparkle on them too,” shares Lianne. “In addition, I had a chapel-length veil handmade by a lady in Colchester and she embroidered the words ‘From this moment on, life has begun’, with little flowers either side. These were the same words in the song for our first dance (and also what was playing when James proposed).” Wanting to feel relaxed and comfortable in the evening, Lianne changed into a shorter dress for her father-daughter dance and the first dance ‒ for which they performed a waltz so needed to be able to move! James chose a classic top hat and tails combo, while the best man, usher and groomsmen all looked very dapper in their suits. The father-of-the-bride and the father-of-the-groom also wore a morning suit, minus the hat, to keep the look formal. “My bridesmaids wore a silvery/lavender-coloured dress,” adds Lianne. “Which I did have a little panic they wouldn’t fit but they did! I also bought silver jewellery to go with their outfits.” LET’S PARTY With plenty of time on her hands during lockdown, Lianne kept busy making lots of items for their wedding day to entertain the guests. From outdoor games, matching the colour scheme of course, such as hearts and kisses, hook the duck and ring toss, to a painted wooden frame which she hung white flowers from to be used as a backdrop for the guests to take photos with a polaroid camera. Lianne also bought a load of inflatables and put them in a crate for guests to have fun with on the dancefloor. For evening entertainment, the couple opted for a DJ, “It was the early stages of things easing with lockdown ending so everyone was actually so happy to see each other and we all danced, drank and was merry the whole evening,” remembers Lianne. “The day for me went by in a daze! I remember sitting in the car with my dad and I asked him how he felt and he said he felt like he wasn’t there, it was all happening so quickly and in all honestly that’s how I felt too!” shares Lianne. “I wish I could do it all again, I loved every minute!” “The parts that stood out to me the most were sitting in the car with my dad, seeing James at the end of the aisle smiling at me and seeing all of our family and close friends together for the first time in what felt like a decade! It was amazing!” Top tip: Don’t leave things to the last minute, write a list of everything you want and write a budget next to it. Enjoy every second of your day because it goes so fast! 42
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