An Essex Wedding - March/april 2021 (Issue 97)

REAL WEDDINGS 37 S asha and Vaughan met while on the same course at Brighton University, but once they left they lost contact. It was when they were both working in London that they bumped into each other again. “A few times on the way to work the tube doors opened and Sasha was on the other side,” Vaughan says. “One day, I was at the London Transport Museum with a friend when I saw Sasha acting in a video about buses. My friend encouraged me to get in contact, exclaiming how beautiful she was – and how single I was!” Thank goodness he did, as it wasn’t long before Vaughan was planning how to pop the question. “He proposed to me the day before New Year’s Eve,” Sasha remembers. “We had just returned to London after spending Christmas with family, and Vaughan suggested we visit Kenwood House in Hampstead. After touring the inside of the house and exploring the grounds and lake, Vaughan produced a box and said he’d got me an extra present. I was a little confused until he asked me to marry him.” Sasha answered with a resounding yes, and they celebrated with prosecco from the local Londis! The date was set for 20 th July, 2019, at the stunning Hutton Hall. We caught up with Sasha to find out how they planned their dream day… SETTING THE SCENE The couple visited 13 venues in total, on a mission to find a setting that was accessible for family and friends, while giving them the chance to have a bespoke day. “We shortlisted two very different venues,” Sasha explains. “We then revisited them with our parents for the final decision. Hutton Hall won us over. We loved the bright and modern interiors of this Georgian country house.” A timeless palette of navy and silver was chosen, and the couple knew that flowers would be a big part of their day. “We wanted our wedding to feel natural and rich,” Sasha explains. “We focused on lots of foliage with pops of colour coming from in-season wildflowers in blue, purple and orange to complement our colour scheme. Our favourite feature from our florist, Urban Flowers, was the moongate – it made a gorgeous backdrop for our vows.” Sasha and Vaughan’s illustrator friend Helen Perez Garcia created their invites. “This kind of personal connection is what made our day so special,” Sasha says. “We love her work and she understands us. As a gift, Helena gave us the two original artworks for the stationery, which take pride of place in our home.” As Vaughan and some of their guests have dietary issues, they were keen to find a cake that everyone could enjoy. “We found Bee’s Bakery, which makes delicious vegan and gluten-free cakes – and you’d never know!” Sasha says. “Our cake was adorned with wildflowers and it tasted great.” In the evening, they arranged a pizza van from Abigail’s; it went down a storm with guests but the newlyweds managed to miss it! AISLE STYLE Sasha wore an exquisite gown from the Snow collection by Annasul Y. “I accessorised my chantilly lace dress with a gold and crystal belt,” Sasha tells us. “I fell in love with my gold Kate Spade shoes, they were beautiful and comfortable, but the glitter texture did catch on my dress!” 