Alex and Guy met through Alex’s cousin Rob who ended up being one of Guy’s ushers. “Rob came to live with my family and joined Henley College where he met a group of friends, including Guy,” Alex tells us. “He invited him to the house one day and we met and hit it off immediately!” After being together for more than 10 years, Guy still managed to surprise Alex with the proposal. “In early November 2020 (just before the second lockdown) we travelled to Scotland to stay at our friend Henry’s parents’ house for a few days,” Alex tells us. “We joined Henry on a woodland walk, following a stream up a hill to an open expanse of the countryside with views across the hills and loch. Guy popped the question there but he hadn’t told Henry that he was planning this! Naturally, Henry became another one of our ushers.” SETTING THE SCENE “We wanted a blank canvas for our special and didn’t want to be bound by any rules or restrictions, especially given the uncertainty around the pandemic at the time,” Alex tells us. “We booked All Saints’ Church, Rotherfield Peppard which is the village where Guy’s parents live. Guy was a regular attendee there during his primary school years and when one of our wedding planners, who just happens to live in the rectory farmhouse next door, said that we could use her horse field for our marquee reception, it felt like it was meant to be. Our guests only had to walk 100 metres from the church to the reception and were greeted by an open field surrounded by sloping woodland with far-flung views.” The couple wanted to create a relaxed festival vibe at their reception with a party atmosphere. “We chose a sage-green and blush-pink colour theme with pops of purple and gold,” Alex explains. “The flowers were always going to take centre stage because we wanted to showcase local, seasonal blooms with as much texture and scent as possible. We also wanted to keep our suppliers as local as possible in keeping with our sustainable values.” Alex and Guy decided on an understated vibe to decorate the inside of the marquee to allow the flowers and food to stand out. “We had four long tables, plus a top table, dressed with white table cloths, napkins, chairs and brushed-gold cutlery,” Alex says. “Our place names, menus, table names and order of services were all printed in the same design; white with a subtle light pink and green floral pattern. Our table plan was a key element of the day – I printed a black and white polaroid image of each guest and tied them with ribbon on to a large board. Each table name was listed under the relevant photograph and we chose names including Rose, Eucalyptus, Thistle, Snowberry and Dahlia after some of their real counterparts. Guests had to find their faces to discover their table name which meant that they didn’t know exactly who they were seated with, which made the day all the more fun. We spent a long time setting the seating plan combinations, so being sat at the top table watching the hand-picked combinations of people deep in conversation was really rewarding - we even have one relationship that has since blossomed!” “Our planners, Annabel and Jane, were incredible. Having them manage the day allowed us to sit back and enjoy it without a care in the world. REAL WEDDINGS 43
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