Emily and Chris met during their university years in Plymouth. They were introduced by a mutual friend, and that’s where their story began. “Aside from her obvious good looks, within only a few minutes of speaking, I knew there was something more between us,” Chris shares. The two enjoyed an evening of chatting over drinks and haven’t stopped enjoying each other’s company since. “Emily is known for finding the best deals out there, but I think I won when it came to finding her that day,” Chris continues. “At full price and worth every penny, she is my world! We’ve shared more than a decade of memories and milestones including graduations, landing our first professional jobs, buying our first home together, and travelling the world side by side. None of which would have been possible without our attentiveness to one another and the love we share.” Chris had an idea in mind for a while once he’d decided he wanted to propose. The couple had talked about doing a hot air balloon ride together but life always got in the way and they’d never gotten around to it. Having received the blessing of Emily’s dad earlier in the year, Chris set his plan into motion. Under the guise of a meal at Haselbury Mill near Crewkerne, he revealed that they’d finally be taking that ride. Before long, they were airborne and taking in the views. Chris gave a knowing signal to the pilot who took them higher to allow more time for Chris to deliver his prepared words. “I awkwardly got down on one knee in the tiny basket,” he remembers. “Hundreds of feet in the air, wind gusting, fire billowing overhead, I’ve never made things easy for myself! Yet when it came to the ultimate question, any nerves or fear just faded away. I’d never been so sure of anything, and when she said ‘yes’ it was one of the best moments of my life.” So, with the date set for the big day set for 15th June 2024, join us as the groom, Chris, tells us more... LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION The couple came across Berwick Lodge in January ‘23 having read the reviews hailing it as a ‘hidden gem.’ They attended an open day and instantly fell in love with the gorgeous building, stunning grounds, and most of all the people. “We spent 18 months planning our wedding and the level of care, service and quality from its wonderful staff is second to none,” Chris explains. Each room has a uniqueness to it, all sharing a high quality and luxury feel. We understand that the couple’s guests loved their stays, and the newlyweds stayed in Lydia, the bridal suite. “It was the perfect way to wake up on our first day of married life. We can’t recommend this idyllic place enough,” Chris says. SETTING THE SCENE Having settled on a palette of pastels featuring pink, cream and purple, Emily and Chris met with their florist, Loubee Floral Designs, to discuss their vision. “Louise was very friendly and offered us a number of floral arrangement options. We opted for a back meadow, urns, table and sign flowers, bouquets and our statement piece: our cake meadow,” Chris says. “Louise worked closely with our cake supplier to ensure this looked amazing and our guests couldn’t stop talking about it. We’re so pleased with how everything turned out.” The centrepieces were small white porcelain bowls containing an assortment of flowers to match the bouquets and meadow arrangements. The cake itself was a three-tier showstopper featuring chosen flavours signature chocolate, orange and passion fruit, and strawberry and Champagne. The couple chose asymmetrical layers to give it a modern look and show the design at its best. They also decided on a white colour pure to keep it elegant and show off the pastel colours of the flowers haloed beneath it. “Joanna from Joanna Pyda Cake Studio is such a lovely person and was so accommodating to work with,” Chris remembers. “We met her at a wedding fair at Berwick Lodge and we were excited to work with her for our day.” The reception space featured eight tables including the newlyweds’ sweetheart one. This allowed them to look out at all of their guests as well as having their own conversations, plus the chance to mingle with guests between each course. Each table was named after a date significant to the couple, for example 2011 when REAL WEDDINGS 23
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