Your East Anglian Wedding - April/May 2021 (Issue 48)

REAL WEDDINGS 37 S teffi and Richard met while they were out celebrating friends’ birthdays and soon realised they shared a number of mutual pals. Steffi also recognised him from when their paths used to cross during their regular cycling commutes in different directions. They hit it off and the rest, as they say, is history. POPPING THE QUESTION When the time came to propose, Richard chose the city of love as the perfect setting. “It was a couple of weeks after my 30 th birthday,” remembers Steffi. “I didn’t know we were going to Paris until we arrived at the Eurostar. On our first night there he got down on one knee outside the Louvre and asked me to marry him.” She said ‘yes’, of course, and they went to a romantic bistro to celebrate afterwards. “We sat next to a father and son who were running a champagne stall at the market the following day. They called us over to try some and we ended up ordering the fizz for our wedding from their vineyard,” adds Steffi. THE TIME AND THE PLACE They set the date for 21 st September, 2019 and chose a familiar place for their big day. “After we met Steffi told me about her job at Brasted’s at Langley Abbey, how amazing the venue was and the incredible team there,” explains Richard. So after a trip home to see her mum, it was decided that a wedding there was the way to go. “It’s such a spectacular setting, you can picture how everything will look as you move from room to room,” reveals Steffi. “The theme and colour scheme fell into place as we progressed with the planning. We went for grey, lavender tones with wooden, natural elements and wildflowers to create a relaxed feel.” LOOKING THE PART Steffi had her dress made and designed at Camilla Brides in Norwich. “Paula at the boutique helped me work out what suited my shape and we created the design over several appointments to make it perfect. I’d tried on other dresses at another bridal shop which made me realise I wanted something that was just for me as there was always something I didn’t like about them.” She had a detachable train to allow her to dance the night away and her wedding shoes were customised white Converse High Tops with the wedding date on the side. “I wore a necklace that I was given when I was a bridesmaid, blue socks in my shoes and borrowed a handkerchief. I didn’t have a veil as it felt too formal for me.” 