Chloe and John first laid eyes on each other at work. “Chloe complemented my car one morning as we were arriving to work,” says John. “We spoke briefly and I rushed into work, not fully embracing her comment. We then met again during a work party. I set my eyes on her and thought she was lovely, but that I had no chance – not in my league! That turned out to be a false assumption and in summer 2016, we started exchanging messages and we went from there!” John proposed on Christmas Eve. “We were warm and cosy at home by the Christmas tree,” shares the groom. “I think I surprised her by getting down on one knee and asking her to be my wife.” SETTING THE SCENE “I worked at Hintlesham Hall Hotel for nine years overseeing weddings,” explains John. “We looked at several venues, but once we visited Hintlesham Hall Hotel, we agreed it had to be there. It’s a stunning, majestic location and I don’t think you can do any better. Tracy at the Hintlesham Hall Hotel gave us a tour of the beautiful hall and discussed all the highlights and what to expect to make our day as perfect as it was. We cannot thank Tracy, Yuriy, Jade and John enough for looking after us and all our guests for helping us have the best day of our lives!” For their favours, the couple created baubles containing Temple Spa products and chocolates. “We included lots of gold glitter dust and sequin stars, which we’re still finding at home,” recalls the groom. “We also had our table plan custom made by my sister Josephine, who is an artist. It featured locations that are very special to us. “To continue our festive theme, we decorated the tables with gold candelabra provided by Extravorganza,” adds the groom. “Kaye Souter Flowers provided our big-day blooms, which were beautifully arranged winter flowers. To finish the look, Hintlesham Hall Hotel had festive decorations, which we loved. Especially the Christmas trees!” To keep their guests well fed, Chloe and John chose a three-tiered gold cake with festive flowers created by Kate’s Treats. DRESSED TO IMPRESS “I wore an Italian three-piece suit in a neutral tweed with a fresh white cufflink shirt,” says John. “I accessorised with a gold tie with flying ducks on it, tan brogues, pheasant socks and my dad’s old pocket watch. “Chloe chose a dress from The Wedding Shop,” adds the groom. “No words can justify the exquisite beauty of this outstanding, jaw-dropping showstopper! The bridesmaids opted for long, gold dresses. They all looked superb with their classic Oscar-winning appearance.” TIME TO CELEBRATE “To keep our guests entertained, we had a choir in the church assembled by people I knew and their voices were beautiful,” shares John. “We also had the Oakwood String Quartet perform in the church. They created a beautiful and welcoming atmosphere for our guests, particularly at the hotel, while we were having our pictures taken around the beautiful Georgian house. We then had a pianist, whom I have known for years. Peter was very kind and open to our requests. He played some of our favourite music beautifully. Tabitha Debenham, my exceptionally talented friend, sang Dream a Little Dream of Me once the speeches had finished. She blew everyone’s socks off and also asked us to join in to sing the last verse. 35 REAL WEDDINGS
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