Emma and Stephen met in 2014 through a mutual friend. “We hit it off immediately and found we had so much in common, including our love of Italy, wine, music and food,” says Emma. “Stephen had fractured his collarbone, so he couldn’t drive, so our first date was actually drinking espresso at his house and we ended up talking for hours. Our second date was at the Salt House in Ipswich and we both felt a real connection – although Stephen regretted his choice of ordering a steak as he struggled to cut it up due to his collarbone injury!” Stephen proposed at The Shard in London back in 2019. “It was a complete surprise – I was rummaging in my handbag and had to ask him to repeat the question,” shares the bride. “We regularly visit London, so this was the perfect place for Stephen to propose. He had planned a fancy dinner to celebrate, but instead we ended up heading to Wagamamas as the champagne had been flowing and we both really craved one!” SETTING THE SCENE “We often visit Hintlesham Hall for a drink or a bite to eat,” explains Emma. “It’s close to where we live and we knew it was a fabulous venue for any occasion. For our wedding we wanted somewhere relatively central for our friends and family to travel to. Our decision to book Hintlesham Hall was confirmed when we visited one of their wedding fairs and saw the hall in all its glory and met the amazing team led by Tracy Cole. We wanted a classic, timeless wedding and Hintlesham Hall was perfect for this. We had originally planned to get married in 2020, but like many others, we had to delay our plans due to the pandemic, although it took us four years to get our plans back on track as life had become exceptionally busy, Hintlesham Hall was still the perfect venue for us. “As the wedding was at the end of November, we knew Hintlesham Hall would be beautifully decorated for Christmas, so we chose this as our theme,” adds Emma. “We opted for deep red roses, cream roses and orchids from W Flowers to complement the Christmas décor. We wanted to include roses in our theme as it was Stephen’s late mum’s favourite flower.” The couple chose a James Bond-themed table plan. “Each table was named after a Bond film, as Stephen loves all things James Bond,” recalls the bride. “To decorate the rest of the space, we added a sparkly dancefloor and mood lighting to create both ambience and also to keep our guests partying!” Emma and Stephen opted for a half-and-half cake to incorporate both of their personalities. “One side of the cake was beautiful ivory with sparkle and snow and the other side was me doing yoga and drinking prosecco and Stephen’s pride and joy, his Land Rover Defender called Sebastian,” remembers Emma. “Stephen also decorated the real-life Sebastian as he arrived at the wedding in it!” DRESSED TO IMPRESS “My gorgeous wedding dress came from The Bridal Lounge in Hadleigh,” says Emma. “I wanted something that was classic, timeless and elegant as well as having the wow factor. I also wanted to be able to dance the night away in it! My aunt, cousin and sister all joined me at The Bridal Lounge to help make the decision. It was the first and only shop I went into. I accessorised with simple, classic diamond jewellery, stud earrings with jackets, a small pendant necklace and a silver dress watch. The shoes were fabulous silver pointed stilettos, but I actually had four pairs of shoes for my special day! “Stephen and the ushers all wore three-piece blue suits from Coes, with white double cuff shirts, deep red ties and hankies to match the bridal party,” continues the bride. “Their shoes were brown and blue brogues, and their cufflinks were their initials – another gift from the groom. We wanted a smart but informal look, so we did not want to go for the traditional mourning suit and tails.” The bridesmaids chose wine-red dresses from Lace & Favour. “We chose a multi-way design so that they could style it in their own way as we wanted REAL WEDDINGS 33
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