Your Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Wedding- June/July 2020 (Issue 21)

REAL WEDDINGS 29  Scott also made our wedding bands and we pop in to say ‘hi’ whenever we’re in Cheltenham.” SETTING THE SCENE Our photographers, Jo and Nic, recommended Cripps Barn to the couple and they were right in thinking that it would suit them. “We both loved how rustic it was, retaining the natural beauty that old barns have whilst ensuring an idyllic setting for a wedding,” Dee tells us. “I think the layout works really well and everything just flows. The ceremony area, terrace, and views of the fields opposite were what decided it for us and I arranged to arrive at the venue in a horse and carriage.” Ben made the table plan using old floorboards. “It’s a map of the world,” Dee tells us. “We organised the seating plan by mixing our loved ones up and sitting them together which worked well because there were lots of different nationalities.” The couple used luggage craft tags as place name cards and for the table names. “They tied in with the travel theme of the table plan and we wrote the name of each country in a font and design relevant to that place,” Dee says. “Our bold pink napkins added a burst of colour.” The couple’s centrepieces were made using simple yet beautiful flower varieties. “I loved our florist’s relaxed, country style,” Dee tells us. “I wanted hanging flowers in the ceremony area and the final arrangements were wonderful. We also strung photographs of ourselves around the venue and our naked cake took centre stage, decorated with fresh flowers by our florist.” Cripps Barn did the couple’s catering during the day. “The food was outstanding and we also had one of our friends, Mat Gilbert who owns the Galloping Barista and Gumbie’s Wood Fired Pizza, make the most incredible brownies for the evening, which also went down a treat.” LOOKING THE PART “I wore a dress by the designer Caroline Castigliano and teamed it with a bolero from Sassi Holford and a veil from Sarah Elizabeth Bridal Boutique in Cheltenham,” Dee tells us. “I wanted a wedding dress that was slimline and elegant. It made me feel incredible and was the perfect dress for both me and the venue.” The couple’s bridesmaids wore pastel lilac silk dresses and Ben and his groomsmen wore navy suits with pink ties and pocket squares. “Ben chose a different waistcoat and belt to stand out, and wore a hint of tweed as a nod to our country theme, while our dog, Rodger, wore a custom collar and pink bow tie to match! It made us both smile so much seeing him.” TIME TO CELEBRATE “We hired the musician John Adams who was incredible,” Dee tells us. “Just having our loved ones join us from all over the world including Canada, America, New Zealand and the Maldives was enough entertainment and we circulated the tables to talk to all of our guests between the courses of the wedding breakfast which we enjoyed. I would recommend to any couple getting married to do that because the time goes by so quickly so it’s nice to relax with guests during a very busy day! Ben’s parents had travelled to the UK for the first time which was very special for him and it was wonderful to spend some time with everyone after the wedding.”