Your Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Wedding- October/November 2020 (Issue 23)

REAL WEDDINGS 27  L auren and Martin met at secondary school and lived near each other. "Martin was in the year above me but I used to pass him on the walk home every day and we had a few mutual friends so we gradually got to know each other," Lauren tells us. "We were friends for quite some time before we became a couple and I love the fact that our relationship is built on friendship." Lauren and Martin's younger sisters were also friends and wanted the couple to get married so that they would be related! Martin proposed to Lauren during a weekend away in Woolacombe, North Devon for their 10th anniversary. "We stayed in a gorgeous apartment overlooking the beach and on the first morning there (which was our anniversary), Martin got down on one knee and proposed in front of the big bay window," Lauren tells us. "Although we had previously spoken about getting married, my reply of 'are you sure?' indicated that I was a bit surprised! It was so special and after lots of excitable phone calls to our families, we spent the day exploring the beach and playing mini-golf, and ended it with a romantic meal in one of the nearby restaurants." SETTING THE SCENE Eastington Park was the first venue that the couple visited when they started their search. “We fell in love with the Grade II listed building with its stunning entrance and spiral staircase,” Lauren tells us. “We loved that it offered exclusive-use weddings because having the entire place and grounds to ourselves for the day was so important to us. The team were so helpful and kind to us when we looked around which helped our decision because we felt like we would be well looked after in the lead up to the wedding and on the day.” Lauren got ready in the beautiful bridal suite at Eastington Park and because their wedding was just outside in the grounds, she didn’t need a car to take her to the ceremony. “We thought it was important for Martin to arrive in his 1995 Ford Fiesta which has driven us everywhere in our relationship over the years,” Lauren says. “It has become part of the family and ended up as a bit of a feature on the day!” The couple chose an elegant theme styled with rustic touches and an abundance of beautiful blooms. “Our tables were decorated with white lace tablecloths to coordinate with my wedding dress,” Lauren explains. “My uncle had made us some log slices to use as centrepieces which we placed under decorated jars