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

REAL WEDDINGS 29  holding flowers and candles. He also made us some log table name holders which held photographs and cards named after milestones in our lives and relationship, such as the first day of school, holidays that we had taken together, birthdays and of course our engagement.” The couple decorated the inside and outside of their venue with lots of flowers. “We had similar jars of them to those on our tables dotted around the venue,” Lauren tells us. “Because the spiral staircase was such a focal point, we asked our florist to decorate it with ivy and gypsophila which looked beautiful. Small lavender and gypsophila bunches were also added to the chairs during our ceremony which helped to tie everything together.” Lauren and Martin’s showstopping cake was decorated with purple roses, foliage and gypsophila. “As well as our centrepieces, my uncle also made our large log cake stand carved with our initials,” Lauren says. “It was a semi-naked, three-tier design with different flavours for each tier. We tried to please all of our guests with lemon, chocolate and salted caramel choices and we think we did! We also had a personalised cake topper made that I had kept as a surprise for Martin until the day which featured our two cats, Poppy and Rosie.” Eastington Park uses Berry Blue as their exclusive caterers. “They had so many delicious options and were happy to customise them as much as possible to fulfil our needs as well as the dietary requirements of our guests,” Lauren says. “We decided on three canapés to be served during the reception and we gave our guest a choice of three starters, main courses and desserts for the wedding breakfast. I loved the barbecue pulled-chicken pots and the summer fruit cheesecake!” LOOKING THE PART “I chose a full-length ballgown with lace detailing which I loved as soon as I tried it on,” Lauren tells us. “I knew I wanted a ballgown, but I never thought that I would choose a strapless dress. It just goes to show how important it is to try on different styles because you never know what might suit you. I added a sparkly belt, matching hairpiece and a bridal jacket with short sleeves and delicate beads. The couple’s two bridesmaids were their sisters, Amy and Louise. “They looked stunning in their matching mauve floor-length dresses with a flowing skirt and lace bodice that matched the lace in my dress,” Lauren says. Martin and his groomsmen wore grey three-piece suits teamed with mauve ties and white shirts. “As a wedding gift, we gave our groomsmen personalised cufflinks featuring their name, role and the date of our wedding,” Lauren explains. “The night before our wedding, I gave my dad a pair of personalised socks printed with ‘of all our walks, this is my favourite’ which he wore on the day to walk me down the aisle.” “Having all eyes on you both can be a bit daunting, but as the day progressed, it was wonderful seeing all of our friends and family together. Being surrounded by those we love helped us to relax and have fun.” - Lauren and Martin