Your Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Wedding- February / March 2021 (Issue 25)

“I enjoyed a dance with my dad which was precious.” – Lauren got to pick our choices from the menus on offer. We decided on a traditional set meal (with an option for our vegetarian guests) followed by an evening buffet. We also had canapés and prosecco just after the ceremony and finished the evening with our mouth-watering layered buttercream cake complete with a 'Mr & Mrs' cat cake topper (we have two cats who we love to bits!) The flavours of each sponge layer were strawberry and white chocolate, jam and cream sponge and salted caramel. My top tip is to have some cake straight after you've cut it because I didn't get a chance to have any more after that! Our florist kindly liaised with our cake designer and added fresh flowers on the top and each layer." The couple chose plenty of other décor to style their day with. "I loved our pink, blue and white lanterns suspended from the ceiling in the marquee and the bunting strung around the edges of it," Lauren describes. "We displayed jars of flowers decorated with hessian and twine and made our postbox for our cards. We upcycled a vintage mirror by removing the glass and creating a picture board decorated with photographs of us. We also had a large photo frame displaying the words 'Lauren & Darren's Wedding' with a selection of props beside it so that our guests could have their picture taken. There was also a welcome sign, a recycled pallet listing the timings for our day, topiary trees on either side of the marquee as guests walked in and fairylights which looked romantic." LOOKING THE PART “I chose a full-length gown called Palmer by Sottero & Midgley,” Lauren tells us. “I fell in love with it straight away because I adored the Swarovski crystal detailing on the back and the train. There was the option of lifting and attaching it underneath the back of the dress which was very handy for the evening. I teamed it with a pair of Swarovski crystal earrings (to match the detail on the dress) and a necklace that I borrowed from my mum (which also added my something blue ). I wore a simple, mid-length veil to not conceal the back of my dress, an elegant hair clip and some embellished shoes." The couple chose slim-fit, light-grey suits for Darren and the groomsmen which they teamed with dusky blue ties and tan shoes. “Darren didn’t stand out too much from the others, he just wore a different buttonhole,” Lauren says. The couple had five bridesmaids. “The two younger ones aged 10 and 12 wore blush pink dresses while the three older ones were in dusky blue styles which were all similar with detailed bodices and chiffon floor-length skirts,” Lauren tells us. “They all wore silver shoes and had their hair styled in a relaxed half-up, half-down look decorated with flowers and pretty accessories.” TIME TO CELEBRATE The couple hired a violinist which Darren organised. “Although it was a windy day and the sheet music kept blowing away, she was excellent and it created such a lovely atmosphere,” Darren tells us. “Lots of our guests said that it was a wonderful touch and I also selected the songs for her to play.” REAL WEDDINGS 35