we cared for and who cares about us,” they tell us. “For our table plan, we sourced an antique pine door from a local seller and decorated it with a gold leaf design. The names of each guest were hand-written and we also had a hand-painted order of the day designed by an artist called Dawn. Our antique pine welcome board now takes pride of place in our hallway! For their table names, Dionne and David decided on places that meant something to them both. “David’s daughter hand-wrote the place names in calligraphy and gold ink,” Dionne says. For the favours, the couple chose something to eat, something to drink and something for good luck. “Our friend at Coco Confectionary of Nailsworth created some tasty chocolate truffles and we had a small bottle of Wray and Nephew overproof rum to celebrate my Jamaican heritage,” Dionne explains. We also gave each guest a lottery ticket.” Dionne’s friend Gemma from the florist Petals and Pampas created the flower arrangements. “Gemma and I met in a professional capacity and quickly became friends. I’ve always admired her talent so it was a natural choice to ask her to create our flower arrangements,” Dionne says. We asked her to produce something using the blush pink shades of our bridesmaids’ dresses and what she produced was both bespoke and breathtaking - we couldn’t have been happier.” Pia at The Vanilla Pod Bakery made the four-tier naked cake that was displayed on a wooden block and scattered with fresh berries. “It looked, and tasted incredible - I only wish I’d eaten more of it on the day!” Dionne says. “We also had a wheel cake of cheese from Armadeli. Armorel is a good friend so again, I trusted her to create something wonderful and it was lovely.” The couple’s menu was devised by Joanna Parker, a local caterer. “We had fresh crab to start followed by chicken and tarragon sauce and a salted caramel tart for dessert,” Dionne says. “Our evening caterers were Marinades of Cheltenham who cooked up some delicious Jamaican street food.” LOOKING THE PART Dionne wore a bridal dress by Enzoani. “The dress chose me,” Dionne says. “I started a Pinterest board and the majority of the gowns that I liked were all from Enzoani so I knew I wanted something from that designer. I began following The Dressing Rooms on Instagram and they posted a picture of this gorgeous dress. When I tried it on, it looked better than any other styles that I’d picked so I knew it was the one.” Dionne accessorised her dress with the tiara that her mum got married in 45 years beforehand and the couple’s bespoke wedding rings were designed by their friend, Dean who is a jeweller.” David and his groomsmen wore identical navy tailcoats teamed with gold waistcoats and blush cravats. “Rob at Regency Groom in Bishops Cleeve where we purchased the suits from was so patient and helpful,” David says. The couple’s bridesmaids wore blush pink sequinned and tulle dresses. “My maid-of-honour wore a fully sequinned style,” Dionne tells us. TIME TO CELEBRATE During the champagne and canapés reception, Dionne and David booked the talented saxophonist Lynden Blades to perform. “As luck would have it, we had a family friend who happens to be a well-known DJ to MC for the day and to DJ for us during the evening,” Dionne says. “I would strongly recommend an MC because it ensures that everything runs on time. “There were no awkward moments and our guests knew where they needed to be and what was coming next at all times.” “One memorable moment for me was watching the children running around without a care in the world. Knowing they were being well looked after by the nannies in the crèche yurt was the icing on the cake and meant the adults could enjoy themselves in the knowledge their kids were occupied and safe.” - David 29 REAL WEDDINGS
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