Your Herts & Beds Wedding - Feb/Mar 2019 (Issue 72)

REAL WEDDINGS 51  H annah and Ed met on their first day at Bath University. The duo enjoyed hanging out and having fun and became best friends as they started to date. “Ed was (and is) always making me laugh. He has a real talent for impressions that always gets me giggling. He’s also incredibly generous and patient, even throughout the wedding planning ordeal!” Ed surprised Hannah by proposing on their summer holiday in September, 2017. “We moved house the week before we went, so I wasn’t expecting it at all given that we’d both been so busy,” Hannah recalls. He convinced Hannah to go to a historic viewpoint before dinner. “I wasn’t massively keen but then I saw how beautiful it was as we were watching the sunset over the coastline. I turned around and he was down on one knee!” A lot of happy tears followed and the couple enjoyed champagne and dinner on the sea front. “We’d spoken about marriage but the timing completely took me by surprise. It was perfect.” BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS The duo decided on a July wedding so they didn’t have a lot of time to find a venue. “Coltsfoot was the second place that we visited and we fell in love with the surroundings. The gardens and fields were beautiful with lots of potential for great photos and it had everything we wanted in terms of space,” she says. “The fact that there were rooms for us to stay overnight was also a bonus.” The church service was also an important part of the day. “We spent a lot of time choosing the readings and hymns to reflect us and our Christian faith. My dad’s very close friends with Chris, the Pastor of St Albans Vineyard, which is the church we’ve always gone to as a family,” says Hannah. “Chris agreed to take part in the service and delivered a great sermon.” PRINCESS FOR A DAY Hannah’s gown was Fleur by Naomi Neoh. “My dress was customised with a top that went over it. I loved the idea of having two looks – one for the day and one for the evening,” she says. After a long search, Hannah found the one. “Once I’d tried it on nothing else compared. I fell in love with the skirt. It felt so bridal and princess-like without it being too much. It fitted perfectly with our theme and I liked that the bodice and under layer was a very subtle blush pink, making it different to the traditional ivory. I wish I could wear it again!” Hannah finished her look with shoes by Jenny Packham and a stunning hair vine. Ed wore a traditional morning suit. “He’d picked out his waistcoat before I’d even got my dress. It became a bit of an ongoing joke because he’d got it so far in advance,” says Hannah. The groomsmen opted for a similar look but wore grey waistcoats and ties. When it came to the bridesmaids’ dresses, things were a little trickier, but they were happy in their blush pink dresses in the end. “We had a lot of fun picking them out but I was glad to finally make a decision! They looked beautiful.” SHOWSTOPPING BLOOMS A traditional car was chosen for the transport. “It was great fun getting in with Ed at the church and then driving away with the roof down as ours guests waved us off,” she says. Hannah’s bouquet was brimming with roses, peonies, eucalyptus and freesia. “The flowers stole the show, I was overwhelmed with how beautiful they were.” She knew that she wanted a flowing style but not too FLOATING ON AIR Coltsfoot Country Retreat set the scene for Hannah and Ed’s fun-filled day Images courtesy of Julia and You