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

REAL WEDDINGS 53  whimsical and with a specific ribbon detail. “Apparently the lovely lady creating my bouquet said she felt so much pressure to get it right that she’d have felt calmer doing Meghan Markle’s flowers!” Hannah recalls. “After creating many Pinterest boards and having conversations with my aunty, I knew that she'd know exactly what I wanted and she really went above and beyond to create it.” SCENT-SATIONAL Similar blooms were placed in silver bowls for the centrepieces and tables were named after places that meant something to Hannah and Ed. “We tried as much as possible to sit people relevant to that place. Ed’s family used to live in Dubai where we’d go to visit them so they were on the Dubai table and our university friends were on the Bath table,” says Hannah. Fairylights and candles were placed around the venue to create a romantic atmosphere and printed Polaroid pictures of family and friends were hung in the bar area. “The best man commented in his speech that he’d probably never go to a better smelling wedding. I work for Estée Lauder Companies so I placed Jo Malone candles and diffusers around the venue, choosing my favourite scent of English Pear and Freesia,” she says. “We also provided fragrances for guests to use in the bathrooms along with make-up. My little cousins had great fun trying on all the lipstick!” THE PERFECT DAY Guests were treated to fudge favours, made by Hannah, her mum and bridesmaids. “It took us three weekends and five batches but I think they enjoyed it,” she says. The natural buttercream cake was adorned with flowers and Hannah and Ed made the most of finding the perfect flavours. “I found our supplier at a small wedding event. The samples were so delicious that I kept going back to her table for more. We had three tiers of carrot cake, lemon and elderflower and victoria sponge and we also had a separate fruit cutting cake to keep the dads happy.” A good friend of the couple played the piano during the reception and a DJ played a mix of old-school classics and dance tunes into the evening. Guests had fun in the photo booth and the sweet table was very popular. “I have a huge sweet tooth but ironically I don’t think I ate a single one all evening,” says Hannah. “There was so much laughter and happiness throughout the day that it felt like we just floated through it. We loved having everyone we care for in the same room and sharing the moment with us. We felt incredibly blessed to have what we felt was the perfect day.” Hannah’s top tip: Treat your guests to fine cuisine. Luckily for us our venue came with amazing food reviews and we weren’t disappointed. Everyone said it was incredible!