Your Herts & Beds Wedding - Apr-May 2019 (Issue 73)

REAL WEDDINGS 49  J en and Paul are both police officers for The Met but with London being so huge, it wasn’t until Paul moved to Jen’s base that they met. They hit it off straightaway and the following year started dating. “It was Paul’s birthday and I found out he was on a night shift so he wasn’t celebrating,” says Jen. “I took him to Creams Ice Cream Parlour in Uxbridge before his shift. It went really well but we cut it short due to him having to go to work.” It was closely followed by a second date that week and the rest, as they say, is history. A couple of years later a trip to Disneyland Paris proved a magical time for the duo. “It was day one of our short break and as soon as we walked into the park, Paul asked someone to take a photo of us in front of the castle. It was chucking it down with rain and I had my hood up so I didn’t notice that he was down on one knee when I was posing!” she says. “It was a complete surprise. We were going to Cuba not long after and my family was convinced that he’d do it then.” THE PERFECT SETTING Following the proposal, the couple was busy renovating their house so Paul project- managed that and Jen started on the big-day plans. “I’ve always loved listening to the piano so the pianist was the easiest thing to organise,” Jen recalls. However, finding a venue wasn’t quite so seamless. “I wanted a blank canvas that could take any colour scheme but Paul wanted something more traditional with character. Thankfully Offley Place offered us both – we loved it,” she says. “The staff were incredible. Every time we walked in we were made to feel at home and nothing was too much trouble.” STAND-OUT STYLE Jen tried on around 10 dresses before finding the one . “After trying on a few different styles I knew I wanted something figure hugging. I loved the high neckline and the fact that I could take off the top in the evening,” she says. She wore her hair in an elegant up do that was finished with a crystal and pearl hairpiece and opted for natural make-up. “I still wanted to look like me when I walked down the aisle, so I wore a bit more highlighter and opted for brighter eyes. It was perfect.” Jen’s sister Annabel, cousin Lily and friends Sian and Beckie, were bridesmaids and wore plum floor-length dresses. “They were ridiculously easy going! It was me who couldn’t decide on a colour or style to suit everyone,” she says. Paul, his best man Toby and ushers Justin, Stacy and Conor, all wore navy tails with silver waistcoats and blush cravats. “He knew he wanted that look. He felt the tails made the wedding party stand out from the crowd and I couldn’t agree more.” Paul’s niece Evelyn and their friends’ daughters Poppy and India were flowergirls and Paul’s nephew Joseph was a pageboy. “Kids always look cute at weddings and we wanted the girls to have a special role to play,” says Jen. WEDDING WHEELS A white Rolls Royce Silver Cloud Three was the transport of choice for Jen and her dad while the bridal party travelled in a Daimler DS420. “The chauffer made the journey really special, he was such a friendly guy. We had a nice slow drive to Offley Place to let us catch our breath and got lots of waves from passers-by, which was lovely.” Jen’s bouquet was brimming with blush and lilac roses, plum thistles and lots of eucalyptus and green foliage. The bridesmaids carried smaller versions and the flowergirls loved their wands. “We let our florist choose the blooms. I gave her a copy of the stationery so she knew what colours we had and she nailed it,” says Jen. Similar blooms were used throughout the venue on the tables, the heart wreath in the conservatory and a ceremony table centrepiece, which was then used on Jen and Paul’s love table – an alternative to a traditional top table. TABLE FOR TWO The couple chose simple and elegant big- Jen’s top tip: Don’t let the little things bother you. No one will notice on the day, all they want is to see you smiling.