Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - March/April 2021 (Issue 85)

REAL WEDDINGS 37  K elly and Andrew planned to have a spring wedding but when COVID struck they switched it to the autumn instead. They tweaked their original dusky pink colour scheme by including warm burgundy shades instead of white, slashed the guest list by 100 to just 15 family and friends and enjoyed an intimate wedding full of magical moments. POPPING THE QUESTION The couple first met in 2009 at Newcastle University, where they were both members of the athletics and cross country club, but didn’t get together until three years later when Kelly returned from a year in France. Andrew popped the question in December 2018 while they were out walking in the New Forest. “He got down on one knee in a beautiful woodland spot and it was such a complete surprise, it took me a couple of minutes to actually say ’yes’,” Kelly recalls. THE TIME AND PLACE They tied the knot on 16 th October, 2020 at St Mathew’s Church in the village of Otterbourne. Kelly and her dad arrived in a head-turning Rolls-Royce limousine. “It looked absolutely amazing when it pulled up to take us to the church and attracted a lot of attention on the drive to the reception venue too,” she remembers. “Arriving at the church and finally holding Andrew’s hand was one of the happiest moments of the day. I felt so emotional throughout the whole ceremony having our family there to watch us say our vows. Also our friends who weren’t able to join us on the day were all outside the church to see us, which really meant a lot to us both. We felt like royalty with all the photos being taken!” “Seeing Kelly for the first time as she reached the end of the aisle and saying our vows was magical.” – Andrew LOOKING THE PART In keeping with their classic wedding theme Kelly wore Journey by Blue by Enzoani, a romantic figure-hugging lace dress with a heart-shape neckline and long lace train. “It was the second one I tried on and I fell in love with it straight away!” Her seamstress embellished the short veil with a small heart and both their names embroidered in blue thread as her something blue . To complete the look she had a pearl hairpiece to coordinate with the pearl combs she bought as gifts for her bridesmaids. The groom and groomsmen looked dapper in navy blue tails and pinstripe trousers with ties and pocket squares to match the bridesmaids’ dusky pink, halterneck dresses. Their flowergirl Annie wore a pretty white dress with the addition of a pink sash to complement the others. As the wedding was moved from spring to autumn, instead of having peonies the bouquets were a mix of dahlias, roses, gypsophila and astilbe. Kelly had a shower bouquet while the bridesmaids carried hand-tied posies. “I also asked our seamstress to make everyone face masks to go with their outfits, which I placed in small confetti bags for them to take to the church.” SETTING THE SCENE When it came to choosing the perfect place for the post-vows celebration one of the top priorities was finding somewhere with accommodation. “Most of our close family and friends live in the Yorkshire region, where we’re both from originally, so it was important to have a venue where our guests could stay,” explains Kelly. When they first visited New Place Hotel in Southampton, they were immediately blown away by the gorgeous manor house and grounds. “It ticked all our boxes and we couldn’t have imagined anywhere better for our wedding day,” says Kelly. When they later had to downsize their wedding plans, the team at New Place stepped in to help, offering them a smaller, more intimate room in the manor house, complete with an impressive fireplace as the stunning centrepiece.