REAL WEDDINGS 37 disease and gold poppy pins commemorating 100 years of the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. “Nathan’s grampy Joe continues to sell poppies in his local community and as Nathan is also ex-military, this appeal holds a special place in his heart,” Emily explains. They had long trestle tables for the wedding breakfast with an assortment of different finds and decorative items they bought or hired for the centrepieces. “We got log slices from a local farmer, foraged for fir cones and family friends decorated recycled jars with lace which our loved ones filled with flowers and foliage from our amazing florist,” adds Emily. The cakes were also a family effort, including Emily’s mum’s famous fruitcake and her aunty’s lemon drizzle and Victoria sponge. The tables were named after mountains and places across the UK that they’d explored. “The table names were laser-cut out of wood and were highly effective and matched our rustic theme beautifully,” recalls Emily. “We also had ladders strung from the roof of the barn with hanging Edison lamp bulbs decorated with ivy.” As big foodies, the catering was an important part of their celebration too, with lamb shank for the wedding breakfast, a trio of desserts and stone-baked pizza for the evening. TIME TO CELEBRATE Even though the weather was terrible, rain didn’t stop play. “Steph, our photographer, made me feel so calm, reassuring us that despite the rain we were going to have a terrific day. She kept a keen eye on the weather and made sure we had our couple photos and some group shots taken outside in the beautiful setting as soon as the rain stopped,” recalls Emily. “We had a lovely acoustic duo complete a beautiful set as the rain poured and our guests sheltered in a ‘just-in-case’ marquee or under the covering of the bar. They were from the band The Wilders and the rest of the members joined us for the evening party. Everyone loved them and they kept the party going all night!”
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